Salary: $21.05 - $28.20 Hourly
Location : Alexandria, VA
Job Type: Part-Time
Job Number: 2026-00422
Department: Department of Community and Human Services
Division: CENTER FOR ADULT SERVICES
Opening Date: 06/05/2026
Closing Date: Continuous
Bargaining Unit: N/A
Therapeutic Recreation Leader (At-Will)
The City of Alexandria is located in Northern Virginia and is bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), Arlington and Fairfax counties. With a population of approximately 150,000 and a land area of 15.75 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest city in the Common Wealth of Virginia. Alexandria has a charming waterfront and is a unique and historic place to live and work. If you are interested in working for the vibrant City of Alexandria, we invite qualified candidates to apply for our
Therapeutic Recreation Leader (At-Will) position.
An Overview
The work of this class involves creating, implementing and leading therapeutic recreational programs for older adults with physical, cognitive, and intellectual disabilities; recognizing emergencies and other health threatening conditions for participants at the Adult Day Services Center. The work of this class provides assistance with personal hygiene, physical and cognitive activities, and social interactions. This class creates and implements behavior treatment plans for participants, communicates concerns and makes recommendations regarding the participants' behavioral problems to the direct supervisor, center nurse and center director. The incumbent plans and implements program goals and objectives. The incumbent initiates program activities and plans based on the varied interests and needs of the program participants. The incumbent works independently consulting, when necessary, with the supervisor. The work is performed under the general direction of a Therapeutic Recreation Manager.
What You Should Bring
The ideal candidate should have good knowledge of the social and recreational sciences, including the theory, principles and practices of therapeutic activities. Implementing activities for older adults in an adult day care program setting; knowledge of the aging process; ability to relate to frail and or impaired older adults and adults with disabilities; skilled in interpersonal work relationships; ability to communicate clearly and effectively both orally and in writing with the program participants, caregivers, and co-workers; ability to break activities down into recreation skill levels that meet the needs of participants; ability to plan and present creative therapeutic activities for older adults. All employees must complete and sign the attached Essential Job Functions sheet.
The Opportunity
- Leads daily therapeutic recreational activities, instructs and demonstrates game methods, motivates participants to actively participate in therapeutic activities to enhance individuals physical, cognitive, social, emotional and spiritual well-being;
- Inspects equipment and monitors activities to ensure safety standards are met and guidelines are followed;
- Observes participants for changes in medical conditions and behavior;
- Removes participants from groups when behavior becomes inappropriate;
- Provides direct care to physically and cognitively impaired participants including toileting, changing soiled clothing, and assists with colostomy bags
- Provides assistance with ambulation, redirects confused and wandering participants and maintains a safe environment
- Plans and evaluates activities including scheduling appropriate groups at designated dates and times, ensuring all materials needed for activities are safe, clean and available for use, purchases supplies not available through City contracts;
- Uses community resources to enhance the activity program;
- Utilizes publications for activity professionals to incorporate new ideas and programs;
- Uses the internet to research activity ideas and supplies;
- Keeps accurate documentation of participants progress, Medicaid case notes and assessments, maintains daily attendance records, USDA food program records, schedule bi-weekly transportation and billing records, reconciliation of monthly credit card expenses, ordering and or shopping for monthly food supplies, prepares monthly breakfast and snack menus, answering the telephone, responding to questions from the public and directing calls to other City agencies;
- Other duties, special projects and reports as assigned by the supervisor;
- Food service responsibilities include recording accurate temperatures of catered lunch items;
- Prepares and serves breakfast, lunch and snack;
- Provides direction to temporary staff, Title V workers, Volunteers and Summer Youth employees;
- Provides training, assigns projects, monitor time sheets and report discrepancies to immediate supervisor;
- Housekeeping duties include but are not limited to kitchen clean up, cleaning the oven, logging freezer temperatures, monitor and rotate refrigerator, freezer, and pantry items to ensure food safety, sanitizing cooking and serving utensils, laundry, human waste cleanup, keeping rooms, closets and work area neat and clean, removing fall hazards, cleaning tables, activities equipment, yearly outdoor garden clean-up and maintenance, monitoring kitchen equipment daily to ensure it is in safe and proper working condition.
- Opens and closes the center.
- Ensures the participants arrive in safe manner and return home safely in the proper mode of transportation or makes changes as necessary, providing direct supervision to participants, temporary staff and volunteers, conducts a walk through to lock or unlock doors, checks for hazards or maintenance problems.
- Contacts emergency services and supervisors in the event of an emergency;
- In the absence of the Center Nurse, administers medications to participants, reads doctors' orders, fills out the medical administration records;
- Monitors blood pressures, identify classes of medications, identify medication terminology and abbreviations, recognize emergencies and other health threatening conditions and respond accordingly;
- Completes incident reports in the event of a fall, serious accident, or lost participant;
- Performs related work as required.
About the Department
The Center for Adult Services (CAS) provides programs and services in Aging; Adult Protective Services; Clinical & Emergency Services; and Community & Residential Support Services for seniors and for persons with mental illness, intellectual disabilities and substance use disorders. CAS provides compassionate and effective person-centered services based on best practices. Our teams support self-determination, safety and recovery for Alexandria residents affected by abuse, neglect, mental illness, intellectual disabilities and substance abuse disorders.
Minimum & Additional Requirements
Two-Year College Degree; Good knowledge of the social and recreational sciences, including the theory, principles, and practices of therapeutic recreation; or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities; ability to acquire appropriate certification in CPR and First Aid within the first three months of employment; completion of a minimum 40-hour training program consistent with Department of Medical Assistance Services requirement or Nursing Assistant Certification; employees must possess a valid driver's license issued by the State of their residence; pre-employment drug test; criminal records check; and TB test.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in therapeutic activities, preferably in an adult day care program setting or a directly related field working with the frail and impaired older seniors and person with disabilities; completions of college-level courses in gerontology including therapeutic recreation; or acquire appropriate certification from National Certification Council for Activities Professionals.
Notes
This position requires the successful completion of pre-employment background checks including but not limited to: Criminal Records Check; VA State Child Abuse/Neglect Registry; Medicare/Medicaid Fraud Database; Verification of education/certifications; Drug screening and TB test.
Schedule:
This is an At-Will (PRN) position. Minimum numbers of hours are not guaranteed. As an Essential Employee, staff will be expected to be at work during weekends, holidays, or inclement weather if they have been scheduled.
The City of Alexandria is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity in its workforce. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, matriculation, political affiliation, genetic information, military status, or disability.
We are proud to welcome you to explore the City of Alexandria's excellent benefits and programs!
The benefits referenced on this site, may be changed from time to time without notice. Temporary and some part-time positions are not eligible for these benefits. For further information, please contact the Talent Acquisition Team of Human Resources at
01
In Virginia or any other location, have you ever been or are you the subject of a founded complaint of child abuse or neglect? If yes, list all cases and explain. If no, indicate "N/A."
02
All positions in DCHS require successful completion of pre-employment background checks in the Virginia State Child Abuse/Neglect Registry and national Medicare/Medicaid Fraud Database. Some positions require criminal records check, and scrutiny of any found criminal records against the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Services list of Barrier Crimes. Some positions require drug testing, and verification of driver's license and education/certifications.
03
To answer "Yes" to this question, you must answer "Yes" to all the following questions:• Do you have a two-year college degree? • Do you have good knowledge of the social and recreational sciences, including the theory, principles, and practices of therapeutic recreation; or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities? • Do you have the ability to acquire appropriate certification in CPR and First Aid within the first three months of employment? If you answer no to any part of this question you must answer no.• Have you completed a minimum 40-hour training program consistent with Department of Medical Assistance Services requirement or Nursing Assistant Certification?• Do you have a valid driver's license?If you answered "No" to any part of this question you must answer "No"
04
If you answered "No" to question 3, do you have any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities? (If you answered "Yes' to question 3, please answer "Yes" to this question).
05
Do you have at least one (1) year of experience in therapeutic activities, preferably in an adult day care program setting or a directly related field working with the frail and impaired older seniors and person with disabilities?
06
Have you completed college-level courses in gerontology, including therapeutic recreation?
07
Have you acquired appropriate certification from National Certification Council for Activities Professionals?
08
This is an At-Will (PRN) position. Minimum numbers of hours are not guaranteed. As an Essential Employee, staff will be expected to be at work during weekends, holidays, or inclement weather if they have been scheduled. Are you flexible and available to work various hours?
Required Question
