The incumbent's time is spent in clinical duties/direct patient care evaluating/treating Veterans as well as indirect patient care (Triaging Recreation Therapy consults, answering patient emails, coordinating with physicians regarding clinical services and handling patient care issues.) They may be authorized for ad-hoc telework depending on guidance from the Supervisor for Recreation Therapy and Creative Arts Therapy Section.

The duties of the Recreation Therapist include, but are not limited to the following:

• The Recreation Therapist plans, develops, and implements comprehensive, routine treatment programs for individual and groups of patients to rehabilitate and remediate the effects of disease, disability, or illness and to help restore functioning at the highest level.
• Performs appropriate assessments, evaluations, and treatments to help prevent physical disability; promote physical, mental, and psycho-social health and well-being following the onset of an injury, illness, or disabling condition.
• Devises specific activities and routines to maintain or improve patient's general state of physical or mental health.
• Develops therapeutic programs for various type of disabilities which include psychiatric diagnoses, substance abuse disorders, PTSD, dementia, neuro-muscular disorders, orthopedic conditions, AIDS, amputation, paralysis, spinal cord injury, head injury respiratory disorders, chronic cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndromes, and patients with multiple diagnoses.
• Aids in the treatment of chronic pain resulting from acute or chronic medical conditions; and foster community leisure participation at the highest functional level.
• Strives to prevent mental and physical deterioration and/or decline, maintaining the highest degree of self-help and independence within limitations of a patient's disability.
• Interprets tests and measurements to assess normal parameters of physiological, psycho-social, and cognitive function, leisure function, and leisure-ability as well as to ascertain human systems deficits to determine the diagnosis, treatment, and preventative measures necessary as they pertain to helping veterans attain optimal health, well-being, and functional independence.
• Works closely with an interdisciplinary team in the planning and implementation of the patient's treatment program. Coordinates this plan with the treatment team and patient's family/caregiver to provide a program which focuses on treatment goals.
• Promotes innovative therapeutic approaches, modalities, and partnerships for more effective and comprehensive treatment approaches.
• Work with patients to identify any of a variety of possible impediments to functioning at the highest leisure level to include addressing both inter and intra leisure barriers, community access problems, and physical and psycho-social barriers to attaining healthy and active leisure lifestyle.
• Teaches independent living skills, community re-integration skills, social interaction skills, and adjustment to change, coping skills, pre-vocational or work adjustment skills, mobility exercises, cognitive retraining, and training to patients following psychiatric episodes, substance abuse detoxification, head injury, spinal cord injury, amputation, joint replacement, and stroke.
• Will suggest adaptive leisure/fitness needs that relate to health, well-being, and adaptive sports needs that will allow the veteran to improve functioning in the home or in the community.
• Facilitates participation in VA National Events such as the National Veterans Wheelchair Games and the Golden Age Games.
• Facilitates Whole-Health modalities both in live classes and in Telehealth.
• Utilizes video conferencing technologies when needed to enhance communication between the therapist/patient and patient/family.
• Develops psycho-social activities for coping with frustration, stress, anger, and hostility; the appropriate use of leisure time; and improving social interaction skills.
• Uses tact, skill, and knowledge of psychiatric and/or post-traumatic stress disorders for success in mental health rehabilitation programs.
• Delegates to and provides clinical supervision for the recreational therapy assistant (if applicable) and routinely modifies the caseload and treatment plan.
• Develops and coordinates educational materials for the caregiver of the disabled veteran to prevent premature institutionalization and promote safety in the home environment.

Work Schedule: Sunday - Thursday, or Tuesday - Saturday, 7:30 AM to 4 PM or 8 AM to 4:30 PM depending on the needs of the section. Work rotation may include evenings and weekends.
Telework: Available - as determined by the agency policy.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 82352F, 82353F, 82204F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification 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.

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain active until December 30, 2025. The initial eligibility review cutoff date is October 21, 2025, with subsequent review dates occurring every 15 days thereafter until all positions are filled.

Qualifications

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.

Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English and Spanish to be appointed.

Education. Recreation Therapist-Transcripts Submitted:

(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);

or

(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.

Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. The private organization must deem such education at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs.

Certification Recreation Therapist. Applicants must be certified in recreation therapy as a CTRS by the NCTRC. If hired under Education Requiremen (b), certification cannot be waived.

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.

Grandfathering Provision: 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: In addition to meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates.

GS-7 Recreation Therapist

• Experience/Education. None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-9 Recreation Therapist candidates must meet above requirement as well have the following:

• Experience/Education. At least one year of creditable experience at the next lower grade level (GS-7), or a master's degree in recreation therapy may be substituted for the required one year of professional recreation therapist experience.

While we no longer require essay-style responses to our Knowledge's Skills, and Abilities, (KSAs), you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the (below) competencies which are necessary to perform the work of the position.

• Knowledge of assessment tools and treatment for the diagnosis or disability of the patient.
• Knowledge to interpret and apply all health and safety regulations, to minimize and mitigate risks in the provisions of patient care, and environmental maintenance.
• Ability to effectively communicate and educate patients, families, caregivers, and other health care professionals to facilitate the treatment process.
• Knowledge to apply evidence-based and best practice therapeutic techniques and interventions.

GS-11 Recreation Therapist candidates must meet the above requirement as well have the following:

• Experience. At least one year of creditable experience at the next lower grade level (GS-9).

While we no longer require essay-style responses to our Knowledge's Skills, and Abilities, (KSAs), you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the (below) competencies which are necessary to perform the work of the position.

• Knowledge of assessment tools and treatment for the diagnosis or disability of the patient.
• 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. The actual grades at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-7, GS-9 and GS-11.

Preferred: Preferred experience in therapeutic recreation in clinical settings. CTRS is required or must be eligible for CTRS examination.

References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G60, Recreation and Creative Arts Therapist Qualification Standard.

Physical Requirements: Recreation Therapy is considered a vocation that requires "medium" work. Medium Work entails: exerting 20 - 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10 to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or greater than negligible up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Physical Demand requirements are in excess of those for Light Work. (i.e.: more than exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.)