Residential Recreational Therapist (Full-Time)
Wedgwood Christian Services
Grand Rapids, MI, USA
USD 55,600-62,500 / year
Posted on Feb 11, 2026
Residential Recreational Therapist (Full-Time)
What you'll do:
We’re looking for a passionate and creative Recreational Therapist to design and lead meaningful therapeutic experiences for youth. In this role, you’ll use purposeful, engaging activities to promote emotional and physical safety, strengthen relationships, and support healing and personal growth.
The Recreational Therapist empowers youth to build healthy coping skills, practice self-regulation, grow their confidence, and form positive social connections. Your work will help create a strong sense of community and belonging while encouraging each young person to thrive.
Schedule: Two weekdays 9am-5pm and three weekdays 10am-6pm or 11am-7pm. Flexible weekends as needed for client recreation events, replacing one weekday shift.
Compensation: $55,600-$62,500 salary with comprehensive benefits package
Responsibilities:
- Provide leadership and direction setting for Recreation Therapy programming within the agency.
- Develop and direct campus wide activities at least twice a month, including one weekend activity option.
- Create and offer campus wide family-based activities quarterly.
- Facilitate, at minimum, one weekly recreational group therapy session/activity for each residential unit.
- Communicate regularly with other agency staff:
- With Clinicians and Directors of Residential to ensure integration of Recreation Treatment in the overall milieu treatment.
- With home employees to keep them informed of the role and responsibilities of Recreation Therapy within the milieu.
- Work collaboratively with various agency departments (OT, BCBA, Advancement)?to stimulate creative and therapeutic activities with residents.
- Provide ongoing education, training, and support to home teams to enhance the use of recreation therapy.
- Encourage and design objective evaluation techniques to assess program efficiency and effectiveness,including the use of the Ansell Casey Assessment Tool.
- Develop a data driven tracking of Ansell Casey evaluation results
- Responsible for tracking and monitoring utilization and outcome data, including quarterly reporting for the all-agency report card.
- Create monthly gym, wellness center, LOVED Snack Shoppe, and Kid’s Club schedules for units use.
- Research and provide a weekly schedule of activities available on campus or in the community for each unit.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Recreational Therapy with active CRTS or Degree in Expressive Therapies (Music, Art, Drama, etc.) required.
- A minimum of two years of experience in a related field under professional supervision.
- Prior group facilitating experience preferred.
- Subscription to the Statement of Faith of Wedgwood Christian Services and agreement with the goal, purpose and objectives of the agency.
Benefits:
- 403(b) retirement plan with employer match
- Medical Plans with great coverage options
- Free supplemental virtual PCP care with medical plan
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Health Savings Accounts
- Dental and Vision plans
- Pet insurance
- Legal insurance
- A Locally Partnered Employee Assistance Program
- Competitive paid time off
- Direct deposit
- Federal Student Loan Forgiveness through PSLF
- Paid Holidays
- We also offer a variety of employer paid benefits for full time staff
- Short term disability
- Long term disability
- Life insurance up to 2x your annual salary
- No-cost, employer paid training and re-certification provided to staff
- Wedgwood has full gymnasium and state-of-the art 24-hour wellness center filled with a wide variety of workout equipment, available to staff at no cost.
- Walking trail that leads around the beautiful campus.
- Through community partnerships, Wedgwood employees and in some cases family members, are eligible for application and tuition fee discounts for several local colleges and universities.
Wedgwood Christian Services
Since 1960, Wedgwood Christian Services has been dedicated to boldly taking on the toughest problems facing children and families through residential care, counseling services and community programs. Leaning on our faith and core values of integrity, compassion, excellence, and diversity, we tackle the crucial work of supporting and restoring the wellbeing of all those who call West Michigan home.
Mission: Wedgwood Christian Services extends God's love to youth, adults, and families through professional counseling and educational services.
Core Values: Integrity, Compassion, Excellence, and Diversity
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