Occ. Code 5903400

RECREATION WORKER, GRADE 14

New York State Department of Civil Service

Classification Standard

Recreation Workers plan and conduct recreational activities, such as sports, excursions, games, creative arts, clubs, and life management skills for people considered to be in the care and/or custody of New York State. Under general supervision and as part of an interdisciplinary treatment team, Recreation Workers collaborate with treatment team members in coordinating the care and care planning of any individuals served by the team. They are classified primarily in facilities and programs of the Office of Mental Health and the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.

RECREATION WORKER: appointment requires two years as a Recreation Assistant; organizes and conducts a wide range of recreational/rehabilitation activities for a group of clients and works under the supervision of professional treatment staff.

Recreation Assistants perform many of the same activities as Recreation Workers, but do not have sufficient experience for appointment at that level.

Recreation Therapists are professional positions that plan, organize, and participate in therapeutic and rehabilitative recreational treatment programs designed to improve an individual’s mental status, physical condition, and social behavior.

Recreation Program Leaders plan and coordinate organized leisure time activities for inmates of correctional facilities. They assess the interests of inmates, solicit inmate and community involvement, provide instruction in officiating at and participating in activities, and order, issue, and maintain supplies and equipment.

RECREATION WORKER: promotes, organizes, and directs recreation activities for a client group; meets and collaborates with treatment team members, community organizations, families, volunteers, and direct care staff to plan recreational/rehabilitation activities consistent with an individual’s interests and therapeutic requirements; ascertains group interests, evaluates resources needed and available, and adapts them to meet participant needs; teaches or coaches sports, games, dancing, drama, exercise, and other group activities and encourages participation; arranges for and sets up rooms, equipment, decorations, supplies, entertainment, and other requirements to conduct activities; teaches manual and creative arts and handicrafts to clients and assists them in using equipment and supplies; observes and records an individual’s response to and participation in recreational/rehabilitation activities; plans and leads field trips; requisitions, stores, and maintains equipment and supplies; maintains records; and prepares reports about recreational/rehabilitation activities and clients.

A Recreation Worker serves as a member of a treatment team. The purpose of a treatment team is to ensure an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to patient care, including treatment planning and implementation. Members of a treatment team may be called upon to coordinate the care and care planning of any of the individuals served by the team. This may include completing treatment planning documents, review of the individual’s medical record, and discussions with other members of the team.

With considerable independence in the performance of recreation activities for a client group, Recreation Workers are supervised by higher level Recreation Therapists, Treatment Team Leaders, or other professional staff, who review and approve their work and provide guidance and assistance.

RECREATION WORKER

Non-competitive Promotion: two years of experience as a Recreation Assistant.

NOTE: Classification Standards illustrate the nature, extent and scope of duties and responsibilities of the classes they describe. Standards cannot and do not include all of the work that might be appropriately performed by a class. The minimum qualifications above are those which were required for appointment at the time the Classification Standard was written. Please contact the Division of Staffing Services for current information on minimum qualification requirements for appointment or examination.

Date: 5/02