Recreation & Athletics Specialist 2 (RAS2)

Job Title: Recreation & Athletic Specialist 2 (RAS2)

Location: Aberdeen, WA - Harbor Heights

Closes: Until filled

Salary: $3,796.00 - $5,088.00 Monthly. The indicated salary does not include a 5% on-site 24/7 facility premium, and a 3% general wage increase effective July 1st, 2025.

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is looking for a Recreation and Athletic Specialist 2 (RAS2) to provide, plan, organize, and lead therapeutic recreation activities for residents located at the Juvenile Rehabilitation Harbor Heights in Aberdeen.

Click here to learn more about DCYF.

The Opportunity:

In this role, you will supervise residents' daily living routines and recreational activities, and track, monitor, and direct youth recreational programming. You will model pro-social adaptive behavior while providing safety and security during recreational activities and functions.

Some of what you'll do:

• Implement day-to-day activities to support youth wellness.
• Assess the overall therapeutic recreation needs of residents.
• Implement intervention techniques to facilitate the improvement of social, cognitive, emotional, and physical functional abilities.
• Promote sports safety.
• Provide residents with opportunities to adapt to a variety of recreational and community environments.
• Train staff in the therapeutic recreation program.
• Develop and present in-services to residents and staff in specialty areas.
• Perform outreach to the surrounding community, community-based groups, and organizations to network and recruit volunteers for the recreation program.
• Maintain documentation related to the recreational program and youth behaviors.
• Assess, augment, repair, and maintain recreation equipment inventory as the budget allows.

Required Qualifications:

• Associate’s degree involving major study in either recreation or therapeutic recreation, music, drama, or physical education, or psychology, sociology, or education with a minor in recreation, physical education, music or drama, AND one (1) year of paid professional recreation experience.

OR

• One year of experience as a Recreation and Athletics Specialist 1.

OR

• Equivalent education/experience equaling three (3) years.

In addition to those required qualifications, our ideal applicant will also have some or all of the following:

• Demonstrated understanding of adolescent development and juvenile rehabilitation practices and principles.
• Experience providing therapeutic recreation services.
• Demonstrated competency in relating to clients from diverse backgrounds and cultural groups.
• Knowledge of skeletal, muscular, and neuron-anatomy, mental illness principles, equipment of recreation therapy, various methods of provision in the physical, affective, social, and cognitive realms, safety and risk management methods, and assessment and evaluation reporting methods.
• Ability to assess, plan, provide, evaluate, and modify programs/provisions to allow inclusive participation for individual youth; cooperative skills in working with youth; and maintain professional and working relationships with physicians, other treatment providers, and staff.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

• A valid Washington state driver’s license is required for this position.
• Incumbent in this position must participate in and successfully complete the New Employee Academy (NEA) presented by JR Headquarters staffing within the first three months of employment.
• Incumbent in this position must be able to physically control residents. This may consist of taking residents to the ground, breaking up fights between two or more residents, using various defensive tactic holds, and applying handcuffs. These tasks require the ability to crouch, twist, kneel, squat, and the basic strength necessary to control a resident.
• Incumbent must successfully complete initial Crisis Management & Intervention Strategies (CMIS) training and annual refreshers requiring demonstration of competency in applying verbal de-escalation and physical control techniques approved for intervention with verbally and/or physically aggressive youth.
• Incumbent must comply with JR institution and/or facility health screening requirements, including tuberculous testing, measles and chickenpox immunity, and Hepatitis B vaccination, as indicated, within the first month of employment.
• Incumbent must pass a national (fingerprint) criminal records background check prior to employment, with renewals every five years.
• Incumbent is required to complete Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) training within the first month of employment and comply with JR Policy 5.90, applying PREA Juvenile Standards in JR.

How do I apply?

Complete your applicant profile and attach a current resume detailing your experience and education.

Supplemental Information:

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is committed to Washington’s children and youth growing up safe, healthy, and thriving. We invite all candidates to join us in our mission to create a diverse and equitable workplace that reflects the communities we serve. If you are excited about this role but you believe that your education and/or experience might not align perfectly with every qualification in the job posting, we encourage you to apply anyway.

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained service animal by a person with a disability.

Applicants selected for an interview are required to pass a national fingerprint background check and complete a questionnaire mandated by the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) inquiring about any sexual misconduct. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but is considered in determining the applicant's suitability and competence to perform in the job.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies.

This position is included in the bargaining unit represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE). For more information: https://wfse.org/

Benefits eligibility for this position may be different than what’s listed in the benefits tab of this recruitment announcement, for more information on employee benefits eligibility visit- Public Employee Benefits Board (PEBB).

If you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment or if you would like to request an accommodation throughout the application/interview process, contact David Ozment (Talent Acquisition Specialist) atdavid.ozment@dcyf.wa.gov. If you're experiencing technical difficulties creating, accessing or completing your application, call NEOGOV toll-free at (855)524-5627 or emailsupport@neogov.com.

Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may call the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 360-664-1960.