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Plans and supervises a work therapy program utilizing vocational and industrial activities as a part of prescribed treatment for rehabilitation of mentally ill persons.

The duties involve planning, organizing and supervising the work therapy program in a mental hospital. Consultations are held with medical and professional personnel as to approaches and techniques to be used for work therapy activities, and to advise on the capabilities of the industrial and vocational therapy programs. Considerable time is spent in contact with local businesses and industries to secure contracts for job operations, or piecework and to secure full time or part time salaried positions for patients in the community. Supervision is exercised over a number of subordinate therapists who work directly with patients in the industrial therapy activities or who are directly involved in placing patients in positions within the hospital and in the community according to their skills and the therapeutic value of the specific positions for the patient.

Examples of duties characteristic of positions in this class:

1. Plans a work therapy program designed to be of therapeutic value to mentally i11 patients; supervises and consults subordinate therapists and provides technical advice as necessary to assure that the program objectives are obtained.
2. Contacts industries in the area to secure contracts for job operations or piecework which are essential to the industrial therapy program; establishes guidelines for meeting the program’s obligations under the contracts; gives technical advice and guidance to subordinate therapists who are responsible for implementing specific phases of the industrial therapy program.

INDUSTRIAL THERAPY SUPERVISOR Page 2

 

3. Establishes contacts with local businessmen and with department heads in the hospital to secure job placement situations for patients assigned to the vocationa1 therapy program; supervises the development of job classifications and the assignment of appropriate rates of pay for positions in the hospital; supervises and negotiates appropriate rates of pay for patients placed in work situations in the community.
4. Supervises the maintenance of records on patients, contracts for arrangements, and employees; prepares or supervises the preparation of periodical reports on departmental activities; assures that production records are maintained so that money is paid by industry for individuals for completed work; may be prorated for payment to patient workers on an appropriate basis (unit of work rate).
5. Reviews reports of subordinate therapists to assure that treatment procedures are carried out as prescribed; consults with therapy staff concerning problem cases and discusses modification of therapy objectives with prescribing physicians.
6. Participates in conferences with professional staff to advise on services available through work therapy; consults with physicians and other professional staff on problems of treatment, procedure, and objectives.
7. Interviews and recommends employment of personnel; evaluates subordinate personnel; recommends disciplinary action to institutional or hospital administrators in difficult personnel problems.