Recreation Therapist, CF - California State Prison, Los Angeles County (LAC) (Recreation Therapist, Correctional Facility)
California Correctional Health Care Services · Kings County
Salary: $9,159 – $9,903 per month
Closes: 2026-11-05T00:00:00.000Z
Job description and requirements
Show full description and requirements
Job Description and Duties
Effective July 1, 2025, in accordance with the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025) was implemented in response to the status of the State budget. PLP 2025 requires each full-time employee in Bargaining Unit 19, and related Excluded, Exempt and Statutory Exempt employees, will have their base salary reduced by 3 percent and will receive 5 PLP 2025 leave credits monthly through June 2027. Salaries do not reflect the recent changes. Part-time employees are subject to the same conditions as full-time employees, on a prorated basis equivalent to their time-base. Permanent intermittent employees are subject to the same condition as full-time employees, based on the number of hours worked in the pay period.
This is a limited term position which may be extended or become permanent.
This classification is subject to Section 5, Hiring-Above-Minimum (HAM) Authorization of the California State Civil Service Pay Scales. The authorized HAM rate for this classification is $9,159
Please note: Individuals may be eligible to receive a $10,000 one-time recruitment and retention stipend should they meet the eligibility criteria, including but not limited to remaining employed with CCHCS for six months. Additionally, individuals may be eligible to receive a monthly recruitment and retention differential during their first year with CCHCS (totaling $5,000), should they meet the eligibility criteria.
IMPORTANT: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and California Correctional Health Care Services (CCHCS) employees may be eligible for a $5,000 referral bonus should you be selected for hire, and remain employed with CCHCS for 90 days. For a CDCR/CCHCS employee to be considered, a questionnaire must be completed to the best of your knowledge, including the referring employee’s name, classification, PERNR, and work location. The questionnaire will be provided to the selected candidate during the pre-employment process.
Under the general direction of the Senior Psychologist, Correctional Facility (CF) (Supervisor) or Supervising Psychiatric Social Worker I, CF, the Recreation Therapist (RT), CF develops, implements, and evaluates therapeutic recreation programs for patients within California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation institutions. The RT, CF instructs and motivates patients in individual and group recreation therapy, monitors and documents treatment progress, and works with other health care providers to share recreational therapy assessment information and incorporate therapeutic recreational activities into treatment plans. The RT, CF maintains order and supervises the conduct of patients to protect and maintain the safety of persons and property.You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.
Special Requirements
Possession of Minimum Qualifications (MQ) will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment. If you are meeting MQ’s with education, you must include your unofficial transcripts/diploma for verification. Official transcripts may be required upon appointment. If it is determined that an applicant does not meet the MQ’s, the candidate will be withheld from the eligibility list, rendering them inactive and ineligible to be hired for the position. Candidates who have been withheld may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board.
Applicants who completed their education outside of the US (with foreign degrees/transcripts) must obtain and submit verification of U.S. course/degree equivalency. Foreign education credential evaluation services can be found at NACES | National Association of Credential Evaluation Services.
Candidates new to CCHCS are required to submit to a background investigation process utilizing Live Scan Fingerprinting.
Tuberculosis (TB) testing is required for candidates new to CCHCS prior to appointment followed by department annual TB testing/evaluation thereafter.
If using academic education above the twelfth grade to meet minimum qualifications, include a copy of your degree and/or Informal (Unofficial) School Transcripts.
When submitting supporting documents, PDF file format is preferred.
CCHCS utilizes E-Verify to confirm candidate’s identity and employment authorization. For more information about E-Verify, you may go to www.e-verify.gov.
This advertisement may be used for other vacancies that occur during the life of this recruitment.
Employment History on the STD. 678 must be complete and include dates, accurate hours per week, total time worked, duties and responsibilities, and contact names and phone numbers of supervisors. To prepare for the State Application process, please visit Work4CA: State Application Checklist.
Desirable Qualifications
In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:
Include a copy of your certification from California Board of Recreation and Park Certification (CBRPC) or by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification, Inc. (NCTRC) or letter stating you are eligible for certification from the CBRPC or the NCTRC.
Per Business and Professions Code Section 17505.2 (a)(1) and (a)(2):
It is unlawful for a person to represent himself or herself as a recreation therapist, to represent the services he or she performs as recreation therapy, or to use terms set forth in subdivision (c) in connection with his or her services, name, or place of business, unless he or she meets all of the following requirements:
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a minimum of a baccalaureate degree in recreation therapy or in recreation and leisure studies with a specialization in recreation therapy. Alternatively, a person who does not have one of the preceding degrees may qualify if he or she has a baccalaureate degree in a specialization acceptable for certification or eligible for certification by any accrediting body specified in paragraph (2).
Current certification or eligibility for certification as a recreation therapist by the California Board of Recreation and Park Certification or by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification, Inc.
About this opportunity
Salary context
The annualized midpoint for this posting is $114,372. That matches the $114,372 median among 10 current California public jobs with the same normalized title.
More jobs at this employer
California Correctional Health Care Services currently has 232 other open positions in this database.
Regional hiring context
There are 32 current state openings in Kings County, including this position.
Application timeline
Applications close in 1 day, on November 5, 2026.
Posting history
This posting appears on CalCareers. CA Public Jobs first observed it on July 23, 2026. It was last verified open on November 4, 2026.