State of Maryland

A Dance Therapist II is the full performance level of work at Maryland Department of Health (MDH) designated Court Involved (CI) Facilities performing dance therapy in the treatment of mentally ill, aged, physically ill or physically disabled clients, or developmentally disabled clients who are residents of State treatment facilities or community-based programs. Employees in this classification are responsible for the assessment, planning and implementation of dance therapy treatment for clients. Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions but may provide advice and guidance to Activity Therapy Associates, Direct Care Assistants, students and volunteers assigned to the dance therapy program.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from a Dance Therapist Supervisor, Director of Activity Therapy or other healthcare professional. Employees may be assigned to day, evening, night or rotating shifts which may include holidays and weekends. Employees are subject to call-in based on staffing needs. Employees are required to observe infection control precautions in order to prevent contamination and spread of disease and may be required to lift and move patients and equipment.

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 a class specification.

The Dance Therapist I and the Dance Therapist II are differentiated on the basis of degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees. The Dance Therapist I performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the duty assigned.  The Dance Therapist II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision. The Dance Therapist II is differentiated from the Dance Therapist Supervisor in that the Dance Therapist Supervisor has supervisory responsibility for lower-level Dance Therapists.

Plans, designs, implements and evaluates dance therapy programs in accordance with clients’ needs, capabilities and interests;

Observes clients’ behavior in order to record progression or regression in treatment;

Determines appropriate dance or movement intervention for individual or group therapy;

Conducts group and individual therapy sessions to encourage clients’ participation in dance and movement therapy;

Assesses clients’ needs and capabilities to place clients in the appropriate dance therapy group program or to determine the type of individual program needed;

Prepares and maintains reports of clients’ progress;

Provides lectures and workshops on dance therapy to staff and community groups;

Participates in interdisciplinary treatment team meetings to provide input in treatment and discharge plans;

Orders and maintains supplies and equipment;

Trains student interns to assess clients’ capabilities and to plan, design and implement dance and movement therapy treatment;

May provide advice and guidance to Activity Therapy Associates,

Direct Care Assistants, students and volunteers;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of the theory and practice of dance therapy;

Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental disabilities;

Knowledge of movement observation and non-verbal communication;

Knowledge of the limitations, capabilities and problems common to developmentally disabled and mentally ill clients;

Skill in applying dance therapy techniques;

Skill in communicating with co-workers and with developmentally disabled and mentally ill clients;

Skill in assessing behavior, and general physical, emotional and cognitive levels of clients;

Skill in determining and developing an effective treatment plan in dance therapy for clients;

Ability to motivate clients;

Ability to work as an effective member of an interdisciplinary team;

Ability to provide advice and guidance to Activity Therapy Associates, Direct Care Assistants, students and volunteers assigned to the dance therapy program.

Education: A Bachelor’s degree in dance therapy from an accredited college or university.

Experience: One year of experience performing dance therapy work in the treatment of mentally ill, aged, physically ill or physically disabled clients or developmentally disabled clients.

Notes: 1. Candidates may substitute a Master’s degree in dance therapy for the required education.

2. Candidates may substitute current registration as a professional Dance Therapist from the American Dance Therapy Association for the required education.

3. Candidates may substitute four years of experience as a professional 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’ dance therapy treatment in a mental health or developmental disability setting for the required education.

4. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in Physical Therapy classification or Physical Therapy or Medical Services specialty codes in the dance therapy 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 a motor vehicle. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator’s license valid in the State of Maryland.

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

3. Employees in this classification assigned to facilities with a swimming poolmay be required to obtain Red Cross instruction and certification in Life Saving and Water Safety prior to permanent 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 assigned to Bargaining Unit E, Health Care Professional classes.  As provided by the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from 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.

July 1 2021 12:00AM