State of Maryland

An Activity Therapy Manager is the managerial level of work at Maryland Department of Health (MDH) designated Court Involved (CI) Facilities, overseeing the facility-wide activity therapy program for the treatment of mentally ill, aged, physically ill or physically disabled patients, or developmentally disabled clients who are residents of State treatment facilities.  Employees in this classification supervise Therapeutic Recreator Supervisors, Art Therapist Supervisors, Dance Therapist Supervisors and Music Therapist Supervisors assigned to the facility's activity therapy program.  

Employees in this classification receive managerial supervision from a program administrator.

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 Activity Therapy Manager is differentiated from the Therapeutic Recreator Supervisor, the Art Therapy Supervisor, the Dance Therapist Supervisor and the Music Therapy Supervisor in that the Activity Therapy Manager has facility-wide responsibility for a therapy program while the subordinate Supervisors have supervisory responsibility for lower-level positions in their respective classifications.  

Assesses, plans, develops, implements and supervises programs and services for an entire facility in recreation, music, art and dance therapy provided to patients/clients in accordance with established standards for licensure, accreditation, certification and related laws, policies and regulations;

Evaluates the effectiveness of existing activity therapy programs in order to recommend changes in delivery of service or alternative programs;

Conducts and participates in formal training programs in activity therapy for subordinate employees;

Provides direct patient/client services in difficult or complex situations;

Prepares reports and maintains records;

Prepares, presents and executes activity therapy budget;

Knowledge of therapeutic recreation, music, art and dance psychotherapies theory and practice;

Knowledge of the limitations, capabilities and problems common to developmentally disabled individuals; 

Knowledge of the principles and practices of activity therapy programming for the mentally ill, physically ill, aged, physically disabled or the developmentally disabled;

Knowledge of care and use of activity therapy materials and equipment;

Skill in assessing behavior, aptitude and performance of patients/clients;

Skill in determining and developing effective treatment programs in therapeutic recreation, art, music and dance psychotherapy;

Ability to coordinate various disciplines within activity therapy into a comprehensive program;

Ability to supervise subordinate personnel;

Ability to prepare reports;

Ability to direct a program within an allocated budget;

Ability to establish and maintain working relationships with employees, patients, clients and other healthcare professionals;

Ability to communicate effectively with subordinate staff, patients, clients, supervisors, facility administrators and the general public.

Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in art, dance, music, therapeutic recreation or recreation with a major in therapeutic recreation from an accredited college or university.

Experience: Three years of experience performing art therapy, music therapy, dance therapy or therapeutic recreation therapy work in the treatment of mentally ill, aged, physically ill or physically disabled patients or developmentally disabled clients. One year of the experience must have been at the supervisory level.

Notes:

1. Current certification as an Art Therapist from the American Art Therapy Association; as a Music Therapist from the National Association for Music Therapy, Inc. or the American Association for Music Therapy, Inc.; as a Therapeutic Recreator from the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification; or as a Dance Therapist from the American Dance Therapy Association may be substituted for the required education.

2. Four years of experience as a professional Therapeutic Recreator, music, art or dance therapist, under the supervision of a licensed Occupational Therapist, licensed Physical Therapist or certified Activity Therapist, which included the responsibility for clients' assessments and the planning, implementation and evaluation of clients' recreation, music, art or dance therapy treatments in a mental health or developmental disability setting may be substituted for the education requirement. Experience assisting in these responsibilities will not be accepted as qualifying experience.

3. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience at a rank of Corporal/Petty Officer or higher as a commissioned officer in Therapy classifications or Therapy specialty codes in the Therapeutic Recreation field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience and education.

1. Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of an automobile. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator's license valid in the State of Maryland.

2. Employees in some positions in this classification may be required to operate vehicles which require a Class "C" motor vehicle operator's license valid in the State of Maryland.

3. Employees in this classification may be required to successfully complete cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and maintain current certification.

4. Employees in this classification at facilities with a swimming pool may be required to obtain Red Cross instruction and certification in Life Saving and Water Safety prior to appointment.

Employees in this classification are subject to call-in and, therefore, will be required to provide the facility with a telephone number where they can be reached.

Class specifications 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.

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.