What Are the Advantages of Activity Director Certification?

Generally, whether activity director certification is required is up to the facility and any legal requirements it must meet. Still, a job applicant who has an activity director certificate has more job opportunities available to him than one who does not have the certification. Undergoing activity director training can be as straightforward as taking one class a week for a few months and passing a final exam. The training required for activity director certification prepares prospective activity directors for working with a client base that has certain needs. Not only do students learn how to properly plan activities for such clients, but they also learn what to expect regarding the clients’ physical, mental, and spiritual needs.

Typically, obtaining activity director certification works for all types of schedules. Students can choose classroom courses at local colleges, vocational, or technical schools, or they can enroll in online classes and work at their own pace. As long as the program meets any legally required standards, it is a possible training option.

Although it might seem simple, planning and executing activity direction, especially for seniors, requires training and certain skill sets. Obtaining activity director certification provides this training. Training programs teach students about different kinds of activity planning, assessing appropriate activities for different clients, and communicating with the clients and facility staff.

During activity director certification training, students learn more than just how to conduct activity direction. Most programs teach students about subjects important to the kinds of clients activity directors will work with. Generally, students learn about physical and spiritual health needs, the aging and disease process, and memory care. Usually, training for activity director certification covers legal matters, as well, such as local, regional, and national laws regarding the clients and their safety. This knowledge helps activity directors best plan activity direction for their clients.

The job market for prospective activity directors offers a variety of opportunities for applicants with different areas of interest. Traditionally, the most common activity director jobs are within assisted living or nursing home facilities. Other facilities, however, such as long-term care units and active retirement communities, hire activity directors, too. Such facilities exist virtually everywhere, which means prospective activity directors have the potential to work at the exact kind of facility they want. Training in this job industry also means applicants can search for jobs in nearly any type of region they want to live.

The fact that activity director certification is available doesn’t mean every job advertisement for an activity director will require certification. Still, most facilities do, and by law many are required to hire only certified activity directors. Plus, employers are more likely to hire an applicant who presents an activity director certificate than one who is not certified.