County of Los Angeles

Position/Program Information

RECREATION THERAPY ASSISTANT (Correctional Health Services)

EXAM NUMBER:

Y5870A

FILING DATE:

Online application filing will begin on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. (PT). The application window may close unexpectedly once the position has been filled or when we have enough qualified candidates.

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT:

We welcome applications from anyone.

Who are we!

We are the second largest municipal health system in the nation. DHS operates as an integrated health system, operating 25 health centers and four (4) acute care hospitals, in addition to providing health care to youth in the juvenile justice system and inmates in the LA County jails. Across the network of DHS’ directly operated clinical sites and through partnerships with community-based clinics, DHS cares for about 800,000 unique patients each year, employs over 23,000 staff, and has an annual operating budget of 6.9 billion dollars. For additional information regarding DHS please visit www.dhs.lacounty.gov.

Through academic affiliations with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Southern California (USC), and the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Sciences (CDU), DHS hospitals are training sites for physicians completing their Graduate Medical Education in nearly every medical specialty and subspecialty. In addition, to its direct clinical services, DHS also runs the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency and the County’s 911 emergency response system, as well as Housing for Health and the Office of Diversion and Re-entry, each with a critical role in connecting vulnerable populations, including those released from correctional and institutional settings, to supportive housing.

For additional information regarding DHS please visit www.dhs.lacounty.gov

Check Out Our Outstanding Benefits!

Los Angeles County offers one of the strongest public sector benefits packages in the nation.

• Flexible Benefit Plans - Benefits may be purchased using tax-free County contribution of an additional 14.5%-17% of the employee's monthly salary.
• Robust Retirement Packages - Contributory-defined benefit plan; optional tax-deferred income plans that may include a County matching contribution up to 4% of employee's salary.
• Generous Parental and Family Leave Benefits
• Ridesharing, Parking, and Transit Benefits
• 13 paid holidays per year

Click here for more details on employee benefits.

Our Mission:

To advance the health of our patients and our communities by providing outstanding care.

What does this position do?

Assists in performing therapeutic recreation services in a hospital or institutional setting for persons with physical, mental, or social disabilities as a member of an interdisciplinary medical and therapeutic treatment team.

Essential Job Functions

• Plans and conducts therapy activities under the supervision of a recreation therapist, such as arts and crafts, group games and sports, music, dance, drama, and community reintegration. Assists with planning/coordinating special events
• Facilitates individual therapy sessions, including bedside treatment under direct supervision of a recreation therapist, as needed.
• Educates patients on the accurate use of equipment and supplies such as creative expressive modalities, adaptive sports, and exercise equipment.
• Works under close direction and clinical instruction of the recreation therapist, records patients’ interactions and progress in the medical record.
• Assists in establishing therapy treatment goals and objectives to meet individuals needs of patients and resolves recreation therapy modality by which these goals will be achieved under the mentorship of a recreation therapist.
• Observe patients’ participation in recreational activities, their responses to therapy treatment, and leisure counseling techniques under the direction of a recreation therapist.
• Communicates pertinent information to the recreation therapist, members of the interdisciplinary treatment team, and patients/relatives.
• Collaborates with physicians and the treatment team to meet and provide patient and relative education and discharge goals as appropriate.
• Attend lectures, meetings, trainings, and in-service to receive instructions in recreation therapy principles, methods, the latest trends, techniques and orientation to the organization, and the policies and procedures of the facility.
• Provide orientation and supervision to students and volunteers, as needed.

Requirements

REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY

Completion of two years in an accredited college with a major in recreation therapy or recreation* -AND- six months paid or unpaid experience (totaling 740 hours) assisting with recreation activities for physically, mentally or socially disabled patients.

Withhold information:

No withhold will be allowed. The required education/experience needs to be fully met at the time of filing and clearly stated on the application.

LICENSE:

A valid California Class “C” Driver License or the ability to use an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.

PHYSICAL CLASS III - Moderate:

This class requires that the incumbent stand or walk most of the time with bending, stooping, squatting, twisting, reaching, working on irregular surfaces, occasional lifting of objects weighing over 25 pounds, and frequent lifting of 10-25 pounds.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION:

• In order to receive credit for any course work, please include a legible copy of your official transcripts from the accredited institution at the time of filing or within seven (7) calendar days from the date of filing application. Applications received without evidence of the required specified college courses will not be accepted as meeting the stated requirements.

At the time of appointment, the successful candidate will be required to provide an original "official" transcript from the college or university to verify the required course(s).

NOTE: If you are unable to attach required documents during application submission, you may email them to the exam analyst at truocco@dhs.lacounty.gov within 7 calendar days of filing online. Please include your name, the exam number and exam title in the subject line of the email.

To receive credit for your education, include a copy of your official diploma, official transcript, or letter/certificate from an accredited institution within seven (07) days of filing your application/the end of the filing period. The document should show the date the degree was conferred and be in English; if it is in a foreign language, it must be translated and evaluated for equivalency to U.S. standards. For more information on our standards for educational documents, please visit:

https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/070812_PPG123.pdf (Download PDF reader) and https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhr/205105_PPG_123_ACE_Resource_Guide.pdf (Download PDF reader)

Password-protected documents are not accepted. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to the application or sending a copy to the exam analyst.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

Additional Credit will be awarded to applicants that possess the following desirable qualification(s):

Additional Information

EXAMINATION CONTENT:

This examination will consist of an evaluation of training and experience based upon the application information, desirable qualifications, and supplemental questionnaire, weighted 100%.

Additional points will be awarded for additional experience beyond the requirements.

Candidate's will need to achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on the examination in order to be placed on the eligible register.

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION:

Applications will be processed on an as-received basis and promulgated to the eligible register accordingly.

No person may compete in this examination more than once every twelve (12) months.

VACANCY INFORMATION:

We will use this list to fill vacancies in the Department of Health Services.

AVAILABLE SHIFT:

Appointees may work any shift, including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION:

We only accept applications filed online. Applications submitted by U.S. mail, fax, or in person are not accepted. Apply by clicking on the "Apply" green button at the top right of this posting. This website can also be used to get application status updates.

Please fill out the application completely. We may verify information included in the application at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. Falsification of information could result in refusal of application or rescission of appointment.

• Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number, include yours when applying.
• For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout the County. Please visit https://lacountylibrary.org.
• All applicants must file their application online using their own login information. Using a family member's or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record.

Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI)

The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. We are committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst race. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.

Accommodation Coordinator Phone: 323-914-7111

CALIFORNIA RELAY SERVICES PHONE: (800) 735-2922

DEPARTMENT CONTACT:

Teresa Ruocco, Exam Analyst

truocco@dhs.lacounty.gov

(213) 288-7000

COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES

Employment Information

Any language contained in the job posting supersedes any language contained below.

This document is intended to provide general information about the recruitment process of the County of Los Angeles. Applicants with questions about a specific job posting should contact the exam analyst listed on the posting.

Equal Employment Opportunity/Non-Discrimination Statement:

The County of Los Angeles is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and is committed to non-discrimination in the County workforce, regardless of age (40 and over); ancestry; color; ethnicity; religious creed; protected family or medical leave status; disability; marital status; medical condition; genetic information; military and veteran status; national origin; race ; sex; gender; sexual orientation; or any other characteristic protected by State or federal law. For more information, please visit: https://employee.hr.lacounty.gov/eeo-programs/.

Testing Accommodations for Applicants:

The County of Los Angeles complies with all federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application process, please contact the testing accommodation coordinator listed on the job posting. Hearing impaired applicants with telephone teletype equipment may leave messages by calling the teletype phone number on the job posting. For more information on accommodations, please visit: https://hr.lacounty.gov/accessibility/.

Fair Chance:

The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except as otherwise permissible under applicable laws, you will not be asked to provide information about conviction history unless you receive a conditional offer of employment. The County will make an individualized assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct and adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and will also consider potential mitigating factors, which may include, but is not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with County Fair Chance Policies and the Fair Chance Act (Gov. Code Section 12952).

Employment Eligibility:

Final appointment is contingent upon verification of U.S. citizenship or the right to work in the United States.

Career PathFinder:

Resources to help current and prospective employees plan a career with Los Angeles County are available. To explore career paths to and from nearly all job titles, please visit our interactive Career PathFinder application at http://career-pathfinder.hr.lacounty.gov.

Revised January 2025

For detailed information, please click here

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