RECREATION THERAPIST I

Position/Program Information

EXAM NUMBER: Y5871G

OPEN COMPETITIVE JOB OPPORTUNITY

ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: 2/13/2005

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS A REBULLETIN TO UPDATE THE EXAMINATION CONTENT INFORMATION.

SPECIAL SALARY INFORMATION :
Due to Critical Shortage Recruitment, new appointments and current incumbents shall be compensated at step 3 of the applicable salary range. This is in effect until June 30, 2023 or until it is determined that a shortage no longer exists, whichever is sooner.

Correctional Health Services - 20% Recruitment and Retention Bonus
The County of Los Angeles is currently offering a 20% bonus for full-time Recreation Therapist I hired by Correctional Health Services and working on-site in a designated facility to meet critical healthcare needs for the uniquely underserved jail population.

ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY: The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) is the second largest municipal health system in the nation. DHS operates as an integrated health system, operating 25 health centers and four acute care hospitals, in addition to providing health care to youth in the juvenile justice system and inmates in the LA County jails. Across the network of DHS' directly operated clinical sites and through partnerships with community-based clinics, DHS cares for about 600,000 unique patients each year, employs over 23,000 staff, and has an annual operating budget of 6.9 billion. For additional information regarding DHS please visit www.dhs.lacounty.gov . Through academic affiliations with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Southern California (USC), and the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Sciences (CDU), DHS hospitals are training sites for physicians completing their Graduate Medical Education in nearly every medical specialty and subspecialty. In addition, to its direct clinical services, DHS also runs the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency and the County's 911 emergency response system, as well as Housing for Health and the Office of Diversion and Re-entry, each with a critical role in connecting vulnerable populations, including those released from correctional and institutional settings, to supportive housing.

MISSION:
To advance the health of our patients and our communities by providing extraordinary care.

DEFINITION:
Performs professional recreation therapy services in acute medical, rehabilitation, or psychiatric hospitals, out-patient clinics, community health centers, mental health facilities, or institutional settings to enable physically, mentally, or socially disabled patients or clients attain, restore, or maintain physical, social, or mental functioning, or to adjust to their disability; serves as a member of an interdisciplinary medical and therapeutic treatment team.

Essential Job Functions

• Interviews and evaluates patients to assess their service needs and levels of functioning using techniques such as diagnostic tests, exercise, and other assessments; develops treatment plans and goals; determines the interventions or modalities by which these goals are to be achieved.
• Participates as a member of an interdisciplinary treatment team and provides therapy input to the overall treatment approach in general case conferences or meetings in which specific patient problems are discussed; communicates tests results and measurements to physicians, members of allied health disciplines, and patients' families; develops and modifies initial and subsequent treatment programs consistent with the changing needs of the patient.
• Provides feedback to interdisciplinary team members on patient's response to treatment and recommends maintaining or changing treatment procedures accordingly.
• Participates in and contributes to the planning of recreation therapy services and programs, and the development and evaluation of program goals, objectives, and outcome measures.
• Coordinates patient treatment and results with other agencies and professionals such as physicians, nurses, social workers, rehabilitation and school personnel, and families to provide total care to the patient.
• Provides referral services to patients regarding recreational resources within the organization as well as the community.
• Conducts a variety of therapeutic recreational, social, and physical activities adaptive to and focusing on the restoration of physical, social, and mental capabilities, including the planning and coordinating of community integration programs.
• Develops and maintains liaison with other hospitals, schools, community organizations and groups, and recreation facilities to establish a working relationship and encourages their participation in recreation therapy and after-care followup programs.
• Conducts treatment sessions for individuals and groups to improve physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral functioning and independence in life activities; selects treatment interventions and modalities such as play therapy, social recreation and leisure activities, games, music, art, drama, dance, movement, exercise, sports, athletics, horticulture, and aquatic activities that are compatible with the patient's interests, needs, and capabilities.
• Instructs and trains patients and their families in the use of assistive devices and techniques to reach independence and reintegration into life activities.
• Delegates and supervises work assignments to Recreation Therapy Assistants, Aides, students, and other support personnel by providing technical instruction and guidance in the implementation of therapeutic recreation activities.
• Serves as preceptor to students, volunteers, and institutional workers, and orients other health disciplines to the recreation therapy program.
• Attends professional meetings, conferences, and workshops to keep abreast of new trends and innovative techniques used in the field of recreation therapy.
• Participates in continuing education/staff development programs and other hospital departmental and professional licensing requirements.
• Prepares requests for equipment and supplies to be submitted to the supervisor for budgetary input.
• Develops and maintains patient records, records clinical notes on patient charts, and prepares patient progress reports for reference by the treatment team.

Requirements

Selection Requirements: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Recreation Therapy or in Therapeutic Recreation.

License:
Current certification to practice as a Recreation Therapist issued by the California Board of Recreation and Park Certification or as a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation -OR - Have filed an application for such a certificate. The certificate must be presented upon publication of the results of the next examination after the date of filing for the certificate.

All required licenses and certifications must be active and unrestricted or your application will not be accepted.

A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job related essential functions. In some cases, a valid California Class B Driver License may be required for appointment to some positions in this class.

Physical Class III - Moderate: Includes standing or walking most of the time, with bending, stooping, squatting, twisting, and reaching; includes working on irregular surfaces, occasionally lifting objects weighting over 25 pounds, and frequent lifting of 10-25 pounds.

Additional Information

Special Requirement Information
In order to receive credit for any college course work, or any type of college degree, such as a Bachelor's degree, Master's degree, completion of a certificate program, certificate or license, you must include a legible copy of the official diploma, official transcripts, official letter from the accredited institution which shows the area of specialization; or official license or certificates with your application within 15 calendar days of filing. Applications submitted without the required degree or evidence of licensure and/or certification will be rejected as incomplete.

The required license and/or certificate MUST be current and unrestricted; a conditional, provisional, probationary or restricted license and/or certificate will NOT be accepted.

Special Information
Appointees may be required to work any shift, including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.

Available Shift
Any

Examination Content
This examination will consist of an evaluation of education and experience based on application information weighted at 100%.

Candidates must achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on the examination in order to be placed on the eligible register.

Notification Letters and other correspondences will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application. It is important that applicants provide a valid email address. Please add Gacaudillo1@dhs.lacounty.gov and info@governmentjobs.com to your email address book and to the list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as SPAM/JUNK mail.

Vacancy Information
The resulting eligible register from this examination will be used to fill vacancies throughout the Department of Health Services as they occur.

Eligibility Information
Applications will be processed on an "as-received" basis and those receiving a passing score will be promulgated to the eligible register accordingly.

The names of candidates receiving a passing score on the examination will be added to the eligible register and will appear in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months following the date of eligibility.

No person may compete in this examination more than once every twelve (12) months.

Application and Filing Information

APPLICATIONS MUST BE FILED ONLINE ONLY. APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BY U.S. MAIL, FAX OR IN PERSON WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Apply online by clicking on the "Apply" tab for this posting. You can also track the status of your application using this website.

All information is subject to verification. We may reject your application at any time during the examination and hiring process, including after appointment has been made. Falsification of any information may result in disqualification or rescission of appointment.

This examination will remain open until the needs of the service are met. Application filing may be suspended at any time without advance notice.

Fill out your application completely. The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the Selection Requirements. Provide any relevant education, training, and experience in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for the job. For each job held, give the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, description of work performed, and salary earned. If your application is incomplete, it will be rejected.

Applications electronically received after 5:00 p.m., PST, on the last day of filing will not be accepted.

NOTE: If you are unable to attach the required documents, you must e-mail the documents to the exam analyst at Gacaudillo1@dhs.lacounty.gov within fifteen (15) calendar days of filing online or your application will be rejected. Please include the exam number and the exam title.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER: All applicants must enter a valid social scurity number at the time of filing. Entering anything other than a valid social security number (i.e. 000-00-0000, 111-11-1111, etc.) will result in an automatic rejection of your application.

COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES: For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.

NO SHARING OF USER ID AND PASSWORD: All applicants must file their application online using their own user ID and password. Using a family member's or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record.

Department Contact
Gabriela Caudillo, Exam Analyst
Gacaudillo1@dhs.lacounty.gov
(213) 288-7000

ADA Coordinator Phone
(323) 914-7111

California Relay Services Phone
800-735-2922

For detailed information, please click here

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