Clarification from the agency

Open to status candidates only.

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Duties may include, but are not limited to:

• Obtains guidance from recreation therapist to obtain insight into the appropriate recreation and meaningful engagement activities for medical facility patients in consideration of mental and physical capabilities, psychological and emotional considerations, attitudes, individual interests and medical restrictions.
• Conducts general recreation activities under the guidance of a recreation therapist on patient care units at bedside, in the community, 1;1 group settings, and general recreation areas.
• Provides verbal and written reports to recreation therapist concerning resident/patient attendance and responses during recreation therapy programming.
• Maintains accurate workload records and submits timely data through entries in appropriate computer data bases.
• Drives and/or escorts residents/patients to and from recreation therapy and diversional programs on and off station.
• Physically escorts/assists elderly and non-ambulatory patients in getting to into and out of the vehicles.
• Provides coverage of recreation therapy areas and facilities as needed for the open participation by residents/patients throughout the medical center.

Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Work schedule subject to change based on agency needs. Incumbent is expected to work irregular tours of duty including evenings, weekends and holidays based on the needs of the service and the resident/patient population.
Telework: This position is not authorized for telework.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Recreation Therapy Assistant/PD16411A
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
• 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.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period 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 probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/27/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.



You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Group leader, counselor, or similar work in public and private recreation programs for adults or children such as summer camps, local playgrounds, YWCA and YMCA clubs, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, urban community centers, or resort recreational activities; Teacher's aide in elementary school recreation or physical education program, with emphasis on development of general recreational skills and abilities; Aid or assistant assignments in recreation while on active military service; Aid or assistant in the organization and administration of recreation activities, such as preparing activities calendars, maintaining attendance records, and providing information concerning schedules and activities; Summer aid in a State or national park, with duties related to the recreational activities of visitors to campsites, trails, picnic areas, nature and raft centers, and boating and fishing areas (e.g., demonstrating camping techniques and park safety, conducting nature tours, and overseeing farm animal areas provided for children); sales or stock clerk in a recreation supplies and equipment shop; aid or assistant in the issuance of authorized property, and in the maintenance of inventory control and accountability for such property in a recreation facility; or as an aid or assistant in a hotel or resort recreation service, with duties such as setting up areas for games, tournaments, and other organized group recreational activities. The incumbent of this position must have practical knowledge of a variety of sports, crafts, hobbies and games to plan outdoor and indoor recreation activities for medical facility patients. Familiarity with the physical and mental capabilities, emotional and psychological considerations, and interests of individuals for whom recreational activities are planned. Familiarity with the maintenance requirements associated with recreational materials and equipment needed for games, crafts, and sporting events. The incumbent must possess the ability to work with others, such as a recreation therapist, to plan, organize, and administer recreation activities. This position requires logistical skill to plan and schedule recreation activities. The incumbent must have knowledge of proper use of adapted equipment such as wheelchair bus, walker, wheelchair, adaptive sports/activity equipment, etc. Proper use of body mechanics. Knowledge of motor vehicle driving skills as validated by current commercial driver's license (CDL) and a good driving record. Knowledge of appropriate response to medical emergencies as validated by current certification in CPR. This position must have skill in operating of a computer and various software programs.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements:

The work involves regular and recurring physical exertion such as prolonged walking or standing, bending, moderately heavy lifting or moving of equipment, positioning severely disabled patients and assisting patients in ambulation and with wheelchair mobility. The work requires specific, common physical characteristics and abilities, such as above average agility and dexterity, as well as skill and ability in leisure activities, maneuvering wheelchairs and driving wheelchairs and driving wheelchair accessible vehicles. The work is primarily very active in nature with some sedentary work involved when performing administrative tasks. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.