RECREATION THERAPIST I

Position/Program Information

DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH

EXAM NUMBER: b5871A

The application filing period will begin on March 20, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. (PT) - Continuous. We will keep accepting applications until the position is filled. The application window may close unexpectedly once we have enough qualified candidates.

As the nation’s largest public mental health department, Los Angeles Department of Mental Health ensures access to care and treatment for our most vulnerable residents in a region with more than 10 million people.

Make an impact by helping diverse and underserved populations in a variety of settings throughout LA County. We offer phenomenal medical and life insurance, fantastic retirement benefits, along with many additional incentives! Help us build a better future! For more information about the amazing benefits offered by Los Angeles County, please visit us here: https://hr.lacounty.gov/benefits/

Are you ready 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

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 follow-up 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

REQUIRMENTS TO QUALIFY:

TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

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.***

No withhold will be allowed. Required education and license(s) must be fully met at the time of filing, and clearly indicated on the application. All required 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.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION:
To receive credit for your education, include a legible copy of your official diploma, official transcript, or letter/certificate from an accredited institution within seven (7) calendar days from the application submission date. The document should show the date the degree was conferred and be in English; if it is in a foreign language, it must be translated and may need to be evaluated for equivalency to U.S. standards. For more information on our standards for educational documents, please visit:
https ://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/070812_PPG123.pdf (Download PDF reader) and https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/205105_PPG_123_Ace_Resource_Guide.pdf (Download PDF reader)

We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to your application or sending to the exam analyst.
** *Include a copy of a valid and unrestricted certification to practice as a Recreation Therapist issued by the California Board of Parks and Recreation Certification or a valid and unrestricted certification to practice as a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist issued by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience providing professional recreation therapy services in acute medical, rehabilitation, psychiatric hospitals, out-patient clinics, community health centers, mental health facilities, or institutional settings .
• Experience working with chronic mentally ill and/or psychiatric patients.

Additional Information

EXAMINATION INFORMATION:
This examination will consist of an evaluation of experience and desirable qualification based on information listed on the online application and supplemental questionnaire at the time of filing, weighted 100%. Additional credit will be given for experience related to the desirable qualification.

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

All notifications will be sent electronically to the email address provided on the application. It is important to provide a valid email address. Please add acestrada@dmh.lacounty.gov and info@governmentjobs.com to the list of approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk/clutter mail.

Special Information:

Appointees may be required to work any shift, including evenings, nights, holidays or weekends.

Past and present metal health clients and family members are encouraged to apply.

Vacancy Information: The resulting eligible register will be used to fill vacancies throughout the Department of Mental Health 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 applicants receiving a passing score in the examination will be added to the eligible register in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months following the date of promulgation.

NO PERSON MAY COMPETE IN THIS EXAMINATION MORE THAN ONCE EVERY TWELVE (12) MONTHS.

Application and filing information:

We only accept applications filed online. Applications submitted by U.S. mail, fax, or in person are not accepted. Apply online by clicking on the "Apply" green button at the top right of this posting. This website can also be used to get application status updates.

Please fill out the application completely. Provide relevant job experience including employer's name and address, job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, and description of work performed.

We may verify information included in the application at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. Falsification of information could result in refusal of application or rescission of appointment. Copying verbiage from the Requirements or class specification as your work experience will not be sufficient to demonstrate meeting the requirements. Doing so may result in an incomplete application and may lead to disqualification.

We will send notifications to the email address provided on the application, so it is important that you provide a valid email address. If you choose to unsubscribe or opt out from receiving our emails, it is possible to view notices by logging into governmentjobs.com and checking the profile inbox. It is every applicant's responsibility to take steps to view correspondence, and we will not consider claims of missing notices to be a valid reason for re-scheduling an exam part. Register the following domains as approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk mail: exams@dmh.lacounty.gov , acestrada@dmh.lacounty.gov , and info@governmentjobs.com .

New email addresses need to be verified. This only needs to be done once per email address and can be done at any time by logging in to govermentjobs.com and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of the online application and to prevent incorrectly entered email addresses.

Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number, so include yours when applying.

For those who do not have access to a computer or the internet, we provide access to complete an application at public libraries throughout the county.

All applicants must file their application online using their own user ID and password. Using a family member's or friend's login information may erase a candidate's original application record.

Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI):

The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. We are committed to promoting Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst race. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.

Department Contact Name: Antonio Estrada

Department Contact Phone: (213) 972-7034

Department Contact Email: exams@dmh.lacounty.gov

California Relay Services Phone: (800) 735-2922

Teletype Phone: (800) 899-4099

For detailed information, please click here

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• Los Angeles County

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