Activity Specialist jobs in Greenville, MS

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 Director, 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 facility.
•    Assist in the development, administering, and coordinating of department policies and procedures.
•    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 Administrator.
•    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 assessments.
•    Interview patient/families as necessary and in a private setting.
•    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 programs.
•    Assist in arranging transportation to other facilities when necessary.
•    Assume the authority, responsibility, and accountability of directing the activity department.
•    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 Administrator.
•    Coordinate activities with other departments as necessary.
•    Work with the facility’s consultants as necessary and implement recommended changes as required.
•    Make written and oral reports/recommendations to the Administrator concerning the operation of the activity department as requested.
•    Review and develop a plan of correction for activity deficiencies noted during survey inspections and provide a written copy of such report to the Administrator.
•    Review departmental complaints and grievances from personnel and make written reports to the Ad- ministrator of action(s) taken.
•    Follow facility’s established procedures.
•    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 patient.
•    Meet with administration, medical and nursing staff, as well as other related departments in planning activity programs.
•    Arrange transportation for field trips when necessary.
•    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 Administrator.
•    Provide written and/or oral reports of the programs and activities as required.
•    Participate in regularly scheduled reviews of patient discharge plans.
•    Evaluate and implement recommendations from established committees as they may pertain to activity services.
•    Attend department head meetings, etc., as scheduled or as may be called.

Personnel Functions
•    Assist in the recruitment, interviewing, and selection of personnel for the
•    activity department.
•    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 necessary.
•    Assist in standardizing the methods in which activity programs will be performed and/or administered.
•    Maintain an excellent working relationship with other department supervisors and coordinate the activ- ity program to assure that daily activities can be performed without interruption.
•    Conduct departmental performance evaluations in accordance with the facility’s policies and proce- dures.
•    Create and maintain an atmosphere of warmth, personal interest and positive emphasis, as well as a calm environment throughout the facility.

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 duties.
•    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 appropriate.
•    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 standard.

Safety and Sanitation Functions
•    Ensure that department work areas are maintained in a clean, sanitary, and safe manner.
•    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 procedures.
•    Ensure that department personnel follow established procedures governing the use of labels and MSDSs.
•    Report missing/illegible labels and MSDSs to the safety officer or other designated person.

Equipment and Supply Functions
•    Recommend to the Administrator the equipment and supply needs of the activity department.
•    Place orders for equipment and supplies as necessary or as may be required.
•    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- ties.

Care Plan and Assessment Functions
•    Develop preliminary and comprehensive assessments of the activity needs of each patient.
•    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 identified.
•    Encourage the patient/family to participate in the development and review of the patient’s plan of care.
•    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 DON.
•    Review and revise care plans and assessments as necessary, but at least quarterly.
•    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 care.
•
Budget and Planning Functions
•    Forecast needs of the department.
•    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 approval.
•    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 necessary.

Patient Rights Functions
•    Maintain the confidentiality of all patient care information.
•    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 grievance.
•    Follow facility’s established patient rights and privacy procedures.
•    Participate in patient/group council meetings as requested and provide support services to such council.

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, etc.).
•    Encourage patients to participate in hobbies and crafts. Provide materials as necessary.
•    Supervise activities as necessary.
•    Develop and maintain an activity schedule.
•    Assist in providing library service for patients through cooperation with local library.
•    Make routine visits to patients and perform assistance with crafts, projects, etc., as necessary.
•    Others as deemed necessary and appropriate, or as may be directed by the consultant or adminis- trator.

Working Conditions
•    Works in office areas as well as throughout the facility.
•    Moves intermittently during working hours.
•    Is subject to frequent interruptions from patients, personnel, visitors, government agencies/ personnel, etc., under all conditions and circumstances.
•    Is subject to hostile and emotionally upset patients, family members, etc.
•    Communicates with the medical staff, nursing service, and other department supervisors.
•    Works beyond normal working hours, on weekends, and in other positions temporarily, when neces- sary.
•    Is subject to call-back during emergency conditions (e.g., severe weather, evacuation, post-disaster, etc.).
•    Attends and participates in continuing educational programs.
 
•    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 contaminants.
•    Is subject to exposure to hazardous chemicals, infectious waste, diseases, conditions, etc., including
TB, Covid variants, AIDS, Hepatitis B viruses and hazardous chemicals.

Education
•    Must possess, as a minimum, two (2) years of college. 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 state.

Specific Requirements
•    Must be able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language.
•    Must possess the ability to make independent decisions when circumstances warrant such action.
•    Must possess the ability to deal tactfully, cheerfully, and with enthusiasm personnel, patients, family members, visitors, government agencies/personnel and the general public.
•    Must possess leadership ability and willingness to work harmoniously with and supervise other person- nel.
•    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 day.
•    Must be able to cope with the mental and emotional stress of the position.
•    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 facility.
•    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 distance.
•    May be necessary to assist in the evacuation of patients during emergency situations.

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