Therapeutic Recreation Specialist

THERAPEUTIC RECREATION SPECIALIST duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Plans, coordinates, implements, supervises, and evaluates varied therapeutic recreation programs in the following areas such as: fitness, leisure education, social, adaptive aquatic/swim, outdoor adventure-based, and summer day camps, etc.  
• Works with children, teens, and adults with disabilities, which may Include, various levels of intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, emotional/behavioral disorders, physical disabilities, and various levels of Autism.
• Works directly in recreational programs providing verbal direction to staff, participants and volunteers; physical assistance to participants (I.e.- lifting and transferring from/to wheelchairs, securing wheelchairs in vans/buses for transportation; hand over hand assistance, assistance with activities of dally living, etc.).
• Works in a variety of environments: shared office space of 3-5 co-workers, classrooms, pool/deck, outdoors, gymnasium, beach, nature trails, lakes/waterways, etc.
• Provides In-service training for staff on the principles and practices of therapeutic recreation, community inclusion, activity adaptations, disabilities, leisure education, behavior management, and program planning.
• Interviews, hires, trains, and supervises part time staff and volunteers to assist with the Implementation of therapeutic recreation programs.
• Provides quality customer service, which includes immediate co-workers, other city employees, participants, parents and the general public.
• Makes referrals to other programs and services (i.e.- Inclusion or general recreation). 
• Works collaboratively with the department, committees, teams, and other agencies.
• Prepares required reports, documents, paperwork and promotional materials.
• Utilizes a graded and gradual hierarchy of Interventions when interacting with participants who become aggressive, following Mandt Training guidelines (I.e.- philosophy and attitude; verbal communication; walking with and accompanying; supporting; avoiding; redirecting; releasing and restraint, if needed for the safety of all Involved).
• Maintains a safe environment.

Perform other job duties requiring skills, knowledge and physical requirements as demanded by those duties described or less. Individual assignments will be determined by the supervisor based on the current workloads and department needs.

MINIMUMS: Requires a Bachelors degree in recreation management, therapeutic recreation, exercise science, or a related field; OR any combination of education (above the high school level) and/or experience equivalent to four (4) years in fields utilizing the required knowledge, skills, and abilities and associated with such positions as recreation leader or recreation program supervisor.

Requires a current and valid Driver’s license in accordance with Virginia or North Carolina DMV driver’s license eligibility requirements.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Please see job link in the posting description.

Requires possession of a valid certification as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) from the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) or the ability to obtain within 6 months of employment.

This position is being advertised as a pool, and applications could be used to fill current vacancies and any other similar Recreation Specialist I position that become available within six months from the closing date of this posting.

The individual selected for this position will be housed at a primary site but may be scheduled between other park sites/facilities. Schedules will be adjusted seasonally and will vary weekly based on events, facility coverage, and weather.

The position you are applying for is designated as Alpha I, requiring the selected candidate to work, regardless of the City’s operational status. All employees may be expected to work hours in excess of their normally scheduled hours in response to short-term department needs and/or City-wide emergencies.

Some assignments may require overtime or split shifts to cover operational needs.

Requires a current and valid Driver’s license in accordance with Virginia or North Carolina DMV driver’s license eligibility requirements.

Requires possession of a valid certification as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) from the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) or the ability to obtain within 6 months of employment.

This position may require transportation of participants.

Must be available to work varied hours (mornings, nights, weekends and holidays) to facilitate facility operation and programming needs.
This position may provide direct child care in programs licensed by the Virginia Department of Education. Convictions of any barrier crime set forth Virginia Code 19.2-392.02 shall be an automatic disqualification for employment in this position.

As a condition of employment, all employees must attend P&R Connection(Department Orientation). If selected for the position, you will be provided an approximate training date at the time of hire. Training is held from 8:30am-5:00pm,every other Friday, at the Parks & Recreation Administration Building. When an exemption is permittable, a hybrid version of the training is available, but will require training attendance on a weekend.