***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***

Duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Supporting the Recreation or Creative Arts Therapist (RCAT) by planning, organizing, and implementing recreation therapy (RT) and complementary integrative health (CIH) programs in inpatient and outpatient settings
• Providing instruction in Tai Chi, Qigong, yoga, meditation, and mindfulness to promote, restore, and preserve Veterans' physical and mental well-being
• Designing and delivering therapeutic, rehabilitative, and diversional activities to achieve rehabilitation, maintenance, and prevention goals based on patient assessments
• Collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to adapt and modify therapeutic interventions aligned with individualized treatment plans
• Coordinating daily recreation programs across Community Living Centers, Mental Health units, Adaptive Sports, Residential Recovery & Treatment Programs (RRTP), and outpatient clinics
• Organizing and supervising community outings, special events, pet therapy, and volunteer-led activities while ensuring Veteran safety and program effectiveness
• Evaluating patient participation, engagement, and progress while documenting outcomes and workload through the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS)
• Maintaining therapy and recreation equipment by performing cleaning, preventive maintenance, and minor repairs while training staff, volunteers, and students in proper equipment use
• Ensuring patient and volunteer safety during on- and off-station programs and transporting Veterans as needed while exercising sound judgment and professionalism
• Scheduling, promoting, and publicizing RT/CIH programs to attract and motivate participation while ensuring compliance with facility standards
• Collaborating with community agencies and volunteer services while orienting and guiding new volunteers according to VA procedures
• Performing other assigned administrative and clinical duties to support the goals of the Recreation Therapy Service

NOTE: Must be able to obtain a driver's license to operate all government vehicles that do not require a commercial driver's license.

Work Schedule: Tuesday to Saturday; 10:30 a.m. to 07:00 p.m. (negotiable with night/weekend requirements)
Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

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

Minimum Requirement: The following are minimum requirements for appointment as a Recreation Assistant in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which all applicants must met.

• Specialized Experience (GS-06): You must have one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (i.e., GS-05). Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: (a) Group leader, counselor, or similar work in public and private recreation programs for adults or children such as summer camps, local playgrounds, YWCA and YMCA clubs, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, urban community centers, or resort recreational activities; (b) Teacher's aid in elementary school recreation or physical education program, with emphasis on development of general recreational skills and abilities; (c) Aid or assistant assignments in recreation while on active military service; (d) Aid or assistant in the organization and administration of recreation activities, such as preparing activities calendars, maintaining attendance records, and providing information concerning schedules and activities; (e) Summer aid in a State or national park, with duties related to the recreational activities of visitors to campsites, trails, picnic areas, nature and raft centers, and boating and fishing areas (e.g., demonstrating camping techniques and park safety, conducting nature tours, and overseeing farm animal areas provided for children); (f) Sales or stock clerk in a recreation supplies and equipment shop; (g) Aid or assistant in the issuance of authorized property, and in the maintenance of inventory control and accountability for such property in a recreation facility; and (h) Aid or assistant in a hotel or resort recreation service, with duties such as setting up areas for games, tournaments, and other organized group recreational activities. (CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.) OR,
• Education (GS-06): Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have six (6) months of graduate education (i.e., 9 semester hours) in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position (e.g., recreation or physical education). NOTE: One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.) OR,
• Combination (GS-06): Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education as described above. If education is used to meet specialized experience requirements, then such education must include courses directly related to the work of the position. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.)

AND

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position.

AND

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill, knowledge, ability, or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirement for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration.

• The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Experience applying the knowledge of the standard techniques and treatment procedures for movement and exercise Recreation Therapy program for clients of various ages and disabilities meeting their individual needs.

Preferred Experience: Tai Chi or Yoga Instructor Certification, Aquatic Therapy & Rehabilitation Certification, or additional certification in recreation or health & wellness is preferred.

You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

• Clinical Data Collection/Documentation
• Communication
• Patient Care
• Technical Competence

IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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.

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; religious; 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.

Physical Requirements: Recreation Therapy is considered a vocation that requires "medium" work. Medium Work entails: exerting 20 to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 10 to 25 pounds of force frequently, and/or greater than negligible up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. Physical Demand requirements are in excess of those for light work. (i.e.: more than exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.) Examples of the medium strength required by incumbent are as follows: Standing, walking, squatting, bending, and sitting, and changing from one position to the other frequently throughout the day; Sitting at a desk and using upper extremities to reach, grasp and place papers, charts, and binders; Reaching, lifting, carrying, pushing, and pulling: 1-10 pounds constantly, 10 -25 frequently, and 25 -50 pounds occasionally. Recreation Therapy requires good manual dexterity to manipulate tools and equipment with examples as follows: Operating all aspects of a computer - keyboarding, mouse, and control buttons; Demonstrating the use of all aspects of adaptive equipment for patient teaching; Assembling equipment with the use of hand tools such as screwdrivers and pliers; The work is primarily very active in nature with some sedentary work involved when performing clerical/administrative work.

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/.

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. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

Your responses to the assessment questionnaire will be reviewed along with the information provided in your resume and supporting documentation to determine if you are qualified for the position. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered and/or you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

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.

Candidates who apply under All U.S. Citizens announcements will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The categories are defined as follows:

• Best qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position;
• Highly qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the requirements of the job;
• Well qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the job; and
• Qualified - applicants possessing experience and/or education that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors.

Application of Veterans' Preference: Category rating and selection procedures place those with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligible applicants that meet the eligibility and qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category (except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher).

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.

IMPORTANT: Please ensure your resume include up-to-date contact information (phone number(s), email address(s), etc.)

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Other (1)
• Other (2)
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation, i.e., Letter of Intent, related to your active-duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must refer to the SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" and submit required documents as applicable and stated on the form. Documentation is mandatory to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

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