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Recreation Therapist

Department of Health and Human Services
National Institutes of Health
Rehabilitation Medicine Department

Summary

The Recreation Therapist will assess, develop and implement treatment plans for individual patients in an acute care medical setting directed toward physical, psycho-social, and cognitive rehabilitation. Recreation Therapists will work with patients with complex medical conditions seen at the Clinical Research Center.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
05/11/2026 to 05/15/2026
Salary
$85,447 - $111,087 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Montgomery County, MD
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
11
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
NIH-CC-MP-26-12955019
Control number
868244400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

You must be a current or former federal employee eligible to apply under merit promotion procedures or otherwise be eligible as a status applicant (e.g., Veterans Employment Opportunity Act) OR be an individual who is eligible through an OPM interchange agreement or for a non-competitive appointment. This job is also open to USPHS Commissioned Corps Officers and Call-To-Active Duty (CAD) Candidates.

Duties

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As a GS-0638-11 Recreation Therapist your duties may include but are not limited to the following:

  • Performing comprehensive assessment of each patient to include the patient's strengths and limitations; conducting analysis of assessment data and performing clinical assessments;
  • Providing individual and group treatment;
  • Planning and carrying out a full range of treatment where therapeutic objectives are complex and the procedures involved require the application of highly specialized skills and knowledge;
  • Devising or adapting equipment to carry out treatment with severely disabled patients;
  • Employing different motivational techniques to obtain the participation of the patient in his/her rehabilitation;
  • Creating and implementing a treatment plan based on physician referral information, assessment and information from the medical record.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship requirement or proof of being a U.S. National must be met by closing date.
  • Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation, verification of qualifications, completion of onboarding forms, submission of required documents, and any other job-related requirement before or after appointment.
  • Applicants must meet all qualifications requirements within thirty (30) calendar days of the closing date of this announcement, including time in grade.
  • Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
  • The National Institutes of Health participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers.
  • The NIH maintains a tobacco free work environment and campus.
  • Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.
  • Based on your appointment, a one or two-year trial/probationary period may be required. A decision regarding your continued employment with NIH will be made as you near the end of this period.
  • Position is designated as an "emergency essential" position. See definition of this designation in the Additional Information Section of this announcement.
  • Position requires Education. Please include a copy of your transcripts.
  • If selected, you must pass a pre-employment medical examination, provide evidence of immunization, and be free from communicable diseases.
  • Must be credentialed as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) through the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC).
  • Physical Requirements include walking, occasional running, bending, stretching, crawling, lifting, pushing, carrying and reaching.
  • You must be able to lift and move heavy items weighing 45 lbs. with or without a reasonable accommodation.
  • The work involves moderate risks or discomforts that require special safety precautions, e.g., working around moving parts, carts, or machines; exposure to contagious diseases or irritant chemicals.
  • This position has on-call or call-back requirements.

Qualifications

EDUCATION REQUIREMENT:

For this position, you must demonstrate that you have either:A. A bachelor's or higher degree in therapeutic recreation, art therapy, drama therapy, dance therapy, or music therapy.
OR

B. A bachelor's or higher degree in a related field involving therapeutic emphasis or concentration that included at least 36 hours in therapeutic courses as follows: 18 semester hours of therapeutic recreation courses; and 18 semester hours that included a combination of abnormal psychology, human anatomy and development, disabilities, and general recreation.
AND

Additional Qualifications Requirements:


A. You must demonstrate 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-09 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: performing individual recreation therapy clinical assessments of a patient's functional abilities related to cognitive, physical, social, emotional, educational, and behavioral domains; planning and providing recreation therapy to patients in accordance with the Assess, Plan, Implement, Evaluate, and Document (APIED) process; evaluating patients progress with recreation therapy; collaborating with other therapists to identify alternative treatment options; providing counseling to and education for patients and their families; and providing individual and group treatment.
OR

B.Completed 3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in a related field.
OR

C. A combination of post-graduate education and experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

Selective Factor: In order to meet minimum qualification requirements you must demonstrate possession of the selective factor of this position. Selective factor include;

  • You must be credentialed as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) through the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC).

You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay.

Do not copy and paste the duties or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time. Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as knowing your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin before receiving an offer.

Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12955019

Education

This position has an education requirement. You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts (or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades). Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Click here for information on Foreign Education.

Additional information

  • This position is designated as an "emergency essential" position and the selected candidate will be considered an "emergency essential" employee and will be required to be available, ready, willing, and able to report for duty under all circumstances (e.g., inclement weather, government closings and holidays, lapses in appropriations, non-emergency and emergency situations) for operation 24 hours a day and 365 days per year coverage.
  • NIH may repay certain outstanding Federally insured student loans to facilitate the recruitment and retention of highly qualified people. Recipients will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on organizational need, specific case justification, and budget limitations.
  • PHS Commissioned Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps should apply online to this announcement to receive consideration.
  • Visit Help Applying for helpful information on the application process.
  • If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: Reasonable Accommodation Information.
  • Veterans' Preference only applies to Schedule A (disability appointment), HHS Reemployment Priority List (RPL) Eligibles, HHS Priority Reemployment List (PRL) Eligibles, and Veterans Recruitment Appointments (if applicable).

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.

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

To be considered well qualified for the purposes of the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry and substantively exceed the basic qualifications by scoring at least 80 points on the assessment(s) and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.

National Institutes of Health

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the largest biomedical research funding organization in the world. NIH is made up of 27 Institutes and Centers, each with a specific research agenda, often focusing on particular diseases or body systems. NIH employs approximately 18,000 employees in varied occupations, all supporting research efforts that improve health and save lives. For more information on NIH's mission and goals, and its 27 Institutes and Centers, visit the NIH website.

Virtually explore the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Bethesda campus, learn about scientific research, and get to know NIH community members who are working to help people live longer, healthier lives: https://www.nih.gov/virtual-tour/.

This position is located at the NIH Clinical Center, in the Recreation Therapy Section of the Rehabilitation Medicine Department. Recreation Therapists at the NIH Clinical Center are integral health care team members who provide and coordinate patient care in a research hospital setting. Recreation Therapists work with patients to intervene in the disease process, improve patient health status, and improve or maintain functional capacities and contribute to quality of life.

Agency contact information

NIH HR Service Desk Branch E
Email
ohrcsdbranchesrvdsk@od.nih.gov
Address
National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892
US

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