Recreation Therapist

Summary

The Staff Recreation Therapist is assigned to the Recreation Therapy Department within Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Service (PM&RS) and provides Recreation Therapy at the Salisbury VA Medical Center which is a 1-A facility.

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Duties

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Duties include but limited to the following:

• The incumbent has the ability to use professional knowledge effectively and must possess initiative, tact, resourcefulness and good judgement in exercising authority.
• Recreation/Creative Arts Therapists provide treatment to restore, improve, or maintain a patient's level of functioning, self-care, independence, quality of life, and activity skills.
• Uses recreation or creative art activity modalities to maintain or achieve rehabilitation of physical and/or mental health.
• Evaluates the history, interests, aptitudes, and skills of veterans by interviews, inventories, tests, and measurements.
• Recreation Therapy, a direct-care interdisciplinary service, is to improve and enrich bio-psycho-social functioning through active therapy and/or meaningful therapeutic activities to maintain or improve functional independence and life quality for Veteran patients. Recreation Therapy provides therapeutic and self-directed programs for a variety of patient populations including Medical Foster Home (MFH), Geriatrics and
• The incumbent has the ability to use professional knowledge effectively and must possess initiative, tact, resourcefulness and good judgement in exercising authority.
• Recreation/Creative Arts Therapists provide treatment to restore, improve, or maintain a patient's level of functioning, self-care, independence, quality of life, and activity skills.
• Uses recreation or creative art activity modalities to maintain or achieve rehabilitation of physical and/or mental health. Evaluates the history, interests, aptitudes, and skills of veterans by interviews, inventories, tests, and measurements. Recreation Therapy, a direct-care interdisciplinary service, is to improve and enrich bio-psycho-social functioning through active therapy and/or meaningful therapeutic activities to maintain or improve functional independence and life quality for Veteran patients.
• Recreation Therapy provides therapeutic and self-directed programs for a variety of patient populations including Medical Foster Home (MFH), Geriatrics and Extended Care, Chronic Psychiatry, Acute Psychiatry.
• The incumbent will be required to a commercial driver's license if you operate the government vehicle.
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule : 2 days weekly/8:00AM-6:30PM

Compressed/Flexible :

Telework : Not Authorized

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 00000

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements :

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency . Must be proficient in spoken and written English, as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• Education . A bachelor's degree or higher, from an accredited college or university, with a major in therapeutic recreation or recreation/leisure, with an option and/or emphasis in therapeutic recreation. The degree must be approved by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC); OR , a bachelor's degree or higher in any field from an accredited college or university and must be a certified therapeutic recreation specialist (CTRS). The degree must be approved by the NCTRC. If hired under this education, the certification cannot be waived.
• Required Certification . Applicants must be certified in recreation therapy as a CTRS by the NCTRC.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Recreation Therapist, GS-11

Experience. At least one year of creditable experience at the next lower grade level.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Ability to adapt assessment tools and treatment interventions to address the complexity of the diagnosis or disabilities and demonstrate the clinical reasoning necessary to identify the need for further in-depth specific assessment of function and utilization of unconventional methods and techniques.
• Knowledge to independently interpret provider referrals and consults; and apply all health and safety regulations to minimize and mitigate risks in the provision of patient care and the environment of care.
• Skill in effectively communicating and educating, in a clear and concise manner, with patients, families, caregivers, and other health care professionals to facilitate the interdisciplinary treatment process.
• Skill in independently utilizing appropriate screening and evaluation techniques required to appropriately provide direct patient care in areas such as, but not limited to recommendations for recreation therapy assistive devices, including fit and function.
• Skill in independently applying evidence-based and best practice therapeutic techniques and interventions.
• Knowledge of the principles and techniques in recreation therapy assessment and the treatment of recreation, leisure, and biopsychosocial functional deficits.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

Physical Requirements: This position requires walking, standing, lifting at least 50lbs, transferring patients to and from wheelchairs with the use of assistive/adaptive devices, and participation in Recreation and Creative Arts Therapy clinics which may be physical in nature. Additional physical demands include: kneeling bending, pushing, stopping, extending, grasping, pulling, shifting patients, retrieving, pivoting, twisting, squatting, turning, balancing, stretching, reaching, carrying, swinging, creative movement, dodging, and dragging. The work requires specific, common physical characteristics and abilities, such as above average agility and dexterity.

This position requires Therapists to drive motor vehicles and/or wheelchair bus/vans. The work involves driving an automobile and going in and out of a variety of settings in the community, city, and long-distance driving, assisting patients with loading and unloading into and out of a wheelchair accessible bus and securing wheelchairs and patients for transportation. All Therapists will participate in an additional driver training.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.