JOB POSTING – Recreation and Athletics Specialist 4, Walla Walla, VA Home
Recreation and Athletics Specialist 4 Walla Walla
Salary
$3,453.00 – $4,532.00 Monthly
Location
Walla Walla County – Walla Walla, WA
Job Type
Full Time – Permanent
Department
Dept. of Veterans Affairs
Job Number
2017-03779
Closing
5/20/2017 11:59 PM Pacific
Description
The Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) is pleased to announce the recruitment for a permanent, full-time Recreation & Athletics Specialist 4 at our Walla Walla Veterans Home.
This position directly supports achieving the agency mission of “Serving Those Who Served” by meeting the social, spiritual and activity needs for residents, primarily veterans, in a long -term care facility through management of the Activity and Chaplain departments. The department is comprised of various work locations on campus, with each work area serving residents in that care level from skilled care to independent living. This position is responsible for ensuring that federal and state regulatory requirements in these areas are met. This position manages the Therapeutic Incentive Program consisting of residents working in various locations on campus as part of their care plan. Oversight of the Chaplain and religious services to ensure that programs are in place to address the spiritual needs of residents. Serve as primary community contact for donations of time or tangible goods. Direct volunteer program, including soliciting volunteers, contributions and services, volunteer orientation and tracking volunteer hours.
The Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) is comprised of more than 800 dedicated staff who strive to fulfill WDVA’s mission of “Serving Those Who Served.” To achieve this mission, WDVA provides critical services to veterans and their families, both in the community and among three veterans’ homes within the State of Washington. WDVA is a national leader in the quality of and advocacy for veterans claims submitted to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, reaching out to Washington’s more than 600,000 veterans.
WDVA operates four veterans’ homes in Port Orchard, Orting, Spokane, and Walla Walla providing Medicare and Medicaid nursing care for honorably discharged veterans, to include, in some instances, their spouses, widows or gold star parents.
For more information, visit our website at www.dva.wa.gov.
The hiring manager reserves the right to review application materials after 7 days. It is in the best interest of the applicant to apply as soon as possible.
About the new Home
The Walla Walla State Veterans Home serves 80 residents needing skilled nursing support. The Home is situated in the beautiful Fort Walla Walla Historic District of Walla Walla, WA which also includes the highly regarded Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center, beautiful 208-acre Fort Walla Walla Park, and excellent 15-acre Fort Walla Walla Museum.
The state-of-the-art Home offers: a “small house” living arrangement where all activities of daily living occur within a small-scaled environment, reminiscent of a large family home; person-centered care, social-model activity programming, cross functional staff roles, and a team-based organizational structure, as well as a management philosophy based on Continuous Quality Improvement. The Home will serve veterans, veterans’ spouses and parents of service members who died in combat operations.
The Home consists of six separate buildings: four residences, a community center and a maintenance/support building. Each residence building includes two separate “homes” each consisting of ten private bedrooms with private bathrooms and showers surrounding a communal “heart” of the home, an open kitchen, dining room, living room, quiet room/den, and nursing office. Services shared by the adjacent homes include a spa-like bathing room, and supply storage and housekeeping support areas. Some ancillary services will be provided as provider visits (Physician, Social Work, Activities, etc.) like those provided by visiting nurses or therapists at an individual’s home. Other services, such as Physical, Occupational, and Speech Therapy, Pharmacy, and Nutrition will be centralized, but in some cases may be provided at the residents’ rooms.
Location:
Situated in the beautiful Walla Walla Valley in the southeast corner of Washington State and just thirteen miles north of the Oregon border, Walla Walla is almost equidistant from Seattle, WA, Portland, OR, and Boise, ID just approximately four and a half hours driving from each or a short flight from Seattle. It is also one hour and three hours driving respectively from the Tri-Cities (Richland, Kennewick, and Pasco) and Spokane, WA.
The population of Walla Walla and its two suburbs, the town of College Place and unincorporated “East Walla Walla,” is about 45,000, and the population of the Tri-Cities metropolitan area is 273,100, while the population of the Spokane Metropolitan Statistical area is 500,000.
The Walla Walla Valley boasts appealing scenery, an array of fine wineries and performing arts organizations and venues, excellent public and private schools and colleges, sports teams; and a breadth of outdoor activities, including hiking, running, cycling, golfing, and wildlife viewing.
Benefits:
Employees and families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance.
State Employees are members of the Washington Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS). New employees have the option of two employer contributed retirement programs. For additional information, check out the Department of Retirement Systems’ web site.
Employees also have the ability to participate in the Deferred Compensation Program (DCP). This is a supplemental retirement savings program (similar to an IRA) that allows you control over the amount of pre-tax salary dollars you defer as well as the flexibility to choose between multiple investment options.
Vacation Leave is accrued starting your first month of employment and are able to take leave after six months of employment.
Employees earn eight hours of sick leave per month.
Full time employees are entitled to 11 paid holidays.
DUTIES:
Formulate department goals and review/evaluate progress toward achievement of established goals within budgetary requirements.
Interview and observe patient to develop Activity Assessment upon admission of new residents or as needed and yearly thereafter, maintain flow sheets and progress notes on patient chart.
Responsible for department QA program. Participate in meetings and/or committees as required to represent WWVH to meet program objectives.
Monitor activity care planning for residents to assure that their needs are being identified and met and appropriate programs are being developed.
Coordinate, train all volunteers, and provide recognition program.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Required Qualifications:
BA degree in recreational management or National Certification as an Activities Director by the National Association of Activities Professionals.
Three years’ experience managing, organizing and conducting therapeutic recreational activities in an institutional setting.
Experience in working with a variety of age groups with different levels of physical, emotional and psychiatric disabilities.
Knowledge of State and Federal regulations pertaining to recreational therapy long term care to ensure compliance.
Verbal and non-verbal communication skills to effectively interact with staff, residents, volunteers, community members and groups.
Ability to plan, organize and direct a comprehensive institution-wide recreation program involving both facility and stakeholder community including the following key skills:
– create/adapt recreation policies, methods and techniques to specific operational situation
– supervise, train and lead others to meet program objectives
– utilize public relations media in support of marketing, donation and volunteer efforts
– establish and maintain effective working relationships with patients and facility staff
– establish and maintain effective records and reporting system
Knowledge of many fields of recreational activities, including specialized knowledge of several broad areas such as sports, dramatics, music, social activities, arts and crafts.
Principles and techniques of group and individual therapeutic recreation.
Training techniques for staff development.
Techniques of observing patients and making oral or written reports/chart entries.
Preferred Qualifications:
Basic research principles to keep current on trends and innovations in long-term care and related disciplines or investigate new directions for facility and/or program.
Special Requirements and Conditions of Employment:
Clear background check every two (2) years.
Pass an annual Tuberculin test.
Ability to assist with transfer of residents on outings.
Commercial Driver’s License.
Food Handlers Permit or ability to obtain 1 week prior to starting date.
To apply please visit:
- JOB POSTING – Recreation and Athletics Specialist 2, Orting, VA Washingon Soldiers Home
- JOB POSTING – Recreation Therapist – Bailey Boushay House, Seattle
