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.

Duties

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

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 qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
• Position requires Education. Please include a copy of your transcripts.
• Position is designated as an "emergency essential" position. See definition of this designation in the Additional Information Section of this announcement.
• 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).
• At the supervisor’s discretion, this position may offer work schedule flexibility: Maxiflex Schedules.
• 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.

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, specialized experience, or occupational assessment questionnaire from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and supporting documentation and compare it against your responses to the vacancy questionnaire. Ensure you support your self-ratings with the information you provide in your application. 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 assessment questionnaire before you apply:

How You Will Be Evaluated

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

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• 1. Knowledge of therapeutic recreation principles, concepts, methodologies, and practices.
• 2. Skill in developing and applying recreational therapy techniques, treatments, and evaluations.
• 3. Ability to collaborate with other health and human service professionals to develop and implement recreational therapy treatments.
• 4. Ability to plan and evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic recreation programs and research protocols.

If you meet the minimum qualifications for this position, your application and responses to the online questionnaire will be evaluated under Category Rating and selection procedures for placement in one of the following categories:

• Best Qualified - for those who are superior in the evaluation criteria
• Well Qualified - for those who excel in the evaluation criteria
• Qualified - for those who only meet the minimum qualification requirements

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Applicants determined to be Best Qualified will be referred for further consideration. Preference eligibles in the Best Qualified category are referred before all other applicants.

To be considered well qualified for the purposes of the and the , you must be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry and substantively exceed the basic qualifications by scoring at least an 85 on the assessment and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.

Required Documents

REQUIRED FOR ALL APPLICANTS
RESUME:
Your resume must thoroughly describe how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. We cannot assume you have performed the necessary experience required for this position regardless of your employment history or academic career.

To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the . If you choose to use your own resume, you must ensure it contains all of the required information and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position:

1. Job title
2. Name of employer
3. Beginning and ending dates of employment (month/day/year format)
4. Hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. We will prorate part-time employment in crediting experience.
5. Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable)
6. Series and grade or equivalent (if a federal position)

If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, you must list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study. If the position requires a certain number of credit hours, you are strongly encouraged to list the relevant courses in your resume.

Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.

For resume writing guidance, please visit the following resources: , , and the .

ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRE:
You must submit a completed assessment questionnaire.

Unless otherwise stated, we will only use the information above to determine your qualifications. Not providing the required information may result in a determination that you do not meet minimum requirements for the position (e.g., an ineligible rating) or a lower rating.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR PREFERENCE OR ELIGIBILITY CLAIMS
To claim veterans' preference, career transition selection priority, Schedule A or military spouse eligibility, you must provide the documentation listed below AND respond accordingly to the associated question on the online questionnaire.

• (DD-214, VA Disability Letter, etc.): Reference for required documentation for 10 point claims. Submission of SF-15 is not required, unless you are claiming derived preference (XP) as described in questions 7, 8, or 9 on the SF-15. In those cases, you must submit a completed SF-15 and the required documentation. For 5 point claims, you must submit your DD-214 (if separated) or any written documentation from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the is submitted with your application package.
• Visit our sites on / for more information and required documentation.
• Visit our site on the for more information and required documentation to verify eligibility.
• Schedule A Eligibility (Applicants with Disabilities) Applicants who are eligible to be considered under must submit appropriate documentation to verify eligibility. Documentation must be obtained from a licensed medical professional (e.g., a physician or other medical professional certified by a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory to practice medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (i.e., state or private); or any Federal agency, state agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits. The letter must be printed on a medical professional's letterhead and signed. Veterans' preference takes precedence in these appointments.

The Schedule A and military spouse hiring authorities do not guarantee employment or give an individual preference in the hiring process.

If you do not provide the required information, we will assume you are not eligible, or you do not wish to be considered for any preference or eligibility.

Do not submit documentation that is not requested of you. To protect your personal information, we will only send your resume and cover letter to the selecting official or hiring manager.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

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