Recreational Coordinator

Job Summary

Incumbents provide skilled professional recreation programming for a juvenile population in a secure facility. Assignments may include but are not limited to coordinating special events, special interest classes, adaptive youth sports, tournaments, youth councils, and implementing therapeutic models. Incumbents develop and coordinate a variety of classes, programs, and events for youth between the ages of 10 and 18. The incumbent will consistently coordinate, implement, and maintain programs. The incumbent will evaluate the effectiveness of programs in collaboration with the division manager. Responsibilities also include staffing specific programs with vendors, including the recruitment of instructors, officials, and volunteers. Incumbents also perform administrative duties such as compiling data, preparing reports, soliciting bids, and providing quality customer service. The incumbent is responsible for shift activities on an assigned shift at the juvenile detention facility. Provides orientation for juveniles entering detention. Plans and coordinates daily living activities and ensures that health, safety, and welfare measures and procedures are carried out by shift members and residents.

Distinguishing Characteristics

This is a job managing the development of recreational programs and activities for the detention facility. Acts as a change agent and trains others in new therapeutic modalities. Acts as the point of contact for the division in relation to acquiring recreational supplies, services, vendors, and volunteers. Provides supervision to youth who have been placed in the juvenile facility by the court system. The duties performed are of a more complex nature and type. Incumbents in this classification typically function as a working lead over the activities of other positions in addition to their normal range of duties. Will require work in secure facilities. This classification may require a flexible work schedule to meet the needs of the department.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Develops, coordinates, schedules, implements, supervises, and evaluates a variety of recreational programs, activities, and special events.
• Evaluates assigned areas of the recreation programs and recommends areas for improvement.
• Instructs designated recreation classes to the program curriculum.
• Takes proper safety precautions, anticipates unsafe circumstances, and acts accordingly to prevent accidents.
• Prepares program, event, and staff schedules to coordinate and implement programs and events.
• Supervises the purchase, use, care, and maintenance of recreation supplies and equipment.
• Develop and distribute monthly newsletters, relating to current events and initiatives for distribution throughout the department.
• Implements Trust Based Relational Intervention principles to include nurture groups.
• Attends meetings, workshops, and conventions as necessary for the maintenance of effective services. Supervises shift activities within the juvenile facility.
• Assumes responsibility during assigned shift for juveniles detained in the detention facility.
• Provides orientation for juveniles entering the system during the shift and programs and coordinates daily living activities for the residents, including health and personal hygiene, counseling, recreation, education, and social experiences.
• Maintains chronological logs concerning juveniles, including medical and emotional conditions. • Writes reports and communicates significant observations to the staff and supervisory staff. Ensures that the chronological records of the juveniles in the facility are updated daily at the end of the shift.
• Inspects and maintains the safety, sanitation, and security of the facilities, and ensures that all policies and procedures regarding the safety, sanitation, and security of residents and staff are followed.
• Researches and maintains current knowledge of family law, counseling, treatment techniques, and departmental policies and procedures. Maintains current knowledge of available community resources for making referrals.
• Receives data and processes information concerning juveniles.
• Participates in in-service training and continuing education.
• Maintains records and generates statistical and other reports, as required.
• Ensures that all incident and medical reports are written and distributed to appropriate persons at the end of each shift.
• Ensures that appropriate persons are contacted in the event of a dorm incident or medical emergency.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

Education and Experience:
Bachelor's degree in recreation, kinesiology, education, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience, AND four (4) years of increasingly responsible experience in managing, developing, and implementing recreational programs and activities, are required.
OR,
Any combination of education and experience that has been achieved and is equivalent to the stated education and experience and required knowledge, skills, and abilities sufficient to successfully perform the duties and responsibilities of this job.

Licenses, Registrations, Certifications, or Special Requirements:
Must be at least 21 years of age.
Dual certification is required per the standard or eligible for certification within six (6) months of date of hire, including successful completion of Cardio-pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Certification, First Aid and Handle with Care (state approved physical restraint technique).
Valid Texas Driver’s License.

Preferred Requirements
One (1) year of mid to senior level supervisory or management experience. Master’s degree in recreational therapy, kinesiology, or education.

Spanish Speaking Preferred

Knowledge of:

• Supervisory principles, practices, and techniques.
• Working knowledge of the techniques and principles of directing a variety of recreation activities/programs/events.
• Working knowledge of the rules and regulations of a variety of sport, fitness, and recreation activities as needed in the respective recreation program area.
• Working knowledge of the equipment, facilities, operations, and techniques used in a secure facility recreation program.
• Basic knowledge of community resources and programs related to the program area.
• Policies, practices, procedures, and legal terminology related to Court system.
• Federal, State, Local and County applicable laws, rules, regulations and applicable juvenile justice system standards and procedures.
• Standard practices in area of assignment.
• Psychological concepts of good behavior, social adjustment, and emotional stability.
• Standard counseling techniques.
• Safety and security techniques and standards.
• Physical restraint techniques to control aggressive behavior.
• First aid techniques.
• Computer equipment to include word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and a variety of software packages.
• May be required to develop knowledge of and adhere to federal and state laws requiring the confidential handling of certain health information.

• Training, supervising, and reviewing the work of others.
• Skill in teaching program participants.
• Skill in various sports equipment used in recreation programs.
• Skill in understanding and responding to customer needs.
• Monitoring and responding to client behavior.
• Problem-solving and decision-making.
• Interviewing clients.
• Both verbal and written communication.

• Train, guide, organize and assign the work of others.
• Exercise considerable initiative and sound judgment; plan, organize, assign, and review the work of subordinate staff and communicate clearly and concisely verbally and in writing.
• Effectively develop, organize, coordinate, and supervise the activities and personnel in a recreation program area.
• Work from broad direction with limited supervision.
• Work well with culturally diverse residents and maintain effective working relationships with the public, coworkers, and other agencies.
• Make investigations and report the results clearly, accurately, and impartially.
• Gather, analyze, and evaluate facts to develop individual program plans and appropriate case dispositions.
• Develop, analyze, and interpret policies and procedures.
• Deal effectively with mentally disturbed, hostile, and aggressive individuals.
• Manage time well, perform multiple tasks and organize diverse activities.
• Research, compile, analyze, interpret, and prepare a variety of fiscal, statistical, and administrative reports.
• Perform in a stressful environment while maintaining a professional manner.

Work Environment & Other Information

Physical requirements include the ability to lift/carry up to 50-100 pounds occasionally, visual acuity, speech and hearing, hand and eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary to operate a computer and office equipment. Subject to standing, walking, sitting, repetitive motion, reaching, climbing stairs, bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, pushing, pulling, balancing, squatting to perform the essential functions. Requires exposure to hostile behavior from clients. May be subject to contact with noise, vibration, fumes, foul odor, dirt, dust, mist, gases, and poor ventilation. Subject to contact with communicable diseases, radiation, hazardous waste, human fecal matter, and foul odors. Subject to stressful environment and client and customer contact for extended periods of time. May be required to work majority of hours on weekends, and during school breaks.

Travis County employees play an important role in business continuity. As such, employees can be assigned to business continuity efforts outside of normal job functions. This is not a remote position.

This job description is intended to be generic in nature. It is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The essential duties, functions and responsibilities and overtime eligibility may vary based on the specific tasks assigned to the position.

Work Hours: Shift Work and schedule will vary: The anticipated schedule will be Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM, but that may change based on operational needs.
Works some holidays, Works some nights, Works some weekends