At Eastern State Hospital our Recreation Therapists provide care that is worth bragging about. With the partnership of a dedicated team, we are proud to inspire a vulnerable population to experience resilience in recovery.

We have a career opportunity for a Recreation Therapist to join our team in an environment where patient impact thrives from collaboration. Our specific need is for an individual who has a passion for supporting rehabilitation through therapy for our adult psychiatric admission ward.

You’ll enjoy the ability to strengthen your patient care knowledge through endless interactions with a variety of medical professionals and your influence in improving rehabilitation.

As a Recreation Therapist you will provide standardized therapeutic recreation assessments to identify patients’ functional and leisure needs, strengths, and abilities for treatment team formulation. You will also develop age and population appropriate therapeutic recreation program based on patient input, assessment data, and in conjunction with ESH recovery model goals and objectives; and develop programs with goals and interventions that will meet the identified needs of the patients.

Recreation Therapists assess, plan, document, and evaluate therapeutic recreation services.  They also facilitate/provide active treatment programs/interventions weekly encompassing the four realms: physical, affective, social, and cognitive on the assigned ward and/or at the designated Treatment Mall for APU wards.

There will be opportunities to serve as a member on committees, representing the Rehabilitation Department, as well as assist with volunteers, students, and therapeutic recreation students.

To be successful, you’ll need: 

• Understanding of the different requirements/roles of Recreation Therapists in an inpatient setting.
• To advocate for Therapeutic Recreation services and the benefits it provides
• Be skillful in group facilitation, developing therapeutic relationship, and assessing patient functioning and need.
• Experience in de-escalating crisis/dangerous situations
• Have strength in communicating with the different disciplines of a treatment team and hospital staff.
• Be skilled in managing self in a compassionate, professional, organized, time sensitive, flexible manner with willingness to learn on the job.

We’re looking for a professional who has:

A National Certification through the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) Graduated from an accredited Therapeutic Recreation Program with a minimum of 18 months experience
AND
Acquire and maintain Washington State Department of Health registration as a Recreation Therapist (CTRS/R)

Questions?

Washington State Department of Social & Health Services is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in any area of employment, its programs or services on the basis of age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, marital status, race, creed, color, national origin, religion or beliefs, political affiliation, military status, honorably discharged veteran, Vietnam Era, recently separated or other protected veteran status, the presence of any sensory, mental, physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability, equal pay or genetic information. Persons requiring accommodation in the application process or this job announcement in an alternative format may contact the Recruiter at (360) 725-5810. Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call through Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6384.