REHABILITATION THERAPIST LEAD

CounselorFull-Time

Listed compensation

$26/hour

Listing transparency2 of 6 stated

Ask the employer about the work setting, call expectations and weekend coverage.

Employment & setting
Full-Time
Call expectations
Not specified
Weekends
Not specified
Posted 1h ago · Verified live

Job Description

DEPT of Health Services

THE ARIZONA STATE HOSPITAL (ASH) PROVIDES INPATIENT PSYCHIATRIC CARE TO PERSONS WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS WHO NEED LONG-TERM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CARE. ASH PROMOTES HOPE AND WELLNESS FOR OUR PATIENTS AND CREATES OPPORTUNITIES TO

Participate in Planning, Delivering and Evaluating Services That Assist With

RECOVERY. TREATMENT IS INDIVIDUALIZED WITH GOALS THAT FOCUS ON EDUCATION ABOUT AN ILLNESS, INSTILLING HOPE AND IMPROVING ONE'S OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE. THE ARIZONA STATE HOSPITAL HAS A WIDE RANGE OF POSITIONS AVAILABLE, FROM OUR DIRECT

Care Staff, Nurses and Behavioral Health Technicians to Social Workers,

REHABILITATION SPECIALIST AND SECURITY TO NAME A FEW. THE ARIZONA STATE HOSPITAL ALSO OFFERS 12 HOUR SHIFTS FOR OUR DIRECT CARE STAFF AS WELL AS SOME ALTERNATIVE WORK SCHEDULES, FLEXIBLE HOURS FOR NON-DIRECT CARE STAFF. WE OFFER A ROBUST

Benefit Package, Including the ADHS Student Loan Assistance Program Where

ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES CAN RECEIVE UP TO $300.00 PER MONTH FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING STUDENT LOANS. COME CHECK US OUT AND SEE HOW YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE

Lives of All Arizonans.

Recreational Therapist 3

Job Location

Arizona State Hospital

ADDRESS:  501 N. 24TH STREET PHOENIX, AZ 85008

Posting Details

SALARY: $25.6478

Grade: 18

Closing DATE: Open Until Filled

Job Summary

This position is eligible for a $5,000 hiring incentive.

The Recreational Therapist 3 is involved in planning, implementing, coordinating, and evaluating therapy programs for assigned work unit consisting of one or more special population groups which may involve supervising professional and/or paraprofessional staff. This position also provides direct therapy and/or instructing others in techniques of treatment and activities of continued care, performs public awareness and informational activities, maintains records, and prepares reports.

Job Duties

  • Planning, organizing and implementing recreational rehabilitation therapy treatment services both on and off-campus (as appropriate)
  • Conducting individual and group therapeutic treatment modalities, including escorting patients to and from therapy sessions in addition to being certified as a 12- passenger van driver
  • Evaluates patients and completes recreational therapy assessments on a referral basis.
  • Documents treatment plans, progress notes, and discharge summaries in patient records as needed.
  • Attends and reports on patient progress in the interdisciplinary treatment planning and review conferences
  • Consults with interdisciplinary team members, as appropriate regarding individual patient care.
  • Collaborates/provides partnership with community agency caregivers (as defined) and represents the Hospital in a positive and professional manner.
  • Monitors patients' educational and community agency participation progress in collaboration without community agency providers.
  • Submits written and verbal reports as defined which may include formal employee evaluation, training and personnel documentation.
  • Participates in special projects and hospital wide committee membership.
  • Maintains office equipment, facility environment in a clean, safe and orderly manner.
  • Perform oversight & team lead special projects within the rehabilitation therapy department. Will supervise subordinate level professional and para-professional rehabilitation therapy staff members.
  • Other duties as assigned as related to the position

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs)

  • Principles, practices, and techniques of specific rehabilitation therapy profession as well as scope and defined practice principles of credentialed discipline
  • Mental health principles and techniques involved in the treatment of mental health patients
  • Therapeutic practices and techniques of group and individual activities used in therapy
  • Principles, practices, techniques, and code of ethics of the professional certification/license/registration of their individual discipline
  • Policies and procedures for the Hospital and practice protocols for the Rehabilitation Therapy Department, van safety, safe food handling practices, principles of professional assault, and recovery concepts; process and communication philosophy principles and practices
  • Performance Management (PM), and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and Lean methodologies
  • Applying therapeutic techniques including assessment of functional skills, developing treatment goals with the patient based on their strengths and needs, i. e., social, emotional, cognitive, physical and vocational
  • Establishing therapeutic relationships and motivating patients
  • Therapeutic activity design, planning, implementation and evaluation
  • Oral and written communication and documentation of progress notes in health records
  • Process and communication philosophy principles and procedures.
  • Assess patient's needs as well as develop treatment plans and goals
  • Plan, carry out, and evaluate treatment programs
  • Write patient's progress towards goals and objectives
  • Interpret and apply hospital rules, regulations, policies and procedures and protocols
  • Establish positive therapeutic relationships with patients
  • Implement and serve as lead to patient work activities
  • Establish and maintain positive and effective working relationships with all hospital personnel
  • Develop effective patient treatment modalities
  • Implement recover concepts, process and communication philosophy principles and practices
  • Drive up to a 12-passenger van
  • Required to perform work at/attend meetings at alternate locations and/or travel when necessary.
  • Support a diverse multi-cultural workforce that reflects the community, promotes equal opportunity at all levels of public employment, and creates an inclusive work environment that enables all individuals to perform to their fullest potential free from discrimination

Selective Preference(s)

The Ideal Candidate Will Have

  • Bachelor's degree and required certification with 2 years of healthcare experience.
  • Preference will be given to a candidate that is a certified lifeguard.
  • Master's degree will substitute for 1 year of experience along with the required certification.

Pre-Employment Requirements

  • Requires certification as a Recreational Therapist by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation (NCTRC) or be sit eligible to take the certification exam with the goal of becoming a Certified Recreational Therapist (CTRS) within 6 months after hire or specific Health related field credential. (Music Therapist
  • Board Certified, MT-BC; Art Therapist Registered, ATR; Occupational Therapist, OTR/L; Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA/L) along with a Bachelor's degree. Note, and Art Therapist Registered requires a Master's Degree
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain CPR and NVCI certification
  • A State Hospital employee must be able to obtain a valid Level One Fingerprint Clearance Card pursuant to A. R. S. § 41-1758.07.

Driving is required for State Business.

  • Employees who drive on state business require possession of and the ability to retain a current, valid state-issued driver’s license appropriate to the assignment. Employees who drive on state business are subject to driver’s license checks, must maintain acceptable driving records and must complete any driver training (See Arizona Administrative Code R2-10-207.11).

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements.

[https://publicstorage.dc4.pageuppeople.com/1045/ClientPublicFile/3601803f-02e5-4b70-b325-26c8ef309c1b.pdf]

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

Benefits

The State of Arizona provides an excellent comprehensive benefits package

Including

− Affordable medical and dental insurance plans

− Paid vacation and sick time

− 10 paid holidays per year

− Wellness program and plans

− Life insurance

− Short/long-term disability insurance

− Defined retirement plan

− Award winning Infant at Work program

− Credit union membership

− Transit subsidy

− ADHS Student Assistance Pilot Program

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave pilot program here

[https://hr.az.gov/about/resources/family-leave-expansion]. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page [https://benefitoptions.az.gov/jobseekers]

Retirement

To help you build a financially secure future, the State makes monthly contributions to finance your retirement benefit. The State will make a contribution to the ASRS in an amount equal to your contribution. In other words, you and the State will each pay 50% of the total cost of the benefit. New State employees have a 27 week wait period for contributions to begin.

Contact Us

Arizona State Government is an EOE/ADA Reasonable Accommodation Employer.

Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation such as a sign language interpreter or an alternative format by calling (602) 220-6462.

Requests should be made as early as possible to allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation. DHS is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All newly hired employees will be subject to E-Verify Employment Eligibility Verification.

Key Responsibilities

The Recreational Therapist 3 plans, implements, and evaluates therapeutic programs for special population groups while supervising professional and paraprofessional staff. They also conduct individual and group therapy sessions, maintain patient records, and collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to support patient recovery.

Requirements

Candidates must hold a bachelor's degree and relevant professional certification, such as CTRS, with at least two years of healthcare experience. The role requires the ability to obtain CPR, NVCI, and Level One Fingerprint Clearance certifications, as well as a valid driver's license.

Qualifications

Education
Bachelor degree
Experience
2+ years of experience

Certifications

Board Certification

Key Skills

Mental health treatmentPatient assessmentCrisis interventionTeam leadershipStaff supervisionInterdisciplinary collaborationVan driving

Counselor Career Context

Arizona Department of Administration ranks #14 of 16 employers hiring Counselor on WeekdayDoc by average advertised pay.

Of the 50 active Mental Health Therapy listings this role was benchmarked against, 34% are remote, 32% have no call, 72% require no weekends.

The cost-of-living index for Arizona is 100.7 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)), so the posted ~$49k midpoint carries the purchasing power of roughly $48k in an average-cost state. 60.3% of Arizona clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

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Salary Distribution26 jobs · 19 employers

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Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks25 jobs · 19 employers

401k / retirement match
88% this job
CME allowance
48%
Sign-on bonus
36% this job
Loan repayment
28% this job
PSLF eligible
4%

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Work-life snapshot

4.8/ 10
Listing-based score

Living in Phoenix

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$406k
Typical market rent
$1,574/mo
Residents’ average commute
26 min
Metro price indexU.S. average = 100
103.3
State income tax
Up to 2.5%
Sources & methodology

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

BEA 2024 · Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro prices. Housing figures are city-level.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.

Arizona Department of Administration logo

About Arizona Department of Administration

Government Administration
Phoenix, AZ
1,001-5,000 employees

Benefits & Perks

$5,000 hiring incentive
Affordable medical and dental insurance plans
Paid vacation and sick time
10 paid holidays per year
Wellness program and plans
Life insurance
Short/long-term disability insurance
Defined retirement plan