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Therapeutic Recreation Specialist - Full Time, Days

Hospital for Special Care
Hospital for Special Care, United States, United Statesfull_timeVerifiedPosted 1 Jun 2026

About the role

Position Location:

Hospital for Special Care

Scheduled Weekly Hours:

40

Work Shift:

First Shift

Department:

Inpatient Rehabilitation Services

We are dedicated to creating an environment of care and engagement that makes us one of the most desirable places to work, providing exceptional care to each patient each and every day!

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Required: Valid driver's license.
  • Required: Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a major in therapeutic recreation.
  • Required: Certification by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation within six months of hire.
  • Required: Maintains competency requirements as defined by NCTRC and ATRA standards of practice.
  • Preferred: Current CPR Certification.
  • Preferred: Minimum of one year clinical experience.
  • Preferred: Public Passenger endorsement(s).

JOB SUMMARY

The Therapeutic Recreation Specialist will evaluate, plan, implement and document according to the ATRA standards. Create therapeutic recreation programs that benefit the patients’ health, functional status, personal development and quality of life. Ensure the successful provision of recreation/leisure/community participation throughout admission utilizing an interdisciplinary team approach, communicating relevant information to others and providing education to staff, patients and families as necessary. The TRS will mentor and provide training to aide level staff and volunteers as appropriate.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

  • Ability to tolerate up to four hours of consecutive work. Endurance for up to one and one-half hour periods of constant sitting and one hour periods of independent mobility.
  • Ability to safely transfer patients and provide contact guarding or hands-on assistance.
  • Ability to lift or carry objects up to 10 pounds continuously, to 20 pounds occasionally, to 50 pounds occasionally and over 100 pounds occasionally for patient transfer.
  • Ability to push/pull over 100 pounds occasionally throughout the day for patient transport.
  • Frequent need to initiate body positional changes to access equipment from high and low areas and while providing treatment interventions.
  • Ability to tolerate submersion in up to shoulder-depth water from 1-2 hours.
  • Functional fine and gross motor skills and upper extremity sensation needed.
  • Intact vision needed for observation of patient's non-verbal responses and driving.
  • Employees in this position must be able to participate in the physical management of patients which can include, but is not limited to, awareness and demonstration of safe body positioning at all times, awareness and coordination to block and deflect possible aggression, and the ability to physically hold struggling patients, using approved methods only, to maintain safety for extended periods of time.
  • Specifically, such employees must be able to lift up to 50 pounds; reach with their hands and arms, grasp and hold with their hands; bend/squat/kneel without limitation and physically escort patients who may become combative for short distances.
  • Position requires occasional running for short distances and frequent standing walking and sitting.

COGNITIVE DEMANDS

  • Job requires independent problem identification, quick decision making, and abstract reasoning.
  • Job also requires the ability to adapt information to new situations and changing environments. A high degree of selective attention, discernment, perception, and/or concentration in the presence of noise/distraction is necessary.
  • Job requires clinical judgment to analyze and synthesize information, discriminate relevant from irrelevant information and determine prognosis and plan of care through interpretation of medical history and data gathered in evaluation.
  • Job requires ability to learn new techniques, apply theory to functional context, determine interventions to be used and modify plan of care to patient needs. Reading, auditory comprehension of abstract information, and an ability to make inferences are also required.
  • Job requires a high degree of writing proficiency including attention to detail, and adherence to all elements of style. A working knowledge and familiarity with medical terms and definitions is required.
  • Job requires a high level of communication skill including expression of abstract/complex ideas, use of negotiation and active listening and an ability to dialogue with multiple parties. Must demonstrate the ability to modify communication skills to the listener's level of ability or readiness to comprehend.
  • Job requires the ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide with all units of measure, and the ability to perform these operations

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Company

Hospital for Special Care

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