Recreation Therapist

Job Description and Duties

Patton State Hospital, Human Resources Department is accepting applications for at least (1) one Permanent, Full-time appointment to the Rehabilitation Therapist – Recreation classification. The Recreation Therapist works under the administrative supervision of the Program Assistant and under the general lead and clinical direction of the Chief, Rehabilitation Therapy Service.

The successful candidate must Attend and participate in clinical meetings, shift changes, and treatment planning conferences to review patient cases and clinical issues. Collaborate with the Treatment Team to develop and implement treatment services for hospitalized patients. Provide consultation to Program Management and Supervising Rehabilitation Therapists regarding patient assessments, treatment needs, and staff development. Develop treatment programs based on patient strengths, interests, clinical input, discharge criteria, and individualized goals. Create and update lesson plans for treatment programs. Evaluate treatment program effectiveness and adjust as needed. Assess assigned patients through interviews, observations, chart reviews, and clinical meetings. Complete required Rehabilitation Therapy Assessments. Develop measurable therapy treatment objectives addressing cognitive, biological, cultural, psychological, and social skills to aid discharge planning. Incorporate therapy treatment objectives into individualized treatment plans and update them according to the policy. Document patient progress, including recommendations for new treatment objectives or interventions. Ensure all therapy documentation is current, accurate, signed, dated, and in the medical record. Provide required treatment sessions to assigned patients, integrating their strengths, interests, and therapeutic goals. Adhere to all facility policies for group and individual therapy sessions. Participate in Ward Government and Therapeutic Community activities to support a therapeutic environment. Provide individual or group orientation for new patients regarding therapy programs. Plan and coordinate special unit events, such as recognition events, holiday celebrations, and nonviolent parties, to enhance quality of life. Work with patient activity coordinators and unit staff to plan supplemental activities for evenings and weekends. Maintain supplies for scheduled activities. Post a monthly calendar of unit activities, special events, and enhancement services. Inform patients of available hospital events, including concerts, tournaments, religious services, and cultural celebrations. Complete and submit required paperwork for unit and program activities. Maintain a safe and secure environment through professional behavior and interdisciplinary collaboration. Respond appropriately to alarms, physical assaults, escape attempts, and other patient-related incidents. Follow hospital policies on safety and contraband. Maintain accurate inventories of supervised or controlled therapy supplies and update quarterly. Follow all safety standards in the Rehabilitation Therapy Safety Plan and Infection Control Policy. Attend program-specific meetings, Rehabilitation Therapy Service meetings, and other assigned sessions. Participate in professional development activities, training, workshops, seminars, and conferences. Provide in-service education to staff and document per procedures. Complete necessary paperwork for purchasing equipment and supplies. Monitor and plan RAP/PBF unit expenditures. Identify and report faulty equipment and facility issues. Maintain cleaning logs for therapy equipment, including popcorn and snow cone machines.

In addition to meeting the above recruitment criteria, Rehabilitation Therapy (Recreation) applicants must also possess and provide proof of current certification or eligibility for certification as a recreation therapist issued by the California Board of Recreation and Park Certification (CBRPC) or the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification, Inc. (NCTRC). Applicants must attach proof of certification or eligibility for certification to the employment application in order to be considered for a hiring interview.

If you are interested in applying for this position and meet the minimum qualifications, please visit the link to take the exam:

The position(s) require(s) a Drug Screening be passed prior to being hired.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

Patton is a forensic psychiatric hospital and was established in 1890 and opened in 1893. DSH-Patton provides treatment to forensically and civilly committed patients within a secure treatment area. The hospital does not accept voluntary admissions.

Special Requirements

• The position(s) require(s) a Drug Screening be passed prior to being hired.
• The position(s) require(s) a Background Investigation be cleared prior to being hired.
• The position(s) require(s) Medical Clearance prior to being hired.

Unless there is a specific request to be notified via USPS mail, our main contact will be via email. Email correspondence regarding this job posting will primarily come from View email address on us.fitly.work . It is the applicant’s responsibility to check their email inbox, including junk/spam emails for any correspondence regarding their application status. In addition, applicants are encouraged to keep their CalCareers profile updated with a current telephone number, mailing address, and email.

For experience/education to qualify during the application screening process, and to ensure that minimum qualifications can be determined, applicants should include all employment history on the Examination/ Employment Application (STD. 678) including detailed job descriptions, hours worked per week , and start/end dates (MM/DD/YYY). Application packages without this information will experience delayed processing times and your eligibility for this position may be impacted.

A completed STD. 678 and any other relevant documents (e.g., unofficial transcript, copy of degree, resume, etc.) should be submitted electronically via your CalCareers account. Please reference Job Control # 501567 and indicate the basis of your eligibility in the Examination(s) or Job Title(s) section. SROA and surplus candidates should submit a copy of their letter with their application. Please remove any confidential information (i.e., social security number, date of birth) from your documents prior to submission.

Complete Application Packages (including your STD. 678 and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareers account at . Submitting an electronic application through your CalCareers account is strongly recommended since electronic applications will be received/processed faster than other methods of filing. Please submit only one application.

***Click on the link to complete the Department of State Hospitals Recruitment Survey: 

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

Desirable qualifications : Must have experience with: rehabilitation therapy principles, procedures, techniques, trends, and literature; rehabilitation services related to mental, physical, developmental, or geriatric disabilities; restoring, maintaining, and developing capabilities; principles of mental health education; scope and activities of private and public health and welfare agencies; characteristics of mental, emotional, physical, and developmental disorders; current trends in mental health, public health, and public welfare; federal and state programs related to rehabilitation therapy; securing accurate clinical data and recording it systematically; composing clear, accurate, and concise reports; and interpreting statistical data.

Benefits

Please review the that may also be found on the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) website. You will find information on the benefits afforded by membership in the Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), benefits and protections provided to public employees by the State Civil Service Act, and salary ranges and a summary of the Rehabilitation Therapist classification. 

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.
• Other - Please attach proof of certification or eligibility for certification as a Recreation Therapist issued by the California Board of Recreation and Park Certification (CBRPC) or the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification, Inc. (NCTRC).