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Therapeutic Recreation Specialist

City of San Diego
4 days ago
Full-time
On-site
San Diego, California, United States
$67,080 - $80,600 USD yearly
Agriculture & Outdoor Work

JOB INFORMATION

See NOTES below for future wage increases and/or additional compensation opportunities.
 
Therapeutic Recreation Specialist positions plan, organize, promote, and evaluate community programs and special events for children, teens, and adults with disabilities; implement behavior management; train and supervise the work of part and full-time recreation leaders, interns, and volunteers; serve as a liaison with public and private agencies, community groups, school districts, businesses, parents, and the general public; assist in fund raising; make presentations to organizations; write reports; prepare budget estimates for programs and events; and perform other duties as assigned.

      NOTES:

  • Employees in job classifications represented by Municipal Employees Association (MEA) are scheduled to receive the following general wage increases:
    • 3.5% effective 7/1/27
    • 2% effective 7/1/28
    • 2% effective 1/1/29
  • Eligible benefitted employees originally hired on or after July 10, 2021, will be automatically enrolled in the San Diego City Employees Retirement System (SDCERS). 
  • Therapeutic Recreation Specialist employees may be required to lift and carry items weighing up to 50 pounds.
  • Therapeutic Recreation Specialist employees must be available to work evenings and weekend hours.
  • In accordance with California Public Resources Code section 5163, all persons holding Therapeutic Recreation Specialist positions must get tested for tuberculosis (TB) when hired and every four years thereafter as a condition of continued employment.
  • Therapeutic Recreation Specialist employees who obtain and maintain a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) credential or Recreation Therapist Certification (RTC) are eligible for 10% additional pay.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

You must meet the following requirements on the date you apply, unless otherwise indicated.
 
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:  You must meet ONE of the following options:

  1. Bachelor's Degree in Recreation Therapy, Adaptive Physical Education, Special Education, Recreation, Physical Education, Psychology, Rehabilitation, Medical/Nursing AND one year of full-time experience leading a variety of recreation activities for persons with disabilities.
  2. Bachelor's Degree in any other field or equivalent education (i.e., minimum completed units = 120 semester/180 quarter) AND two years of full-time experience in recreation administration including one year of full-time experience leading a variety of recreation activities for persons with disabilities.  Qualifying recreation administration experience MUST include planning, directing and implementing a variety of recreation programs and special events.
    
      NOTES:
  • Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for education lacked on a year-for-year basis. One year of full-time experience = 30 semester/ 45 quarter college-level units.
  • Volunteer hours are qualifying, but MUST be confirmed and documented (indicating dates and hours), by the agency where you served as a volunteer.
  • City of San Diego employees using Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA) experience to qualify must submit written documentation signed by their appointing authority or payroll specialist, detailing the work performed, dates, and total number of qualifying OCA hours.  OCA experience without the required documentation will NOT be considered.
CERTIFICATE:  American Red Cross First Aid Certificate and American Red Cross Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Certificate are required within one year from date of hire. Courses for these certificates are offered by the City of San Diego for City employees.
 
      NOTE:
  • For information on certificate requirements, you may contact the Parks and Recreation Department staff at (619) 525-8284 or American Red Cross staff at (858) 309-1200 (ask for health and safety).
LICENSE:  A valid California Class C Driver License is required at the time of hire.
      
      NOTE:
  • Candidates will generally be required to show proof of the driver license within about two weeks of receiving a conditional job offer.
HIGHLY DESIRABLE:
  • Lead or supervisory experience.
  • Public relations experience.
  • Therapeutic Recreation Specialist certification issued from the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) and/or Recreation Therapist Certified from the California Board of Recreation and Park Certification (CBRPC).
  • Experience using a variety of computer programs (e.g., SAP, Word, Excel, ActiveNet).
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (MUST SUBMIT WITH APPLICATION): 
  • Proof of degree/transcripts, if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.
  • Proof of documented volunteer hours, if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.
  • For City of San Diego employees, proof of Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA), if utilized to meet the minimum requirements. 
Required documents should be attached electronically to your application. If you are unable to attach at the time of application submittal, you must submit them as soon as possible via fax: (619) 533-3337; or to the Employment Information Center: City of San Diego Personnel Department, 1200 Third Avenue - Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92101. Include your name and the title of the position for which you are applying.

SCREENING PROCESS

Please ensure all information is complete and accurate as the responses you provide on the supplemental questions will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in this initial screening process, your application will be reviewed for applicable education, experience, and/or training to ensure all minimum requirements have been met. Successful candidates will be placed on a list which will be used to fill position vacancies during the next six months (180 days). For each vacancy, only those candidates with the most appropriate qualifications will be contacted by the hiring department for an interview.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

PRE-EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS: Employment offers are conditional pending the results of all screening processes applicable to this position, which may include the following: confirmation of citizenship or legal right to work in the United States; completion of a pre-employment medical review and exam (which may include drug and alcohol testing); reference checks; and fingerprinting. Fingerprints will be submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice for a conviction record report. Certain positions may require additional screening processes, including a polygraph examination and/or background investigation. All screening processes must be successfully completed before employment begins. A positive test result for alcohol, cannabis/marijuana, illegal drugs, or inadequately explained prescription drugs, or misrepresentation, falsification, or omission of pertinent facts in any step of the screening or selection process, may constitute cause for disqualification or termination of employment. Nothing in this job posting constitutes an express or implied contract for employment with the City of San Diego. Candidates must notify the Personnel Department of any change in their name, mailing address, email address, or phone number, otherwise they may miss employment opportunities.