Available Volunteer Opportunities

For questions about volunteering, please contact the Volunteer Services Department at MTVolunteer@childrens-specialized.org.

Recreational Therapy Programs

Mountainside Long Term Care Facility

• Evening Recreation - Assist children with assorted play activities during open recreation time.
• Patient Pal - Assist resident with homework and socialization opportunities.
• Open Playroom - Assist children with assorted play activities during open recreation time.
• Room Buddy - Assist at bedside to engage residents in play and socialization activities.

New Brunswick Inpatient Facility

• Evening/Weekend Recreation - Assist children with assorted play activities during open recreation time.
• Open Playroom - Assist infants/toddlers with assorted play activities during open recreation time.
• Recreation Room - Assists staff with patient activities, games, crafts, sports, music, and special events.
• Room Buddy - Assist at bedside to engage patients in play and socialization activities.
• CHS Marketplace - Assists staff with inventory, organizing, and moving donations between on-site locations.

Activity Connection

Social Programs in the Mountainside Area

• Adaptive Aquatics - Provide one to one with participants to engage them in swim activities and to ensure safety.
• Friday Night Fever (out in the community) -Provide assistance and supervision for individuals with disabilities (ages 13-21) during social and recreational activities in the community.
• Play Group - Provides young children and their caregivers an opportunity to connect with peers through activities.
• Social Club - Provide direct guidance in appropriate peer to peer social interactions.
• Teen Night -Provide assistance and supervision for individuals with disabilities (ages 13-21) during social and recreation activities.
• Camp Pal’s Paradise (Summer only – recruitment starts in Spring)

Social Programs in the New Brunswick Area

• Adaptive Aquatics - Provide one to one with participants to engage them in swim activities and to ensure safety.
• Friday Night Fever (out in the community) -Provide assistance and supervision for individuals with disabilities (ages 13-21) during social and recreational activities in the community.
• Social Club -Provide direct guidance in appropriate peer to peer social interactions.
• Teen Night - Provide assistance and supervision for individuals with disabilities (ages 13-21) during social and recreation activities.
• Camp Pal’s Paradise (Summer only – recruitment starts in Spring)

Therapy Observation

Bayonne, Clifton, East Brunswick, Egg Harbor, Hamilton, Newark, New Brunswick, Toms River, Union and West Orange.

Students who are looking to pursue the therapy fields by assisting therapists with a variety of non-therapeutic duties.

• Occupational Therapy
• Physical Therapy
• Speech Language Pathology

Programs in Somerset

• Pediatric Feeding Disorders Intensive Program - Assist with clinical and support tasks as appropriate for intern. Excellent area for volunteers going into Psychology, Child Psychology, Applied Behavior Analysis, or work with children with autism or related developmental delays (ages 15+). Volunteers MUST be pre-approved by PFDC staff. The PFDC clinic operates Mon-Fri, 8:30 am to 5 pm. We are searching for volunteers who will commit to approximately 7-10 hours per week consistently for at least a three-month assignment.
• RUCARES Program - Volunteers perform an assortment of tasks and duties to facilitate therapists in the Severe Behavior Program. Volunteers will NOT work directly with our patients. Volunteer tasks may include preparing treatment materials and rooms, data collection, and clerical tasks. Master’s level or doctoral-level board-certified behavior analysts supervise all these activities and use empirically supported training techniques to train volunteers to competency. Volunteers with developed research skills or software-programming mastery may have the opportunity to conduct research under the direction of the doctoral-level behavior analysts. Volunteers MUST be pre-approved by RUCares staff. The RUCares/Severe Behavioral Program operates Mon-Fri, 8:30 am to 5 pm. We are searching for volunteers who will commit to approximately 10 hours per week consistently for at least a six-month assignment.

For questions about volunteering, please contact the Volunteer Services Department at MTVolunteer@childrens-specialized.org.