KRISTEN HERDE
Gainesville
Summary
Organized Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist offering over 15 years experience and background planning and conducting therapy and recreational programs for residents. Empathetic and kind professional possessing excellent interpersonal and time management abilities. Skillful in drafting budgets for programs, planning activity calendars and promoting socialization and participation in various activities.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist
Department Of Veterans Affairs
12.2023 - Current
- Develops a schedule of programs and community outings to create expressive outlets for Veterans.
- Facilitated individual and group recreation therapy sessions to promote independent community-based recreation.
- Documented overall well-being of Veterans and progress to evaluate activities for enjoyment and efficacy.
- Educating Veterans on creating positive coping skills and healthy personal goals through leisure and recreation modalities.
- Just started working with Inpatient and Outpatient Psychiatry.
Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist
Department Of Veteran Affairs Medical Center
08.2022 - 12.2023
- Full Time Position
- Organizes recreation therapy programs in the Community Living inpatient center in congruent with participants' therapy goals, abilities and personal interests.
- Schedules and leads specialized programs allowing participants to engage in exercise and recreation, supporting social and physical wellbeing.
- Encourages clients to acquire new skills and get involved in health-promoting leisure activities.
- Conducts patient evaluations to identify mental, emotional, social and physical aptitudes, assess abilities and identify conditions suitable for recreational interventions.
- Maintains detailed records outlining patient treatment plans, progress updates, treatment adjustments, goal achievements and outcomes.
- Instructs patients in activities and techniques such as Reminiscing, Memory call, Sensory awareness, current events designed to meet specific physical or psychological needs.
- Prepares and submits reports, care plans, and charts to treatment team to reflect patient reactions and evidence of progress or regression.
- Works closely with family, caregivers, and relatives of patients to explain treatment plans, objectives and expected outcomes.
- Creates individualized treatment programs in collaboration with physicians and recommended specialist referrals.
- Organized and co-leaded the opening of the new Recreation Therapy Fitness clinic for the Inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation needs of patients.
- Facilitates and completes fitness consults when patience are referred.
- Serves of point of contact during community integration outings.
Director of Recreation
Three Rivers Midlands
09.2021 - 08.2022
- Full Time Position
- Promoted interest in recreational activities such as community outings, gardening and arts and crafts through Monthly calenders and program flyers
- Developed annual budgets and provided monthly reports to efficiently use financial resources
- Performed assessments on activity programs to determine what specific activities were suitable
- Designed wide variety of program plans to stimulate interest, involvement and engagement of patients
- Involved in completed Recreation Therapy assessment for new admissions ages 6-21 through out year
- Collaborate within interdisciplinary team to provide patient centered care that powers and equips residents to discover their mission, aspiration and purpose by creating personal health plan and documenting patient progress towards goals
- Conducting on going evaluations of Therapy results, modifying, redirecting, adjusting and augmenting plans as indicated by resident response and progress in personal health plan
- Apply Recreation Therapy treatment theories, techniques, and evaluation to provide care for diverse patient population with varying diagnosis including Major Depressive Disorder,
- Post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and serious mental health illness
- Supervised Activities Assistant and conducted performance evaluations
- Developed monthly life enrichment calendar and published electronically and in print.
Recreation Therapist
R.J Donovan Correctional Facility: California
07.2014 - 08.2021
- Full Time Position
- Recreation Therapy programs mental health treatment for Maximum Security Corrections Institution
- Educated patients on creating positive coping skills and healthy personal goals through leisure and recreation modalities.
- Direct provider of schedules, treatment team meetings
- Plan, develop and implement and evaluate evidence based Therapeutic Recreation and leisure activities for skill building small (10 clients) and large group (200 +Client) settings for diverse population with varying diagnosis
- Report client progress to multi-disciplinary treatment team and make recommendations for appropriate level of care and security
- Review Goals and progress to make changes for plans and programming to patients medical, mental, and psychological needs
- Scheduled and led specialized programs allowing participants to engage in exercise and recreation, supporting social and physical wellbeing
- Encouraged clients with special needs and circumstances to acquire new skills and get involved in health-promoting leisure activities
- Organized recreation and therapy programs congruent with participants' therapy goals, abilities and personal interests
- Conducted patient evaluations to identify mental, emotional, social and physical aptitudes, assess abilities and identify conditions suitable for recreational interventions.
Program Supervisor
Nor-West Regional Special Services
09.2013 - 05.2014
- Full Time Position
- Coached team members on productivity strategies, policy updates and performance improvement plans to accomplish challenging goals
- Orchestrated smooth and efficient program development by collaborating cross-functionally across departments
- Gathered and organized printed materials required for program participation
- Responsible for planning and coordinating after school, Summer, and Community based special sports even programs for over 100 patients
- Ensured that agency policies, procedures, and program goals are conducted in a professional manner
- Special Olympics certified Coach: Basketball, floor hockey, Track and field events
- Maintained equipment and supplied for Sports and leisure programs.
Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist
Green Chimneys Children Services
04.2010 - 09.2013
- Full Time Position
- Scheduled and led specialized programs allowing participants to engage in exercise and recreation, supporting social and physical wellbeing
- For Residents ages 6-21 at Green
- Chimneys Residential treatment center
- Encouraged clients with special needs and circumstances to acquire new skills and get involved in health-promoting leisure activities
- Organized recreation and therapy programs congruent with participants' therapy goals, abilities and personal interests
- Conducted patient evaluations to identify mental, emotional, social and physical aptitudes, assess abilities and identify conditions suitable for recreational interventions.
- Provided coaching in all aspects of personal motivation, nutrition, physical strength, and behavior
- Facilitates treatment team meetings, recreation liaison meetings, completes proper documentation and assessments on residents
- Coached Track and Cross country.
Education
Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist through National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification Certificate of Completion: Prison Yoga Project Basic life support : CPR Certified through American Heart Association -
Bachelor of Science - Therapeutic Recreation
Utica College
Utica College12.2009
Skills
- Patient evaluations
- Therapy planning
- Event planning experience
- Treatment coordination
Certification
- CTRS - Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist
Timeline
Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist
Department Of Veterans Affairs
12.2023 - Current
Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist
Department Of Veteran Affairs Medical Center
08.2022 - 12.2023
Director of Recreation
Three Rivers Midlands
09.2021 - 08.2022
Recreation Therapist
R.J Donovan Correctional Facility: California
07.2014 - 08.2021
Program Supervisor
Nor-West Regional Special Services
09.2013 - 05.2014
Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist
Green Chimneys Children Services
04.2010 - 09.2013
Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist through National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification Certificate of Completion: Prison Yoga Project Basic life support : CPR Certified through American Heart Association -
Bachelor of Science - Therapeutic Recreation
Utica College
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