Job Summary

The Recreation Therapy Assistant is located in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation service line of the Phoenix VA Health Care System (PVAHCS). The purpose of the position is to develop, plan, organize, implement, conduct, monitor, and evaluate a wide variety of recreational therapy interventions and programs for patients with an array of physical and/or mental health conditions.

Job Description

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/19/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. A Quality Ranking Factor* has been requested by the facility to help determine which of the basically qualified applicants are likely to be better qualified for this position. The Quality Ranking Factor for this position is: Experience performing work related to recreation or recreational therapy, including leading, facilitating, or organizing group activities designed to promote physical, cognitive, or psychosocial well-being. This includes documented experience conducting recreational programs, assisting with therapeutic interventions, or supporting structured group activities in clinical, community, or wellness settings, as well as experience or certification as a Certified Activities Director or comparable competence in activity program coordination and leadership. NOTE: To receive credit for this experience, please ensure detailed information is included in your resume. *Quality Ranking Factors are skills, knowledge, abilities, or other worker characteristics which could be expected to result in superior performance on the job. Quality ranking factors will not be used for screening, but may be used as ranking criteria. Applicants with higher proficiency levels may rank above those with lower proficiency levels on a quality ranking factor. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Work as an assistant to one of the specialized therapies such as occupational, physical, manual arts, corrective, or educational therapy; or Experience gained as an assistant or aid in patient care, social work, or psychology where the duties involved actual participation in physical medicine and activities of a hospital or clinic. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level, you must have successfully completed six months of graduate-level education (generally 9 semester hours) in coursework that is directly related to the work of the Recreation Therapy Assistant position. Graduate education or an internship meets the specialized experience required above the GS-5 level only when it is directly related to the work of the position. Transcripts (official or unofficial) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and directly related graduate-level education that equals at least one total year. Only graduate education that is directly related to the work of the position may be used to meet the specialized experience requirement at the GS-6 level. Preferred Experience: Preferred experience includes leading recreational or therapeutic programs, providing strong customer service, and demonstrating knowledge of exercise, fitness, or wellness activities. Experience facilitating group activities and engaging participants in structured recreational or therapeutic settings is highly desirable. Certification as a Certified Activities Director, or previous performance of duties requiring equivalent competencies in activity program coordination and leadership, is also strongly preferred. Driver's License Requirement: Applicants must possess a valid, unrestricted State driver's license, have a safe driving record, and demonstrate that he or she is medically qualified to operate the appropriate motor vehicle safely. Applicants are required to pass agency Government Vehicle Drivers physical examination. NOTE: We cannot accept photographs, therefore; please do not submit a copy of your driver's license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you may be required to provide a copy of your valid state-issued driver's license. 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/.