Cottage Lane Health and Rehab -
Purpose of Your Job Position
The primary purpose of your job position is to plan, organize, develop, and direct the overall operation of the Activity Department in accordance with current federal, state, and local standards, guidelines and regulations, our established policies and procedures, and as may be directed by the Administrator, to as- sure that an on-going program of activities is designed to meet, in accordance with the comprehensive assessment, the interests and the physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being of each patient.
Delegation of Authority
As Activity Directo r, you are delegated the administrative authority, responsibility, and accountability necessary for carrying out your assigned duties.
Job Functions
Every effort has been made to identify the essential functions of this position. However, it in no way states or implies that these are the only duties you will be required to perform.
The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work
is similar, related, or is an essential function of the position.
Duties and Responsibilities
Administrative Functions
- Plan, develop, organize, implement, evaluate, and direct the activity programs of this
- Assist in the development, administering, and coordinating of department policies and
- Keep abreast of current federal and state regulations, as well as professional standards, and make rec- ommendations on changes in policies and procedures to the
- Develop and implement policies and procedures for the identification of medically related activity needs of the patient.
- Participate in community planning related to the interests of the facility and the services and needs of the patient and family.
- Participate in discharge planning, development and implementation of activity care plans and patient
- Interview patient / families as necessary and in a private
- Perform administrative requirements, such as completing necessary forms, reports, etc., and submit- ting such to the Administrator as required.
- Involve patients and families in planning facility activity
- Assist in arranging transportation to other facilities when
- Assume the authority, responsibility, and accountability of directing the activity
- Maintain a productive working relationship with the medical profession and other health related facili- ties and organizations.
- Review and evaluate the department’s work force and make recommendations to the
- Coordinate activities with other departments as
- Work with the facility’s consultants as necessary and implement recommended changes as
- Make written and oral reports / recommendations to the Administrator concerning the operation of the activity department as
- Review and develop a plan of correction for activity deficiencies noted during survey inspections and provide a written copy of such report to the
- Review departmental complaints and grievances from personnel and make written reports to the Ad- ministrator of action(s)
- Follow facility’s established
- Ensure that all charted activity progress notes are informative and descriptive of the services
provided and of the patient’s response to the service.
- Involve the patient / family in planning objectives and goals for the
- Meet with administration, medical and nursing staff, as well as other related departments in planning activity programs.
- Arrange transportation for field trips when
- Others as deemed necessary and appropriate, or as may be directed by the Administrator.
Committee Functions
Serve on, participate in, and attend various committees of the facility, (i.e., Infection Control, Policy Advisory, Pharmaceutical, Budget, Quality Assessment and Assurance, etc.
as required, and as appointed by the
- Provide written and / or oral reports of the programs and activities as
- Participate in regularly scheduled reviews of patient discharge
- Evaluate and implement recommendations from established committees as they may pertain to activity services.
- Attend department head meetings, , as scheduled or as may be called.
Personnel Functions
- Assist in the recruitment, interviewing, and selection of personnel for the
- activity
- Determine departmental staffing requirements necessary to meet the activity department’s needs and staff / schedule accordingly.
- Counsel / discipline / terminate employment of activity personnel as requested or as
- Assist in standardizing the methods in which activity programs will be performed and / or
- Maintain an excellent working relationship with other department supervisors and coordinate the activ- ity program to assure that daily activities can be performed without
- Conduct departmental performance evaluations in accordance with the facility’s policies and proce-
- Create and maintain an atmosphere of warmth, personal interest and positive emphasis, as well as a calm environment throughout the
Staff Development Functions
- Develop, implement, and maintain an effective orientation program that orients the new employee to the department, its policies and procedures, and to his / her job position and
- Provide leadership training that includes the administrative and supervisory principles essential for the activity department.
- Encourage the supervisory staff to attend and participate in outside training programs. Schedule times as
- Attend and participate in continuing educational programs designed to keep you abreast of changes in your profession, as well as to maintain your license on a current status.
- Ensure that all department personnel attend and participate in annual OSHA and CDC in-service train- ing programs for hazard communication, TB management, and blood borne pathogens
Safety and Sanitation Functions
- Ensure that department work areas are maintained in a clean, sanitary, and safe
- Ensure that all department personnel follow established departmental policies and procedures, includ- ing appropriate dress codes.
- Ensure that activity personnel follow established infection control and hazardous conditions reporting
- Ensure that department personnel follow established procedures governing the use of labels and
- Report missing / illegible labels and MSDSs to the safety officer or other designated
Equipment and Supply Functions
- Recommend to the Administrator the equipment and supply needs of the activity
- Place orders for equipment and supplies as necessary or as may be
- Make periodic rounds to check equipment and to assure that necessary equipment is available and
working properly.
Check supply rooms to assure that needed activity supplies are on hand to conduct scheduled activi-
Care Plan and Assessment Functions
- Develop preliminary and comprehensive assessments of the activity needs of each
- Develop a written plan of care (preliminary and comprehensive) for each patient that identifies the problems / needs of the patient and the goals to be accomplished for each problem / need
- Encourage the patient / family to participate in the development and review of the patient’s plan of
- Ensure that all activity personnel are aware of the care plan and that care plans are used in provid- ing daily activities for the patient.
- Review nurses’ notes to determine if the activity care plan is being followed. Report problem areas to the
- Review and revise care plans and assessments as necessary, but at least
- Develop and maintain a good rapport with all services involved with the care plan to ensure that a team effort is achieved in developing a comprehensive plan of
Budget and Planning Functions
- Forecast needs of the
- Assist in preparing and planning the activity department’s budget for food, equipment, supplies, and labor and submit to the Administrator for review, recommendations, and
- Maintain current written records of department expenditures and assure that adequate financial re- cords and cost reports are submitted to the Administrator upon request or as
Patient Rights Functions
- Maintain the confidentiality of all patient care
- Review complaints and grievances made by the patient and make a written / oral report to the Admin- istrator within indicating what action(s) were taken to resolve the complaint or
- Follow facility’s established patient rights and privacy
- Participate in patient / group council meetings as requested and provide support services to such
Miscellaneous Functions
Make weekly inspections of all activity functions to assure that quality control measures are
continually maintained.
- Be prepared to handle emergencies as they come up (i.e., rescheduling work assignments and work schedules, ).
- Encourage patients to participate in hobbies and Provide materials as necessary.
- Supervise activities as
- Develop and maintain an activity
- Assist in providing library service for patients through cooperation with local
- Make routine visits to patients and perform assistance with crafts, projects, , as necessary.
- Others as deemed necessary and appropriate, or as may be directed by the consultant or adminis-
Working Conditions
- Works in office areas as well as throughout the
- Moves intermittently during working
- Is subject to frequent interruptions from patients, personnel, visitors, government agencies / personnel, , under all conditions and circumstances.
- Is subject to hostile and emotionally upset patients, family members,
- Communicates with the medical staff, nursing service, and other department
- Works beyond normal working hours, on weekends, and in other positions temporarily, when neces-
- Is subject to call-back during emergency conditions (e.g., severe weather, evacuation, post-disaster, ).
- Attends and participates in continuing educational
- Is subject to injury from falls, burns from equipment, odors, etc., throughout the day, as well as to reactions from dust, disinfectants, tobacco smoke, and other air
- Is subject to exposure to hazardous chemicals, infectious waste, diseases, conditions, , including
TB, Covid variants, AIDS, Hepatitis B viruses and hazardous chemicals.
Education
Must possess, as a minimum, two (2) years of Degree preferred but not necessary.
Experience
- Must be a qualified therapeutic recreation specialist or an activities professional who is licensed by this state and is eligible for certification as a recreation specialist or as an activities professional; or
- Must have, as a minimum, two (2) years experience in a social or recreation program within the last five (5) years, one (1) of which was full-time in a patient activities program in a health care setting; or
- Must be a qualified occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant; or
- Must have completed a training course approved by this
Specific Requirements
- Must be able to read, write, speak, and understand the English
- Must possess the ability to make independent decisions when circumstances warrant such
- Must possess the ability to deal tactfully, cheerfully, and with enthusiasm personnel, patients, family members, visitors, government agencies / personnel and the general
- Must possess leadership ability and willingness to work harmoniously with and supervise other person-
- Must possess the ability to seek out new methods and principles and be willing to incorporate them into existing activity services.
- Must be a member in good standing in the National Association of Social Workers and Academy of Cer- tified Social Workers, Inc..
- Must be willing to follow all company, state, and regulatory policies related to Infection Control and Vaccination requirements.
Physical and Sensory Requirements
With or Without the Aid of Mechanical Devices)
- Must be able to move intermittently throughout the work
- Must be able to cope with the mental and emotional stress of the
- Must possess sight / hearing senses or use prosthetics that will enable these senses to function ade- quately so that the requirements of this position can be fully met.
- Must function independently and have flexibility, personal integrity, and the ability to work effectively with patients, personnel, and support agencies.
- Must meet the general health requirements set forth by the policies of this
- Must be able to relate to and work with ill, disabled, elderly, emotionally upset and at times, hostile people within the facility.
- Must be able to push, pull, move, and / or lift a reasonable minimum of pounds to a reasonable height of and be able to push, pull, move, and / or carry such weight a minimal
- May be necessary to assist in the evacuation of patients during emergency
Job Position Analysis Information
NO Tasks assigned to this position do not typically involve potential and / or direct exposure to blood, body fluids, infectious diseases, air contaminants, and hazardous chemicals
YES Functions Require Repetitive Motion
YES Minimal weight Lifting requirements Apply
YES Functions Require Prolonged Sitting, Standing, Bending