Therapist I - Rec Therapist

CounselorIncludes callFull-Time

Listed compensation

$61K–$84K

The week · per this posting

Ask the employer about the work setting, weekend coverage, nights and shift pattern and time off.

Posted 1mo ago

Job Description

Title: Therapist I - Rec Therapist

State Role Title: Therapy Assistant/Therapist I

Hiring Range: $60,618 - $83,652

Pay Band: NV 3

Agency: Dept Behavioral Health/Develop

Location: Northern VA Mental Health Inst

Agency Website: https://dbhds.virginia.gov/facilities/nvmhi/careers/

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute is seeking someone to provide recreation therapy and psychosocial education rehab interventions that are responsive to the social, physical, emotional & cognitive recreational needs of our population.

Responsibilities include providing well-coordinated and diverse recreational therapy programs which will enable the individuals we serve to function independently in the community.

The successful candidate will have knowledge of the principles, techniques and methods of recreation therapy and of basic statistics and the different kinds of usage of recreation therapy materials and equipment.

Have the ability to stimulate and sustain the individual’s recreation therapy interest as well as the ability to evaluate and report their progress. Ability to safely operate a state owned motor vehicle to transport individuals for community reintegration outings.

Interview process to include implementation of intervention by a mock group facilitation, demonstration of group development by creating a protocol

The work hours are 8:00am to 4:45pm with some rotating evenings, and holidays required

Minimum Qualifications

Valid driver’s license required.

Graduation from an accredited college or university with major studies in Recreation Therapy, Recreational Management, or related field or equivalent work experience.

Certification as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) by the National Council of Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC)

Additional Considerations

Experience in a psychiatric hospital as a paid Recreation Therapist or an internship placement is strongly preferred.

Special Instructions

You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.

Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute only accepts online applications via PAGEUP. Resumes and other documents may accompany the application but will not serve as a substitute for an application. Faxed, e-mailed or mailed applications will not be accepted. Please refer to your PAGEUP account for the status of your application and this position. This posting will remain open for a minimum of five (5) business days.

Commonwealth’s Alternate Hiring Process: In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process.

To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their Certificate of Disability (COD) provided by a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor within the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS).

Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS to get their Certificate of Disability. If you need to get a Certificate of Disability, use this link: https://www.vadars.org/drs/cpid/PWContact.aspx

Contact Pathways

Led by the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services and the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired, the Career Pathways grant will help nearly 500 Virginians with disabilities, including young adults and veterans, gain new skills and credentials through Career Pathways to seek employment in competitive, high-demand, high-quality occupations.

www.vadars.org

or call DARS at 800-552-5019.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Contact Human Resources at (HR Rep phone #) for assistance. Minorities, Individuals with disabilities, Veterans, and people with National Service experience are encouraged to apply. EEO/AA/TTY.

Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute  is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Employment opportunities are open to all regardless of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, political affiliation, genetics or disability.

DBHDS is a healthcare organization and must comply with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (federal CMS) guidance on Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care staff Vaccination Regulation which requires vaccination of all employees or an exemption. A job offer of employment is contingent upon the candidate meeting these guidelines as a condition of employment.

Agency website https://dbhds.virginia.gov/facilities/nvmhi/careers

Contact Information

Name: Sue Upadhyay

Phone: 7032077204

Email: sudipta.upadhyay@dbhds.virginia.gov

In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process.

To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI).

Service-Connected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get their AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter [https://www.dars.virginia.gov/drs/cpid/PWContact.aspx] or by calling DARS at 800-552-5019.

Note: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.

Key Responsibilities

The therapist will provide recreation therapy and psychosocial education interventions tailored to the social, physical, and cognitive needs of patients. Responsibilities include facilitating diverse recreational programs and documenting patient progress to support community reintegration.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a bachelor's degree in Recreation Therapy or a related field and possess a valid driver's license. Certification as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) is required for this position.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree

Key Skills

Rehabilitation interventionsPatient assessmentTreatment planningData reportingMotor vehicle operationClinical documentationTherapeutic programming

Recreation Therapy — Counselor Career Context

Virginia Information Technologies Agency ranks #22 of 25 employers hiring Counselor on WeekdayDoc by average advertised pay.

Of the 50 active Counselor listings this role was benchmarked against, 44% are remote, 32% have no call, 60% require no weekends.

Counselor pay on WeekdayDoc is down 3.3% vs. the prior quarter (through Aug 2026).

The cost-of-living index for Virginia is 101.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$72k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $71k in an average-cost state. 61.1% of Virginia clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

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Work-life snapshot

median 6.3this job 3.0
Better work-life than 20% of Counseling listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 13,314 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes call

Living in Falls Church

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$781k≈ 12.9× annual pay
Typical market rent
$2,574/mo≈ 51% of gross pay
Residents’ average commute
29 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
108.9
State income tax
Up to 5.8%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

BEA 2024 · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

Ratios use this listing’s gross annual pay. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

VI

About Virginia Information Technologies Agency

IT Services and IT Consulting
Richmond, VA
201-500 employees

Benefits & Perks

State employment benefits
Health insurance
Retirement plan