Recreation Therapist

About the role

The position involves professional work requiring the application of a knowledge of the concepts, principles, and practices of recreation therapy, and the use of recreational modalities to treat the physical, mental, emotional, and social needs of individual patients, groups of patients, and families; maintain or rehabilitate patients' physical and/or mental health. The incumbent should be knowledgeable about the residential level of care.

Responsibilities

• Receives, consults, conducts, analyzes, interprets, and reports assessment data based on functional domains (cognitive, sensory, social, affective, physical, and leisure).
• Incorporates the four-step process of assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of services delivered, the therapist constructs appropriate and evidence-based recreation therapy interventions for treating patients with complex medical, mental health, and substance abuse issues.
• Employs knowledge and understanding of physical illness, mental health, substance abuse, and other appropriate physical, social, and biological sciences, and skills in recreation therapy.
• Plans and carries out treatment programs that are directed to such goals that include but are not limited to (1) sensory integration (2) ambulation (3) diminishing emotional stress (4) community reentry (5) reality orientation (6) muscular dysfunction reorientation (7) treatment of psychosocial dysfunction (8) providing a sense of achievement and progress (9) channeling energies into acceptable forms of behavior
• Conducts ongoing evaluations of therapy results and modifies, redirects, adjusts, and augments treatment plans as indicated by each veteran's response and progress in the light of each patient's emotional, mental health, and social needs; skills, aptitudes, abilities, and interests.
• Exercises resourcefulness in providing individualized and group interventions that will be unique and effective methods and procedures when implementing therapeutic interventions, including but not limited to assistive technology, cognitive behavioral skills, fitness and wellness, adapted sports and leisure development, and community accessibility/reintegration/transition.
• Evaluates the patient's needs for additional, alternative, or termination of services and monitor the effectiveness of intervention plans, and make modifications, as needed.
• Determines the effectiveness of protocols, modalities, and programs for targeted groups through quantitative analysis and identifies potential risks and needs for adaptive interventions with cases to facilitate improved bio-psychosocial well-being.
• Participates in the treatment team in all programs within the Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program.

Requirements

• Work Schedule: Will be discussed during interview
• Compressed/Flexible: Available
• Telework: Available - Ad-hoc only
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

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:
• Citizenship. Citizen of the United States (U.S.). (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a)).
• English Language Proficiency. Must be proficient in spoken and written English, as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• Education. The following education requirements apply to the recreation therapist:
• (1) Recreation Therapist
• (a) 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);
• (b) 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.
• Certification.
• (1) Required Certification
• (a) Recreation Therapist. Applicants must be certified in recreation therapy as a CTRS by the NCTRC. If hired under paragraph 4b(1)(b), certification cannot be waived.
• (2) Exception. Non-registered and/or non-certified applicants, who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for registration and/or certification, may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate recreation or creative arts therapist, under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2)(B), for a period not to exceed two years. Applicants who fail to obtain registration and/or certification during this temporary full-time appointment may be terminated. The exception only applies to positions at the GS-7 and GS-9 level. For grade levels at or above the full performance level, the candidate must be registered and/or certified.
• (3) Failure to Obtain Registration/Certification. In all cases, recreation and creative arts therapists must actively pursue meeting registration and/or certification requirements, starting from the date of appointment. At the time of appointment, the supervisor will provide the unregistered and/or uncertified recreation or creative arts therapist with the written requirement to obtain registration/certification, the date by which the registration and/or certification must be acquired, and the consequences for not becoming registered and/or certified by the deadline. Failure to become registered and/or certified within two years from the date of appointment will result in removal from the GS-0638 recreation and creative arts therapist occupation, and may result in termination of employment.
• (4) Loss of Credential. A recreation or creative arts therapist who fails to maintain the required registration and/or certification must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment.
• 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).

Grade Determinations

• Recreation Therapist, GS-7
• Recreation Therapist, GS-9
• Recreation Therapist, GS-11