What are the responsibilities and job description for the Recreation Assistant position at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs?
Summary
This position is in the Geriatrics & Extended Care Service at the Miami VA Medical Center - within Recreation & Creative Arts Therapy in the Community Living Center. The role delivers therapeutic and diversional programs that support and improve physical - mental - cognitive - social - and emotional functioning for residents - while providing meaningful leisure opportunities.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 05/04/2026. 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. Specialized Experience/Individual Occupational Requirement: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in Federal service that has equipped you with the particular knowledge - skills - and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: group leader - counselor - or similar work in public and private recreation programs for adults or children such as summer camps - local playgrounds - YWCA and YMCA clubs - Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts - urban community centers - or resort recreational activities; teacher's aid in elementary school recreation or physical education program; aid or assistant assignments in recreation while on active military service; aid or assistant in the organization and administration of recreation activities - such as preparing activities calendars - maintaining attendance records - and providing information concerning schedules and activities; summer aid in a State or national park - with duties related to the recreational activities of visitors to campsites - trails - picnic areas - nature and raft centers - boating and fishing areas - etc.; aid or assistant in the issuance of authorized property - and in the maintenance/accountability of inventory control for such property in a recreation facility; or aid or assistant in a hotel or resort recreation service - with duties such as setting up areas for games - tournaments - and other organized group recreational activities. This experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit. ~OR~ Education: Half a year of graduate education (usually 9 semester hours) that is directly related to the work of this position. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school - 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. Transcripts required. ~OR~ Combination of Experience and Education: An equivalent combination of specialized experience and graduate education as described that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. Experience must be detailed - and transcripts required. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Preferred Experience: Working with patients in a nursing home setting who have diagnoses such as dementia - physical and cognitive limitations - amputations - mental health diagnoses - mobility limitations and use of assistive devices such as wheelchairs and walkers. Physical Demands and Work Environment: Work involves regular and recurring physical exertion when walking - standing - sitting - bending - lifting or moving equipment - pushing wheelchairs - positioning/transferring severely disabled patients - and assisting patients in ambulation. The work requires driving vehicles - tying down wheelchairs - propelling wheelchairs - loading/unloading equipment and supplies - etc. The work involves the regular risks and discomforts associated with clinics - wards - offices - conference rooms - gym - pool - bowling alley - and in the community. The Recreation Assistant is exposed to infectious diseases - odors and/or flammable gases and medical emergencies and must wear protective clothing as needed. Many patients encountered are emotionally disturbed and may demonstrate assaultive/aggressive behaviors secondary to chronic schizophrenia - bipolar disorder - unaffected mental disorder - dementias - delirium - adjustment disorders - etc. 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/.
Duties
This position is in the Geriatrics & Extended Care Service at the Miami VA Medical Center - within Recreation & Creative Arts Therapy in the Community Living Center. The role delivers therapeutic and diversional programs that support and improve physical - mental - cognitive - social - and emotional functioning for residents - while providing meaningful leisure opportunities.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 05/04/2026. 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. Specialized Experience/Individual Occupational Requirement: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in Federal service that has equipped you with the particular knowledge - skills - and abilities to successfully perform the duties of this position. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: group leader - counselor - or similar work in public and private recreation programs for adults or children such as summer camps - local playgrounds - YWCA and YMCA clubs - Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts - urban community centers - or resort recreational activities; teacher's aid in elementary school recreation or physical education program; aid or assistant assignments in recreation while on active military service; aid or assistant in the organization and administration of recreation activities - such as preparing activities calendars - maintaining attendance records - and providing information concerning schedules and activities; summer aid in a State or national park - with duties related to the recreational activities of visitors to campsites - trails - picnic areas - nature and raft centers - boating and fishing areas - etc.; aid or assistant in the issuance of authorized property - and in the maintenance/accountability of inventory control for such property in a recreation facility; or aid or assistant in a hotel or resort recreation service - with duties such as setting up areas for games - tournaments - and other organized group recreational activities. This experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit. ~OR~ Education: Half a year of graduate education (usually 9 semester hours) that is directly related to the work of this position. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school - 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. Transcripts required. ~OR~ Combination of Experience and Education: An equivalent combination of specialized experience and graduate education as described that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. Experience must be detailed - and transcripts required. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Preferred Experience: Working with patients in a nursing home setting who have diagnoses such as dementia - physical and cognitive limitations - amputations - mental health diagnoses - mobility limitations and use of assistive devices such as wheelchairs and walkers. Physical Demands and Work Environment: Work involves regular and recurring physical exertion when walking - standing - sitting - bending - lifting or moving equipment - pushing wheelchairs - positioning/transferring severely disabled patients - and assisting patients in ambulation. The work requires driving vehicles - tying down wheelchairs - propelling wheelchairs - loading/unloading equipment and supplies - etc. The work involves the regular risks and discomforts associated with clinics - wards - offices - conference rooms - gym - pool - bowling alley - and in the community. The Recreation Assistant is exposed to infectious diseases - odors and/or flammable gases and medical emergencies and must wear protective clothing as needed. Many patients encountered are emotionally disturbed and may demonstrate assaultive/aggressive behaviors secondary to chronic schizophrenia - bipolar disorder - unaffected mental disorder - dementias - delirium - adjustment disorders - etc. 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/.
Duties
- The Recreation Assistant supports Recreation Therapists - Music Therapists and Art Therapists in the Community Living Center by planning - organizing - advising - and administering recreational activities and programs to restore - remediate - and/or rehabilitate functional capabilities for Veterans with injuries - chronic illnesses - and disabling conditions - under the therapist or supervisor's direction
- Major duties and responsibilities will include: Prepares areas for recreation activities and programs
- Assists in preparations for community outings away from the facility - which are used to meet therapeutic goals
- Arranges for equipment or supplies - checking them out to participants - ensuring they are returned - and checking the condition of supplies on their return
- Takes inventory of authorized recreation supplies and equipment
- Provides training for proper use of equipment and facilities and ensures compliance of rules of use for the facility
- Assists with a wide variety of therapeutic recreation treatment - modalities - and procedures that are care planned and recommended by therapist - or by the Recreation & Creative Arts Therapy Supervisor as part of the total plan of care of patients
- Follows treatment plan to carry out recommended treatment
- Evaluates the activity to determine if the treatment is causing an adverse effect and recommends changes or modifications of treatment procedures to the therapist or supervisor to determine appropriate modifications
- Works with participants on an individual basis - in small groups - or large groups depending on treatment goals
- Uses a variety of modalities such as art - music - hobbies - social recreation - creative communication - games - adapted sports - physical fitness - yoga - tai chi - special events - etc.
- Documents progress towards the goals in the medical record of the participants
- Performs related duties as required
- Work Schedule: Thursday - Monday - 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Compressed/Flexible: Candidates must work weekends - federal and non-federal holidays - irregular work hours and extended hours as determined by the needs of the service
- Furthermore - candidates must be willing to be placed - detailed - or temporarily assigned to other related services and/or locations - as assigned
- Position Description/PD#: Recreation Assistant/PD08469-0 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Bargaining Unit: Yes
Salary : $48,361 - $62,869