Post job

What does a rehabilitation therapist do?

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
Quoted expert
Lesley Casarez Ph.D.
On this page

Rehabilitation therapist responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real rehabilitation therapist resumes:

  • Provide PSR services to clients with mental illness in order to help them achieve the highest standard of living possible.
  • Administer cognitive rehabilitation therapy to traumatic brain injure patients through exercises design to improve memory and other global functions.
  • Maintain documentation of patients' participation and strength-base progress within group and individual therapy in accordance with regulatory standards.
  • Write patient assessments, and develop patient rehabilitation programs that better monitor the patients progress by including individualize treatment goals/objectives.
  • Implement management of assaultive behavior classes and CPR for staff, as well as proctoring new employees.
  • Identify presenting/existing barriers that impede adequate social-functioning and goal-attainment with the purpose of connecting patients to adequate resources within a community.
  • Receive DBT, recovery model, and therapeutic communication training to enhance therapeutic techniques.

Rehabilitation therapist skills and personality traits

We calculated that 22% of Rehabilitation Therapists are proficient in Rehabilitation, Patients, and Mental Health. They’re also known for soft skills such as Leadership skills, Speaking skills, and Listening skills.

We break down the percentage of Rehabilitation Therapists that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Rehabilitation, 22%

    Created, implemented and managed rehabilitation therapy programs, outcome measures, goals/data analysis for over 20 criminally insane clients.

  • Patients, 20%

    Maintained documentation of patients' participation and strength-based progress within group and individual therapy in accordance with regulatory standards.

  • Mental Health, 12%

    Worked in a maximum-security mental health hospital.

  • Social Work, 7%

    Individualized treatment plans for each patient along with interdisciplinary treatment team including doctors, nurses and social workers.

  • Patient Care, 4%

    Designed and implemented therapeutic recreation treatment services, monitored and documented patient care and progress for a given caseload.

  • Physical Therapy, 4%

    Managed and implemented all aspects of physical therapy including assessment, therapy plan and execution, Medex test.

Most rehabilitation therapists use their skills in "rehabilitation," "patients," and "mental health" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential rehabilitation therapist responsibilities here:

Leadership skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a rehabilitation therapist to have is leadership skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "recreational therapists must be engaging and able to motivate patients to participate in a variety of therapeutic activities." Rehabilitation therapists often use leadership skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "established and supervised level ii occupational therapy student internship program.other responsibilities: interdisciplinary team leadership, community presentations, q.a. "

Listening skills. rehabilitation therapists are also known for listening skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to rehabilitation therapist responsibilities, because "recreational therapists must pay attention to patients’ concerns in order to determine an appropriate course of treatment." A rehabilitation therapist resume example shows how listening skills is used in the workplace: "communicated with physicians, nursing staff, and other discipline concerning the care of the patients. "

Patience. rehabilitation therapist responsibilities often require "patience." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "recreational therapists may work with patients who require more time and special attention than do others." This resume example shows what rehabilitation therapists do with patience on a typical day: "people skills, crisis management, patience, flexibility and adaptability. "

Resourcefulness. A commonly-found skill in rehabilitation therapist job descriptions, "resourcefulness" is essential to what rehabilitation therapists do. Rehabilitation therapist responsibilities rely on this skill because "recreational therapists must be both creative and flexible when customizing treatment plans and adapting activities or programs to meet patients' needs." You can also see how rehabilitation therapist duties rely on resourcefulness in this resume example: "provided client and family support, clinical assessment and psychoeducation to promote mental health wellness and resourcefulness. "

Compassion. Lastly, "compassion" is an important element of what a rehabilitation therapist does. Rehabilitation therapist responsibilities require this skill because "recreational therapists may deal with people who are in pain, so they should be empathetic when providing support to patients and their families." This resume example highlights how rehabilitation therapist duties rely on this skill: "provide community based compassionate and ethical outpatient individual/family mental health therapy to children, adolescents and adults. "

All rehabilitation therapist skills

The three companies that hire the most rehabilitation therapists are:

Choose from 10+ customizable rehabilitation therapist resume templates

Build a professional rehabilitation therapist resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your rehabilitation therapist resume.
Rehabilitation Therapist Resume
Rehabilitation Therapist Resume
Rehabilitation Therapist Resume
Rehabilitation Therapist Resume
Rehabilitation Therapist Resume
Rehabilitation Therapist Resume
Rehabilitation Therapist Resume
Rehabilitation Therapist Resume
Rehabilitation Therapist Resume
Rehabilitation Therapist Resume
Rehabilitation Therapist Resume
Rehabilitation Therapist Resume
Rehabilitation Therapist Resume
Rehabilitation Therapist Resume
Rehabilitation Therapist Resume
Rehabilitation Therapist Resume

Compare different rehabilitation therapists

Rehabilitation therapist vs. Treatment coordinator

A Treatment Coordinator is responsible for assisting the doctors and other medical professionals in performing treatment procedures and administering medications for the patients. Treatment Coordinators manage administrative duties, such as scheduling medical appointments, discussing the treatment plans to the patients, updating medical information on the database, and processing payments for the medical procedures. They also coordinate with the insurance agencies to verify the patients' eligibility and information and file documents as necessary. A Treatment Coordinator must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in maintaining databases and ensuring that all medical forms are organized and safely stored.

We looked at the average rehabilitation therapist salary and compared it with the wages of a treatment coordinator. Generally speaking, treatment coordinators are paid $25,588 lower than rehabilitation therapists per year.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both rehabilitation therapist and treatment coordinator positions are skilled in patients, mental health, and social work.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a rehabilitation therapist are more likely to require skills like "rehabilitation," "physical therapy," "art therapy," and "adaptive." On the other hand, a job as a treatment coordinator requires skills like "customer service," "financial arrangements," "treatment options," and "oral surgery." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Treatment coordinators earn the highest salaries when working in the non profits industry, with an average yearly salary of $42,993. On the other hand, rehabilitation therapists are paid more in the health care industry with an average salary of $58,523.treatment coordinators tend to reach lower levels of education than rehabilitation therapists. In fact, treatment coordinators are 5.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Rehabilitation therapist vs. Activity specialist

An activity specialist is responsible for organizing events and planning activity outline for a social institution or a group of people. Activity specialists identify the activity requirements and goals, coordinate with suppliers and vendors for resources, and calculate costs and expenses within the budget limitations. They also finalize the participants' lists and pick the best grounds to set up an activity, ensuring the safety and security of the guests. An activity specialist must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in writing reports and creating clear expectations to discuss with the management.

Activity specialist positions earn lower pay than rehabilitation therapist roles. They earn a $34,427 lower salary than rehabilitation therapists per year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Rehabilitation therapists and activity specialists both require similar skills like "rehabilitation," "patients," and "adaptive" to carry out their responsibilities.

Each career also uses different skills, according to real rehabilitation therapist resumes. While rehabilitation therapist responsibilities can utilize skills like "mental health," "social work," "patient care," and "physical therapy," activity specialists use skills like "good communication," "mediation," "role model," and "classroom management."

Activity specialists may earn a lower salary than rehabilitation therapists, but activity specialists earn the most pay in the education industry with an average salary of $33,838. On the other hand, rehabilitation therapists receive higher pay in the health care industry, where they earn an average salary of $58,523.activity specialists earn lower levels of education than rehabilitation therapists in general. They're 15.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for rehabilitation therapists in the next 3-5 years?

Lesley Casarez Ph.D.Lesley Casarez Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Director, Quality Enhancement Plan Program Coordinator, M.S. Professional School Counseling Associate Professor, Curriculum and Instruction, Angelo State University

Graduates will need to learn to use technology in which virtual platforms are taking place and web conferencing platforms. Numerous platforms are being used, so the particular platform itself is not as crucial as being well-versed in how virtual education differs from face-to-face environments. Typically, the instructional role in online learning is more of a facilitator, as the educator guides the students to think critically, integrate, and apply new knowledge. This may be difficult for educators who would rather stand in front of a classroom and pass on their knowledge through lecture-based formats. Additionally, being well-versed in various web conferencing platforms will benefit graduates, as they move into a career that is currently requiring communication in virtual environments.

Rehabilitation therapist vs. Mental health counselor

A mental health counselor is responsible for helping patients deal with their emotional and mental disorders by developing treatment plans and conducting regular counseling to track the patient's progress and condition. Mental health counselors encourage active communication from their patients, provide coping strategies for triggering situations, seek advice from other health care professionals, and guide patients on doing other activities that would help them relax. A mental health counselor must have excellent knowledge of the mental health disciplines to assist patients in their healthy lifestyle development.

On average, mental health counselors earn lower salaries than rehabilitation therapists, with a $17,816 difference per year.By looking over several rehabilitation therapists and mental health counselors resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "rehabilitation," "patients," and "mental health." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from rehabilitation therapist resumes include skills like "physical therapy," "art therapy," "adaptive," and "substance abuse," whereas a mental health counselor is more likely to list skills in "mental health issues," "substance abuse issues," "therapeutic environment," and "intake assessments. "

Mental health counselors earn the best pay in the health care industry, where they command an average salary of $52,181. Rehabilitation therapists earn the highest pay from the health care industry, with an average salary of $58,523.Most mental health counselors achieve a higher degree level compared to rehabilitation therapists. For example, they're 8.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Rehabilitation therapist vs. Music therapy internship

In a music therapy internship, an intern's duties primarily depend on the directives of a manager or supervising staff. Typically, they are responsible for gaining industry insights and practical experience while performing support tasks such as answering calls and correspondence, preparing and processing documents, conducting research and analysis, setting-up instruments and other devices, and running errands as needed. They may also assist and work with clients under the supervision of a therapist. Moreover, they must understand and adhere to the facility's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.

Music therapy interns average a lower salary than the annual salary of rehabilitation therapists. The difference is about $30,443 per year.According to resumes from rehabilitation therapists and music therapy interns, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "patients," "mental health," and "patient care. "While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "rehabilitation," "social work," "adaptive," and "cpr" are skills that commonly show up on rehabilitation therapist resumes. On the other hand, music therapy interns use skills like occupational therapy, individual therapy sessions, traumatic brain injury, and music therapy on their resumes.In general, music therapy interns hold lower degree levels compared to rehabilitation therapists. Music therapy interns are 5.6% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of rehabilitation therapist

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

What a rehabilitation therapist does FAQs

Search for rehabilitation therapist jobs

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs