Recreation Coordinator

Overview

Enjoy making a difference? Join the team at FREE, enriching the lives of others, one individual at a time. Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, Inc. (FREE) benefits and proudly supports more than 4,000 individuals with intellectual / developmental disabilities, mental illness and traumatic brain injury. It is the mission of FREE to support people of all abilities reach their full potential and thrive in their communities. FREE provides a diverse array of supports and services including : housing; recovery services; transition to work; employment; day, community and family services; respite; crisis services; education and after school support; specialty health services; and advocacy.

Position Summary

The Recreation Coordinator is responsible for planning, organizing, and overseeing a variety of recreational programs and activities within the community for the OPWDD and OMH Programs. This role involves developing inclusive programs that promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being through recreation activities tailored to the needs of participants. The Recreation Coordinator ensures the programs are effective, engaging, and meet both therapeutic goals and social goals while also managing logistical details, staff, and resources related to each event or activity. This includes designing and implementing sports leagues, fitness classes, youth and adult programs, special events, and more.

Duties, Responsibilities, and Essential Functions

Responsibilities of All FREE Employees

• Develops, implements, and evaluates therapeutic recreation programs for individuals with disabilities, focusing on improving physical, mental, and social well-being.
• Plans and coordinates special events, vacations for persons served, festivals, tournaments, staff team events / leagues, and community gatherings.
• Tailors programs to meet the needs of individuals with various disabilities, including physical, cognitive, sensory, and developmental and emotional challenges.
• Ensures that programs align with therapeutic objectives and are based on best practices in therapeutic recreation.
• Develops schedules, outlines, and guidelines for activities to ensure smooth operation.
• Works with operations managers, vendors, partners, and volunteers to ensure event success.
• Oversees logistics of all events including setup, operation, and cleanup.
• Maintains accurate records for participant registrations, financial transactions, and staff schedules.
• Prepares reports on program participation, budget usage, and other key metrics.
• Builds relationships with healthcare providers, community organizations, and local agencies to enhance program resources.
• Advocates for the inclusion of individuals with varying disabilities in all community recreation opportunities.
• Represents the recreation program at community meetings, conferences, and other professional events.
• Attends meetings with senior management to discuss program performance and needs.
• Develops and maintains professional development opportunities for staff to ensure knowledge and skills align with current therapeutic trends and techniques.
• Fosters a collaborative and supportive team environment focused on delivering high-quality programs.
• Provides guidance, and support to ensure effective program execution.
• Ensures that all required documentation (paper and electronic) is completed / processed appropriately, in a timely manner, and meets quality and compliance thresholds.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Additional duties

Please note the above duties, responsibilities, and essential functions are a non-exhaustive list, and may be changed by FREE at any time, with or without notice to the employee.

Qualifications

Education : Bachelor's degree in Recreation Management, Sports Administration, or a related field required.

Experience :

Specialized Training, Licenses, Certifications :

Knowledge, Skills, Competencies, and Abilities :

Other Requirements :

Environment

This role is performed in-person; travel is required in both personal and agency vehicles. Ability to work in various outdoor and indoor environments, occasionally lifting and setting up equipment.

Physical Requirements

Notwithstanding the above listed physical requirements of this position, FREE will provide reasonable accommodations to allow employees to perform the essential functions of the position, provided such reasonable accommodations do not cause undue hardship on FREE.

Equal Opportunity

FREE is an equal opportunity employer and provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetics, or any other protected characteristic. In addition to federal law requirements, FREE complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in all of its locations. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Family Residences and Essential Enterprises' affirmative action efforts related to protected veterans and individuals with disabilities are set out and described in our affirmative action plan for protected veterans and individuals with a disability. If you have any questions or would like to view the affirmative action plan, please visit our website www.familyres.org

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