Clarification from the agency

This job announcement is open to all eligible U.S. citizens.

Videos

• Patient Focus - The therapist respects all Veterans, their caregivers, and extended families by exhibiting sensitivity to their needs, tolerances, and individual differences including values, social backgrounds, and ethnic groups.
• The therapist effectively uses professional skill, objectivity, and insight to respond constructively to both positive and negative reactions.
• The therapist maintains appropriate professional boundaries and provides appropriate recognition for growth.
• Assessments and Treatment Planning - The therapist serves as a member of an interdisciplinary treatment team.
• The therapist conducts assessments using effective interviewing techniques and assessment instruments to obtain objective and information pertaining to the Veterans interests, preferences, aptitudes, abilities, barriers, goals, and clinical needs in recreation therapy.
• The therapist scores, evaluates, and interprets the assessment date and communicates these findings to the interdisciplinary treatment team.
• Based upon assessment data, the therapist develops individualized treatment plans with therapeutic goals and objectives to meet the assessed needs of the patient to restore, remediate and rehabilitate to improve functioning and independence as well as reduce or eliminate the effects of illness or disability.
• The therapist develops a full range of therapeutic or palliative care interventions for a wide variety of inpatients and/ or outpatients.
• Treatment plans integrate specialized recreation therapy techniques within the total care plan for the patient.
• The therapist coordinates the overall plan with the treatment team, the patients and/or the patient's family or caregiver.
• Develops and Provides Effective Clinical Interventions- The therapist develops and provides effective clinical interventions that are consistent with the therapist's professional Scope of Practice, Standards of Care and Professional Ethics.
• The therapist provides the necessary and/ or adapted equipment, materials, instruction, supplies, encouragement, and motivation to successfully engage with each patient in the therapeutic process.
• The therapist uses proper judgement in determining specialized approaches, appropriate therapeutic modalities, and the appropriate interval of treatment in administering clinical interventions.
• The therapist manages difficult cases that may require unconventional applications to treatment and resourcefulness in devising affective methods and procedures and may counsel patients on the need for positive leisure lifestyle, constructive use of leisure time, coping skills, social interaction skills and community leisure resources and services.
• Evaluates and Adjusts Treatment Plans and Intervention Strategies- The therapist documents the treatment rendered and patients progress in the computerized patient medical record, CPRS, and discusses progress with the treatment team.
• Professionalism- Therapists are expected to continue to further their professional growth and development through in-service lectures, teleconferences, university course work or attendance at seminars and workshops of professional organizations.
• The therapist gives lectures on various treatment techniques, provides on the job demonstrations of treatment interventions, discusses, and plans individual patient treatment with students and describes treatment results with patients.
• Therapists at this level provide clinical training supervision of student interns and may supervise recreation therapy assistants and volunteers, as determined by the Supervisory Social Worker and/or Social Work Program Manager.
• All other duties as assigned.

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.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• 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).

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Education. The following education requirements apply to the recreation therapist, creative arts therapist (art), creative arts therapist (dance/movement), creative arts therapist (drama), and creative arts therapist (music):
• Recreation Therapist
  • A bachelor's degree or higher, from an accredited college or university, with a major in therapeutic recreation or recreation/leisure, with an option and/or emphasis in therapeutic recreation. The degree must be approved by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC); OR
  • A bachelor's degree or higher in any field from an accredited college or university and must be a certified therapeutic recreation specialist (CTRS). The degree must be approved by the NCTRC. If hired under this education, the certification cannot be waived. OR
• Creative Arts Therapist (Art)
  • A master's degree or higher, from an accredited college or university, with a major in art therapy approved by the American Art Therapy Association on or before June 30, 2016. If the degree is received after June 30, 2016, a master's degree or higher from an accredited college or university, with a major in art therapy, must be accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Art Therapy Education: a committee of the Commission on Accreditation on Allied Health Education Program. OR
  • A master's degree in a related field, plus graduate coursework and supervised field experience in art therapy. Acceptable related fields include: Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, Social Work, Psychology, Addictions Counseling, Psychiatric Nursing, and Psychiatry, AND must possess a full, current, and unrestricted registration as a Registered Art Therapist (ATR) approved by the Art Therapy Credentials Board. If hired under this education, the registration cannot be waived.
• Creative Arts Therapist (Dance/Movement)
  • A master's degree or higher, from an accredited college or university, with a major or an emphasis in dance therapy or dance/movement therapy. The degree must be approved by the American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA). OR
  • A master's degree or higher, from an accredited college or university, and must be a board-certified dance/movement therapist (BC-DMT) approved by the Dance Movement Therapy Certification Board (DMTCB). If hired under this education, the certification cannot be waived.
  • NOTE. Dance/movement therapy coursework that began on or after March 15,2013, must have been approved by the ADTA subcommittee for the approval of alternate route courses.
• Creative Arts Therapist (Drama)
  • A master's degree or higher, from an accredited college or university, with a drama degree program approved by the North American Drama Therapy Association (NADTA). OR
  • A master's degree or higher, from an accredited college or university, and must be a registered drama therapist (RDT). The RDT is granted by the NADTA and indicates that one has met the educational requirements and achieved competency in the practice of drama therapy. If hired under this education, the registration cannot be waived.
• Creative Arts Therapist (Music)
  • A bachelor's degree or higher, from an accredited college or university, in music therapy, or in music with an emphasis in music therapy. The degree must be approved by the National Association for Schools of Music and/or the American Music Therapy Association. OR
  • A bachelor's degree or higher, from an accredited college or university, and must be a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC) approved by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT). If hired under this education, the certification cannot be waived.
  • Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. The private organization must deem such education at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs.
• Registration
  • Creative Arts Therapy (Art). Must possess a full, current, and unrestricted registration with the ATR. If hired under paragraph 4b(2)(b), registration cannot be waived.
  • Creative Arts Therapy (Drama). Must possess a full, current, and unrestricted registration as an RDT. If hired under paragraph 4b(4)(b), registration cannot be waived.
• Certification
  • Required Certification
    • Recreation Therapist. Applicants must be certified in recreation therapy as a CTRS by the NCTRC. If hired under paragraph 4b(1)(b), certification cannot be waived.
    • Creative Arts Therapy (Dance/Movement). Applicants must be board-certified in dance/movement therapy by the DMTCB. If hired under paragraph 4b(3)(b), certification cannot be waived.
    • Creative Arts Therapy (Music). Applicants must be a MT-BC approved by the CBMT. If hired under paragraph 4b(5)(b), certification cannot be waived.

• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to experience, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  • i. Ability to adapt assessment tools and treatment interventions to address the complexity of the diagnosis or disabilities and demonstrate the clinical reasoning necessary to identify the need for further in-depth specific assessment of function and utilization of unconventional methods and techniques.
  • ii. Knowledge to independently interpret provider referrals and consults; and apply all health and safety regulations to minimize and mitigate risks in the provision of patient care and the environment of care.
  • iii. Skill in effectively communicating and educating, in a clear and concise manner, with patients, families, caregivers, and other health care professionals to facilitate the interdisciplinary treatment process.
  • iv. Skill in independently utilizing appropriate screening and evaluation techniques required to appropriately provide direct patient care in areas such as, but not limited to recommendations for recreation therapy assistive devices, including fit and function.
  • v. Skill in independently applying evidence-based and best practice therapeutic techniques and interventions.
  • vi. Knowledge of the principles and techniques in recreation therapy assessment and the treatment of recreation, leisure, and biopsychosocial functional deficits.

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 MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

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.

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.

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.