Chief and Head Recreation Therapists are top level professionals in the Recreation Therapy title series. Incumbents plan, develop, implement, direct and evaluate all recreation therapy programs. They are responsible for recreational therapy goal setting, policy development, resource acquisition and utilization in facilities of the Department of Health, Office of Mental Health and the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.
Positions in both classes perform similar duties and responsibilities, however, Chief Recreation Therapists are responsible for much larger therapeutic recreation programs. Chief Recreation Therapists typically supervise 20 or more staff in recreation titles allocated to Grade 14 and above.
Head Recreation Therapists are responsible for administering similar but smaller therapeutic recreation programs where the staff supervised in recreation titles allocated to Grade 14 and above is less than 20.
Chief and Head Physical Therapists plan, develop, implement, coordinate and supervise physical therapy programs delivered by physical therapy staff. They administer all program activities, establish and maintain professional performance standards, act as consultants to other clinicians, organize professional training and continuing education courses and develop and maintain clinical affiliations with colleges.
Chief and Head Occupational Therapists plan, develop, implement, coordinate, and supervise occupational therapy programs delivered by occupational therapy staff. They administer all program activities, establish and maintain professional performance standards, act as consultants to other clinicians, organize professional training and continuing education courses, and develop and maintain clinical affiliations with colleges.
Senior Recreation Therapists, Grade 17, initiate, organize, and direct one or more in therapeutic recreation programs, as delegated by higher level Recreation Therapy staff, or are responsible for supervising all the recreation programs offered to clients in a variety of residential and program settings. Senior Recreation Therapists typically supervise lower-level professional and paraprofessional staff.
Establishes and maintains professional, agency and regulatory agency performance standards for therapeutic recreation.
Staffs the professional, therapeutic recreation program.
Evaluates programs in therapeutic recreation that are not associated with the agency to assess their applicability for possible use by the agency.
Coordinates facility-wide and other on-site and off-site events, such as mental health week, open-houses, centennials, and visits to sporting events.
Prepares and manages the therapeutic recreation program budget.
Attends and conducts a variety of meetings for the therapeutic recreation department staff, the facility and the community.
Writes a variety of periodic and special reports, memoranda and letters and ensures that gifts and donations of goods and services to the therapeutic recreation program are properly acknowledged.
Updates the professional library, ensuring that the library contains major professional journals, textbooks and other literature in the field.
Under the general supervision of facility program directors, Chief and Head Recreation Therapists independently establish policies, objectives, and procedures for recreation therapy programs within the context of overall service plans. Incumbents revise recreation therapy programs to conform to changes in current standards and regulations concerning the practice of recreation therapy.
Incumbents of both classes are discipline administrators in the field of recreation therapy charged with the overall responsibility for assessing client condition, implementing and coordinating client treatment, managing recreation therapy services and maintaining quality control.
Chief and Head Recreation Therapists communicate orally and in writing to subordinates and other staff to motivate, advise, instruct and correct deficiencies observed in therapy practices. They serve as recreation therapy consultants to the heads of other clinical disciplines, and professional and community groups to gain support for recreational programs.
Incumbents in both titles are responsible for training, supervising and evaluating all staff members involved in recreation therapy and related activity programs. This includes reviewing and evaluating goal plans, conducting in-service meetings, coordinating incidental events such as trips or special activities, and monitoring client record keeping.
Head Recreation Therapist
One year as a Senior Recreation Therapist (including parenthetics).
Chief Recreation Therapist
Either A: one year as a Head Recreation Therapist;
Or B: two years as a Senior Recreation Therapist (including parenthetics)
NOTE: For current information on minimum qualifications contact the Division of Staffing Services.