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Personnel Benefits for the Therapeutic Professional
A survey of personnel benefits of persons employed in the field of Therapeutic Recreation was conducted during the summer of 1973 in Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois. The information requested was: Title of position; qualifications for the position; salary range; and fringe benefits. All the states mentioned above responded. A compilation was made of the information received. (Figures 1 and 2) Additional clarifications may modify some of the statements made but this survey is based upon the information received. Almost all the states make some provision for a recreation or activities aide, with educational requirements ranging from 8th grade plus experience to high school graduate plus experience. In Illinois the classification of activity program aide is not utilized by the Department of Mental Health. Beginning salary ranges begin at $3696 in Kentucky and the top beginning salary is $6,318 in Indiana for personnel hired in these aide classifications. There are two states that recognize a two year college degree (Illinois and Kentucky). The major emphasis and job opportunity is in the B.A. and B.A. plus experience levels. A B.A. Level with no experience brings a beginning salary of $4,980 in Kentucky and a salary of $9,408 in Wisconsin. With additional experience persons can move up to other levels. Top Recreation Administrative levels vary in requirements from a Masters and experience to a B. A. plus experience. Beginning salaries range from $7,716 to $14,004 for the top Administrator recreation positions. This may be confusing in that some classifications are activities and others are specifically recreation. In general, activities persons may come from a variety of backgrounds and may be doing recreation programs as well as other types of programs. Fringe benefits (Figure 3) are generally much the same. All states provide vacation days, sick days, paid holidays and a retirement program. All states give additional vacation time after a specific length of service. Vacation days: Vacation days are on the basis of work days. Vacation benefits range from 10 to 15 days per year worked.
A.P.A.-- Activity Program Aide A.T.-- Activity Therapy/ Activity Therapist (Figure 1) Illinois Parks and Recreation 26 March/April, 1974 Additional benefits (days) are gained upon successful continuing service. Three states give 15 days after 5 years, while one state requires 15 years before additional days are given. Wisconsin provides the greatest amount of days with 25 vacation days after 25 years service. Sick Days: Three states provide 12 days per year while one state provides 30 per year. The general range is from 12 to 15 days per year. Paid Holidays: Paid Holidays range from 7 1/2 to 11 per year. Two states provide personal days to employees and if these are counted the range is from 8 to 13 per year. Retirement Programs: Each state has a retirement program. Some of them are state supported, some combined with social security. Insurance Program: Several states provide both health and life insurance programs for the employees. Some states provide a participating program with employees for these benefits. Private Sector In the private sector it is much more difficult to obtain information. Most hiring of personnel is done on a local basis and salary ranges vary greatly. Some general information was obtained from Indiana. The estimate was that salaries ranged from $1.30 per hour to $3.60 per hour with a probable average between $2.00 and $2.20 per hour. Fringe benefits would also vary widely from medical insurance programs, sick days, vacation days, etc. to very few of these benefits.
Act. Sp.—Activity Specialist (Figure 2) In a very small sample of activity personnel in Illinois, taken primarily from Region 4 (Department of Mental Health), serving skilled care nursing homes, intermediate care nursing homes, general hospitals, and shelter care homes, the hourly pay rate was from $1.60 to $3.00 Continued on Page 33
(Figure 3) Illinois Parks and Recreation 27 March/April, 1974 PERSONNEL BENEFITS .... continued from page 27 per hour with an average of $2.05 per hour. With personnel designated as Activity Directors the same range held true. In small homes, generally, the pay was less. The number of clients served ranged from 25 to 196 with an average of 58.5. Most personnel in this category had completed high school and several had some college. Assistant Directors classification: (this classification was found only in larger facilities) ranged in salary from $1.85 to $2.25 per hour. Home size varied from 122 to 400 with an average of 215.5. About half of this group had at least two years of college. Three other categories: Therapist, Aide and Aide Helper were reviewed. Salaries ranged from $1.72 per hour to $2.62 1/2 per hour, with an average of $2.27 per hour. Information in educational backgrounds was very scanty and no clear picture may be obtained. In general, most employees received some paid holidays, sick days, vacation days and some educational reimbursement, either time off to attend or their fees paid. Many received lunch or meals free or for a very small fee. The benefits varied but there did not seem to be any pattern based upon the size of the operation. Based upon annual salaries of state employees and the small sample from the private sector, the private sector pays far less for its services than does the state. Only three of the persons working as an Activity Director received as much as a beginning Activity Program Aide I. Many received as much as $2,000 less per year. The explanation and statements herein contained are based upon an interpretation of information received from a variety of sources. Additional information is being sought, especially from employees in the private sector (nursing homes, shelter care homes, hospitals) so that a more informative total picture may be obtained. If you have information, please send it to Thomas M. McConahey, Re. D., Director, Staff Development and Education Center, Alton State Hospital, 4500 College Avenue, Alton, Illinois 62002. Illinois Parks and Recreation 33 March/April, 1974 |
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