Recreational Therapist job description.
A Recreational Therapist uses activity-based interventions such as sports, art, and music to help patients recover from illness, injury, or disability. They design treatment plans that improve physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being, working in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, or long-term care facilities.
The Recreational Therapist job description · $29
The full editable .docx — role summary, 8 worked responsibilities, qualifications, and skills, formatted for your letterhead. Delivered to your inbox within 24 hours — usually instantly.
Role: Recreational Therapist Reports to: Clinical Director or Rehabilitation Services Manager
A Recreational Therapist uses activity-based interventions such as sports, art, and music to help patients recover from illness, injury, or disability. They design treatment plans that improve physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being, working in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, or long-term care facilities.
- Assess patients' physical, cognitive, and emotional needs to guide treatment
- Design and implement individualized recreational therapy treatment plans
- Lead therapeutic activities such as sports, art, music, and games
What's inside the document.
One-paragraph plain-English explanation of the role's outcome and scope.
8 responsibilities phrased the way the work is actually done.
4 qualifications a candidate must have to perform on day 30.
3 qualifications that would make a candidate excellent in year two.
5 skill chips you can copy directly into your ATS.
Clinical Director or Rehabilitation Services Manager
A complete document set.
- Word document (.docx) — fully editable
- PDF — signature-ready
- Google Docs — one-click copy to your Drive
- 12 months of updates to this document
- Commercial-use licence for internal and client work
The work, not the title.
- Assess patients' physical, cognitive, and emotional needs to guide treatment
- Design and implement individualized recreational therapy treatment plans
- Lead therapeutic activities such as sports, art, music, and games
- Document patient progress and adjust interventions as needed
- Collaborate with physicians, nurses, and other therapists on care plans
- Educate patients and families on the benefits of therapeutic recreation
- Ensure a safe environment during all therapy sessions and activities
- Maintain compliance with clinical documentation and regulatory standards
Required — and what would make a candidate excellent.
- Bachelor's degree in recreational therapy or therapeutic recreation
- Current licensure/board certification as required by state and employer
- Strong understanding of therapeutic activity planning
- Excellent interpersonal and patient communication skills
- Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) credential
- Experience with pediatric, geriatric, or behavioral health populations
- Background in adaptive sports or expressive arts therapy
Eight steps from download to publish.
- 01Open the Recreational Therapist job description in Word or your one-click Google Docs copy.
- 02Replace placeholders for company name, reporting line, and location with your specifics.
- 03Tighten the summary to one paragraph that names the team's outcome, not just the role.
- 04Edit the responsibilities to match the actual scope of the seat — aim for 6 to 8 items, not 12.
- 05Separate required qualifications from preferred. Required is what a candidate must have to do the work on day 30; preferred is what would make them excellent in year two.
- 06Add salary range guidance using BLS, Payscale, or your own band data — do not copy generic figures.
- 07Have the hiring manager and one peer read it. Cut anything that wouldn't survive a candidate question.
- 08Publish to your ATS, intranet, and external careers page.
The right document at the right moment.
Use this Recreational Therapist job description any time you are opening or reopening a seat at this level. The mid band sets the calibration — copy the document, tighten it to your specific scope, and circulate to the hiring panel before the first interview.
The reporting line (Clinical Director or Rehabilitation Services Manager) and skills list are starting points. Override either if your org structure or stack differs from the norm — the template is a draft, not a contract.
Honest answers before you download.
- What licensure does a Recreational Therapist need?
- Recreational therapists must hold current licensure/board certification as required by their state and employer, often alongside the CTRS credential.
- Where do Recreational Therapists typically work?
- Common settings include hospitals, rehabilitation centers, long-term care facilities, and community mental health programs.
Other documents in this neighbourhood.
Occupational Therapist
An Occupational Therapist helps patients develop or regain the skills needed for daily living and work activities following injury, illness, or disability.
Physical Therapist
A Physical Therapist evaluates and treats patients with movement impairments caused by injury, illness, or disability.
Music Therapist
A Music Therapist uses music-based interventions to support clients' emotional, cognitive, physical, and social wellbeing.
This Recreational Therapist job description is a professionally drafted starting point for your hiring process and is not legal advice. Hiring practice varies by jurisdiction (e.g. pay-transparency laws differ across US states and AU jurisdictions). Adapt this document for your specific location and have employment counsel review any clauses you add before publishing. Salary varies by region, employer type, and experience. Reference BLS or current industry surveys for ranges. Full disclaimer.