Recreation Therapist - California Institution for Women (CIW)

Job Description and Duties

This Job Control is listed Until filled. Applications will be reviewed on the following dates: 6/16/26, 6/30/26, 7/14/26, 7/28/26, 8/11/26, 8/25/26, 9/8/26, 9/22/26.

Effective July 1, 2025, in accordance with the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025) was implemented. PLP 2025 requires each full-time employee in Bargaining Unit 19 and related Excluded, Exempt and Statutory Exempt employees, will have their base salary reduced by 3 percent and will receive 5 PLP 2025 leave credits monthly through June 2027. Salaries do not reflect the recent changes. Part-time employees are subject to the same conditions as full-time employees, on a prorated basis equivalent to their time-base. Permanent intermittent employees are subject to the same condition as full-time employees, based on the number of hours worked in the pay period.

This classification is subject to Section 5, Hiring-Above-Minimum (HAM) Authorization of the California State Civil Service Pay Scales. The authorized HAM rate for this classification is $9,159.

Under the general direction of the Senior Psychologist, Correctional Facility (CF) (Supervisor) or Supervising Psychiatric Social Worker I, CF, the Recreation Therapist (RT), CF develops, implements, and evaluates therapeutic recreation programs for patients within California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation institutions. The RT, CF instructs and motivates patients in individual and group recreation therapy, monitors and documents treatment progress, and works with other health care providers to share recreational therapy assessment information and incorporate therapeutic recreational activities into treatment plans. The RT, CF maintains order and supervises the conduct of patients to protect and maintain the safety of persons and property.

Minimum Qualifications

• Equivalent to graduation from a recognized college with major work in recreation or recreation therapy. The major must have included supervised field work.
• You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.
• Minimum Requirements

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

Additional Documents

Please note: Individuals may be eligible to receive a $10,000 one-time recruitment and retention stipend should they meet the eligibility criteria, including but not limited to remaining employed with CCHCS for six months. Additionally, individuals may be eligible to receive a monthly recruitment and retention differential during their first year with CCHCS (totaling $5,000), should they meet the eligibility criteria.

Position Details

Vision: We enhance public safety and promote successful community reintegration through education, treatment and active participation in rehabilitative and restorative justice programs.

Mission: To facilitate the successful reintegration of the individuals in our care back to their communities equipped with the tools to be drug-free, healthy, and employable members of society by providing education, treatment, rehabilitative, and restorative justice programs, all in a safe and humane environment.

Department Information

CDCR and CCHCS are committed to transforming the correctional landscape to create safer, more professional, and more fulfilling environments for our employees, the incarcerated population, and those supervised in our communities. Through systemwide improvements grounded in proven and emerging practices, we aim to strengthen rehabilitation, enhance workplace satisfaction, and support successful reentry into the community through our institutions, parole, and community partnerships. Our shared mission is to promote safety, wellness, and human dignity while fostering positive change for all those who live and work within our institutions and communities.

Special Requirements

• Possession of Minimum Qualifications (MQ) will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment. If you are meeting MQ’s with education, you must include your unofficial transcripts/diploma for verification. Official transcripts may be required upon appointment. If it is determined an applicant does not meet the MQ’s, the candidate will be withheld from the eligibility list, rendering them inactive and ineligible to be hired for the position. Candidates who have been withheld may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board.
• Applicants who completed their education outside of the US (with foreign degrees/transcripts) must obtain and submit verification of U.S. course/degree equivalency. Foreign education credential evaluation services can be found at NACES | National Association of Credential Evaluation Services.
• Candidates new to CCHCS are required to submit to a background investigation process utilizing Live Scan Fingerprinting, and Tuberculosis (TB) testing prior to appointment followed by department annual TB testing/evaluation thereafter.

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) website, www.calhr.ca.gov, and the CalPERS website, www.calpers.ca.gov.

Qualifications

• Education: Equivalent to graduation from a recognized college with major work in recreation or recreation therapy. The major must have included supervised field work.
• Per Business and Professions Code Section 17505.2 (a)(1) and (a)(2): Graduation from an accredited college or university with a minimum of a baccalaureate degree in recreation therapy or in recreation and leisure studies with a specialization in recreation therapy. Alternatively, a person who does not have one of the preceding degrees may qualify if he or she has a baccalaureate degree in a specialization acceptable for certification or eligible for certification by any accrediting body specified in paragraph (2).
• Current certification or eligibility for certification as a recreation therapist by the California Board of Recreation and Park Certification or by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification, Inc.

Desirable Qualifications

Per Business and Professions Code Section 17505.2 (a)(1) and (a)(2): Graduation from an accredited college or university with a minimum of a baccalaureate degree in recreation therapy or in recreation and leisure studies with a specialization in recreation therapy. Alternatively, a person who does not have one of the preceding degrees may qualify if he or she has a baccalaureate degree in a specialization acceptable for certification or eligible for certification by any accrediting body specified in paragraph (2).

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) website, www.calhr.ca.gov, and the CalPERS website, www.calpers.ca.gov.

Pay and Schedule

Salary Range: $9,159.00 - $9,903.00 per Month

Effective July 1, 2025, in accordance with the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025) was implemented. PLP 2025 requires each full-time employee in Bargaining Unit 19 and related Excluded, Exempt and Statutory Exempt employees, will have their base salary reduced by 3 percent and will receive 5 PLP 2025 leave credits monthly through June 2027. Salaries do not reflect the recent changes. Part-time employees are subject to the same conditions as full-time employees, on a prorated basis equivalent to their time-base. Permanent intermittent employees are subject to the same condition as full-time employees, based on the number of hours worked in the pay period.

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) website, www.calhr.ca.gov, and the CalPERS website, www.calpers.ca.gov.