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Recreational Therapist

Military Treatment Facilities under DHA · Department of Defense

Open to the publicPermanentFull-time
Salary
$62,629 – $81,423/yr
Pay grade
GS 9
Openings
1
Posted
Jun 9, 2026
Closes
Closes in 9 days

Summary

About the Position: This position is located at Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

This is a Direct Hire Solicitation
A recruitment or relocation incentive may be authorized.
Salary negotiation may be available for those candidates who are new to Federal service.

Duties

Provide professional recreational therapy to adult outpatients who are predominantly active-duty military recovering from traumatic injuries, amputations, burns, and other complex injuries/conditions requiring advanced rehabilitation. | Evaluate patients and provide structured recreational therapy plan of care and treatment sessions to achieve patient centered goals. | Utilize standard assessments and/or develop specific tools based on the population needs to establish appropriate therapeutic recreation goals and develop the patient's treatment plan. | Evaluate patient progress on a recurring basis and provides written and oral reports of findings. Communicate findings to multi-disciplinary team to ensure wholistic care. | Attend staff meetings, team treatment meetings, and other clinical conferences to facilitate coordinated multi-disciplinary care, address barriers to progress, and maximize therapeutic outcomes. | Develop, plan, organize and implement the CFI Community Reintegration Program. | Facilitate CFI aquatic therapy programming as both a recreational therapist and a lifeguard based on mission needs. Collaborate with leadership to coordinate and monitor therapeutic trips and outings. | Support CFI clinical education programming by precepting clinical interns, providing ongoing orientation and in-services related to therapeutic recreation for colleagues, and facilitating collaboration with multi-disciplinary counterparts. | Maintain condition and inventory control on an assigned portion of the section's supplies and equipment.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or specialized experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Basic Requirement for Recreation Therapist:
License: Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) Degree: A Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree in therapeutic recreation, art therapy, drama therapy, dance therapy, or music therapy from an accrediting program recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.

OR

Degree: A Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree in a related field involving therapeutic emphasis or concentration from an accrediting program recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained that included at least 36 semester hours in therapeutic courses, as described below:(1) 18 semester hours of therapeutic recreation courses; AND(2) 18 semester hours that include a combination of abnormal psychology, physiology, human anatomy and development, disabilities and general recreation.

Exemption: You are exempt from the basic requirements above if you are a current federal employee occupying a position in the 0638 occupational series and have been continuously employed in this occupational series since September 27, 2017 or before. Note: You will be required to provide appropriate documentation to the respective Human Resources Office to validate your status.

In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below:

Specialized Experience:
One year of specialized experience which includes planning, directing, or coordinating recreation-based treatment programs; and modifying treatment plans. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07).

OR

Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the first year (total graduate semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages.

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Requirements

Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation. | A Personnel Security Investigation is required. | Selectees will be required to sign a statement (Condition of Employment) consenting to seasonal influenza vaccinations or must provide a recognized exemption. | Immunization screening is required. Hepatitis B immunization is required for all positions with direct patient contact. Applicants may be required to show proof of other immunizations depending on the type of position. | This position is a Testing Designated Position subject to pre-employment screening and random drug testing. Selectees will be required to consent to participation in random drug urinalysis testing. | A pre-placement medical examination is required. | Moderate to heavy lifting up to 50 pounds may be required. | Must be able to obtain and maintain current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification through the American Red Cross or American Heart Association. Advanced certification (e.g., ALS) does not supersede BLS. | This position may require the incumbent to work weekends and/or holidays. | Must be able to obtain and maintain current Lifeguard certification through the American Red Cross.

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