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Recreation Specialist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
VA Desert Pacific Healthcare Network (VISN 22) - San Diego VA Health Care System

Summary

This position of Recreation Specialist at the VA San Diego Health Care System (VASDHCS) is aligned under Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service, whose purpose is to provide care to those Veterans with a variety of disabilities, such as amputation, paralysis, neurological disorders, orthopedic conditions, behavioral health, psychiatric diagnoses, dementia, traumatic brain injuries, respiratory disorders, chronic cardiovascular diseases, and Veterans with multiple diagnoses.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/09/2026 to 03/20/2026
Salary
$70,507 to - $100,931 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 10
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
San Diego, CA
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
10
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
CBSX-12902950-26-EL
Control number
860289500

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Qualified candidates will be referred in the following order: 1) Current, Permanent employees of the San Diego VA Health Care System, 2) Other Current, Permanent employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 3) All other Status Candidates.

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Duties

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Major duties include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Implements recreation programs, including required basic activities and those additional activities through available resources and desirables in terms of participant interests and needs.
  • Schedules and publicizes recreational activities, ensuring maximum effectiveness in attracting and motivating Veterans and in providing the widest possible range of activities in terms of interests and needs.
  • Interviews and selects volunteers and provides them with required orientation, training, supervision and management.
  • Develops periodic program plans and projected annual budget needs with supporting data for inclusion in overall program plans formulated at higher organizational levels.
  • Provide in-service training to educate Veterans, staff and volunteers on program needs, changes and policies.
  • Participates in Resident Council Meeting with patients and staff, to address patient preferences in activities, and services provided in the VASDHCS Community Living Center.
  • Promotes maximum involvement of Veterans in recreation activities and services through resident committees and other peer group processes.
  • Provides guidance and leadership to the medical center staff on the various activities, modifications, adaptions, expansions, or otherwise changing plans and procedures for such activities as developments require.
  • Plan and administer enhanced and complex recreation programs for Veterans with a variety of disabilities.
  • Coordinates and manages the monthly/daily activity schedule to ensure compliance with standards of practice and facility requirements.
  • Ensures safety of all patients and staff during programs, through infection control practice, basic life support certification, disruptive behavior reporting and deescalating behavior training.
  • Coordinates referrals to the appropriate clinical discipline via the primary or supervising therapist when a skilled clinical intervention and/or evaluation is needed.
Performs other related duties as assigned.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
Telework: Not authorized.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Recreation Specialist/PD14618O
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized.
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.

Requirements

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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 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, 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, 03/20/2026.

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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-08. For a GS-10 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09.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 and/or education as described below:

This position has INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT which is a basic requirement that must be met to qualify for entry into this job series, and it is something that cannot be waived. To meet the basic requirement for the Recreation Specialist Occupational series, applicants must demonstrate one of the following:

Basic Requirements:

  • Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- general recreation, or one of the appropriate fields of recreation such as outdoor recreation; recreation and parks leadership; wild land recreation management; natural resources recreation; youth recreation; public, urban, or community recreation; special populations recreation (e.g., senior citizens, institutional, etc.); or physical education.
OR,
  • Experience that demonstrated the ability to apply the principles of one or more specialty areas of recreation. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include:
    • Planning, organizing, coordinating, supervising, or evaluating community, industrial, outdoor, institutional, or other recreational programs.
    • Planning, establishing, or evaluating a recreational curriculum for junior college or higher academic levels.
    • Instructing in the principles and techniques of recreational program planning and management.
    • Serving in a leadership role in the programs and activities of local, regional, and/or national recreational organizations.


Grade Requirements:

Recreation Specialist, GS-9

  • Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-8) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: performing developmental recreation programs using established principles, guidelines, and structured models to include planning and delivering recreational activities, support treatment, program goals, gathering and documenting participant information, and contributing to activity adaptation using well-defined procedures under normal supervision. OR,
  • Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or
    LL.B. or J.D., if related. OR,
  • Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond 1 full year of graduate level education.

Recreation Specialist, GS-10
  • Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-9) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: performing a full range of recreation specialist duties with technical proficiency and programmatic responsibility to include planning, implementing, and evaluating recreational programs; adapting activities based on participant needs; coordinating with interdisciplinary staff; assessing risk and safety considerations; and making decisions that require interpretation of policies, therapeutic objectives, and program requirements with greater independence and minimal supervision. OR,
  • Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or
    LL.B. or J.D., if related. OR,
  • Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond 1 full year of graduate level education.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Communications
  • Patient Care
  • Project Management

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 requires some physical exertion in handling the tools, materials, and equipment of the various recreation activities and in organizing the physical environment for various recreation projects, activities and events. This includes physical characteristics and abilities (e.g., specific agility and dexterity requirements) and the physical exertion involved in the work (e.g., climbing, lifting, pushing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, reaching).

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/.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

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