Job Description

Job Description and Duties

Limited Term 12 months; may be extended up to 24 months or become permanent.

• Recruitment and Retention Bonus may be available for clinicians newly hired with California Correctional Health Care Services.

Please be advised of the following additional pay benefits individuals may be eligible for:

PIP Only:

• Effective May 01, 2022, employees in this class, employed within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and who are physically located at and assigned to the Psychiatric Inpatient Program, shall receive a pay differential equivalent to 15% of their monthly base pay.
• Only employees who provide direct patient care, treating patients’ in-person, on grounds or at a facility more than 50% of the pay period, are eligible for this pay differential.

• This classification is subject to Section 5, Hiring-Above-Minimum (HAM) Authorization of the California State Civil Service Pay Scales. The authorized HAM rate for this classification is $8892.

IMPORTANT:  California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS) employees may be eligible for a $5,000 referral bonus should you be selected for hire, and remain employed with CCHCS for 90 days. For a CDCR/CCHCS employee to be considered, please follow the link below and complete the questionnaire to the best of your knowledge, including the referring employee’s name , classification , PERNR , and work location .

Link to Survey:

Under the supervision of the Senior Psychologist (Supervisor), the Recreation Therapist provides specialized programs and services for inmates, which promote social interaction, encourage profitable and appropriate use of leisure time, and provide preparation or re-entry to the general population or parole. Consultation with Interdisciplinary Treatment Teams (IDTT), Primary Clinicians, Educational staff, Correctional Counselors, and Custody personnel is essential to the development and implementation of recreational activities geared to clinical improvement in the level of functioning of inmates.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education: Equivalent to graduation from a recognized college with major work in recreation or recreation therapy. The major must have included supervised field work. (Registration as a senior will admit applicants to the examination, but they must produce evidence of graduation or its equivalent and completion of the required field work before they will be considered eligible for appointment.)

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Special Requirements

Please do not include any confidential information on any documents you submit for a job vacancy, such as your State application, resume, or educational transcripts. Confidential information that should be excluded or removed from these documents includes, but is not limited to, your Social Security Number (SSN), birthdate, student identification number, driver’s license number (unless required), basis of eligibility, examination results, LEAP status, marital status, and age. Confidential information on the first page of applications submitted electronically online, such as Easy ID number, SSN, examination related information, and driver’s license number will automatically be redacted upon submission.

Possession of Minimum Qualifications (MQ) will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment. If you are meeting MQ’s with education, you must include your unofficial transcripts/diploma for verification. Official transcripts may be required upon appointment. If it is determined an applicant does not meet the MQ’s, the candidate will be withheld from the eligibility list, rendering them inactive and ineligible to be hired for the position. Candidates who have been withheld may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board.

Applicants who completed their education outside of the US (with foreign degrees/transcripts) must obtain and submit verification of U.S. course/degree equivalency. Foreign education credential evaluation services can be found at NACES | National Association of Credential Evaluation Services .

Candidates new to CCHCS are required to submit to a background investigation process utilizing Live Scan Fingerprinting, and Tuberculosis (TB) testing prior to appointment followed by department annual TB testing/evaluation thereafter.

When submitting supporting documents, PDF file format is preferred.

CCHCS utilizes E-Verify to confirm candidate’s identity and employment authorization. For more information about E-Verify, you may go to .

This advertisement may be used for other vacancies that occur during the life of this recruitment.  

Employment History on the STD 678  must be complete and include dates, accurate hours per week, total time worked, duties and responsibilities, and contact names and phone numbers of supervisors. To prepare for the State Application process, please visit

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

Willingness to create and promote an equitable and inclusive workplace where diversity is celebrated and valued.

Include a copy of your certification from California Board of Recreation and Park Certification(CBRPC) or by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification, Inc.(NCTRC) or letter stating you are eligible for certification from the CBRPC or the NCTRC.

Per Business and Professions Code Section 17505.2 (a)(1) and (a)(2):

It is unlawful for a person to represent himself or herself as a recreation therapist, to represent the services he or she performs as recreation therapy, or to use terms set forth in subdivision (c) in connection with his or her services, name, or place of business, unless he or she meets all of the following requirements:

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a minimum of a baccalaureate degree in recreation therapy or in recreation and leisure studies with a specialization in recreation therapy. Alternatively, a person who does not have one of the preceding degrees may qualify if he or she has a baccalaureate degree in a specialization acceptable for certification or eligible for certification by any accrediting body specified in paragraph (2).

Current certification or eligibility for certification as a recreation therapist by the California Board of Recreation and Park Certification or by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification, Inc.

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) website, , and the CalPERS website, .

Information on benefits afforded by membership in the California Public Employees Retirement System Benefit can be found on the CalHR website at .

Information on the benefits and protections provided to public employees by the State Civil Service Act can be found on the CalHR website at .

This webpage is intended to provide general information. Benefit eligibility may be based on job classification, bargaining unit, time base and length of appointment.

Additional Information #1

PRIORITY CONSIDERATION WILL BE GIVEN TO RE-EMPLOYMENT, DEPARTMENTAL RESTRICTION OF APPOINTMENT, STATE RESTRICTION OF APPOINTMENT, AND SURPLUS CANDIDATES.

All methods of appointment may be considered.

State Application Checklist: To prepare for the State application process, please visit  .

Interview Checklist: To prepare for the interview process, please refer to the  .

CCHCS accepts electronic applications. If interested, please submit an electronic application (STD 678) thru your CalCareer account at  . Your application must be submitted on or before the above Final Filing Date.

Paper App (If unable to submit an electronic application): To apply for this position, you may submit a Standard State Application (STD 678) along with copies of your most recent performance report, college transcripts/college diploma (if applicable) and license/certification (if applicable) to the contact person listed above.

PLEASE NOTE: Possession of MQs for list eligible applicants will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment. If it is determined an applicant does not meet MQs, the necessary steps will be taken to have the applicant's name withheld from the eligibility list.

All applicants must meet the minimum qualifications (MQ's) of the classification, per SPB Rule 250, with the exception of Training & Development (T&D) Assignments.

Resumes will be accepted in addition to the required STD. 678.

If using academic education above the twelfth grade to meet minimum qualifications, include a copy of your degree and/or Informal (Unofficial) School Transcripts.

VAR and/or XXX in the position number indicates that multiple vacancies may exist for this classification.

This advertisement may be used for other vacancies that occur during the life of this recruitment.

Include a copy of your certification from California Board of Recreation and Park Certification (CBRPC) or by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification, Inc. (NCTRC) or letter stating you are eligible for certification from the CBRPC or the NCTRC.

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.
• Other -

  In preparation for the State Application process, please visit .

• Other -

  Resume is optional.  It may be included but is not required.

• Other -

  Education : If using academic education above the twelfth grade to meet minimum qualifications, include a copy of your degree and/or Informal (Unofficial) School Transcripts.

Job Tags

Permanent employment, Full time,

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