State of Maryland

A Therapeutic Recreator I is the intermediate level of work assessing, planning, implementing and performing therapeutic recreation in the treatment of mentally ill, aged, physically ill, or physically disabled patients or developmentally disabled clients in State treatment facilities or community-based programs. Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive moderate supervision from a Therapeutic Recreator Supervisor, Director of Activity Therapy or other healthcare professional. Employees are required to observe infection control precautions in order to prevent contamination and spread of disease. Employees may be required to physically restrain patients/clients displaying violent aggressive behavior. The work may require the lifting and positioning of nonambulatory patients/clients and the lifting of wheelchairs and other heavy equipment. The work may require long periods of standing, walking, bending and reaching. Employees may be assigned to day, evening, night, or rotating shifts which may include holidays and weekends. These employees are subject to call-in and overtime based on staffing needs.

Positions in this classification are evaluated using the classification job evaluation methodology. The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Therapeutic Recreator I and the Therapeutic Recreator II are differentiated on the basis of degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees. The Therapeutic Recreator I performs duties under close supervision at times and with general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed.  The Therapeutic Recreator II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Conducts and leads group and individual therapeutic recreation activities and leisure education programs in the treatment of mentally ill, aged, physically ill, or physically disabled patients or developmentally disabled clients;

Plans, designs, implements, and evaluates therapeutic recreation programs in accordance with patients’/clients’ needs, capabilities and interests;

Observes and documents patient/client behavior when performing recreation therapy activities in order to record progression or regression in treatment;

Assesses patient/client needs and capabilities using therapeutic recreation techniques in order to place patients/clients in the appropriate existing therapeutic recreation group program or determine the type of individual program needed;

Prepares and maintains documentation of patient/client progress;

Participates in interdisciplinary treatment team meetings by providing input into treatment plans and discharge planning;

Orders and maintains necessary supplies and equipment;

Performs other related duties.

Class Descriptions are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies.  Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position. 

Class Descriptions provide information about the Nature of Work, Examples of Work, General Requirements and Acknowledgements.  The Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities; Minimum Education and Experience Requirements; Special Requirements; and recruitment and testing procedures are set by the using agency.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.  NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance level in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series, an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class, as defined by the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.