Recreational Therapist - Per Diem

View Behavioral Health LLC; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 32,000 - 41,000; Part time

Job summary

View Behavioral Health LLC in Long Beach, CA seeks a per diem Recreational Therapist to plan, develop, and implement therapeutic activities for adults in an acute inpatient program.

The role requires a bachelor's degree in a related field, 2+ years of direct service experience, and active CPR/BLS/First Aid certification or ability to obtain within 90 days. Bilingual English/Spanish is a plus; per diem shifts cover weekdays, weekends and holidays.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in occupational, therapeutic recreation, art, music, or drama therapy.
• Direct service experience in acute behavioral health inpatient setting (2+ years) preferred.
• CPR/BLS/First Aid certification or ability to obtain within 90 days.
• Ability to communicate clearly in English; bilingual in Spanish a plus.

Responsibilities

• Plan, develop, and implement therapeutic recreational activities.
• Monitor patient safety during activities and groups.
• Document patient progress and treatment plans in the EHR.
• Coordinate with multidisciplinary team for discharge planning and goals.
• Supervise RT interns and support staff.
• Attend treatment planning meetings and adapt activities to patient needs.

Skills

Fluent English

Bilingual English/Spanish

Team collaboration

EHR documentation

MS Office (Word/Excel/Teams)

Education

Bachelor's degree in therapeutic recreation or related field

Tools

EHR systems

Slack/Zoom

Job description

Recreational Therapist - Per Diem

View Behavioral Health LLC Long Beach, California, United States

About this position

About View Behavioral Health

We are proud to serve as a trusted resource for our community, providing high-quality mental health care with compassion and integrity. Our Long Beach facility currently operates as a 79-bed adult voluntary acute inpatient program, offering private rooms and individualized treatment delivered by a multidisciplinary team. We are dedicated to best practices and person-centered care, supporting each patient's journey toward stability and recovery. To promote continuity of care beyond inpatient treatment, we also offer Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) programs tailored to meet each individual's clinical needs. We are also actively expanding our services across Southern California, with our new San Bernardino campus expected to open in early 2026.

Per Diem available: Weekdays, Weekends, and Holiday availabilityrequired

Shift Hours: 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Location: Long Beach, CA

Position Overview

The Activity, Recreational, or Occupational Therapist functions under the Director of Social Services to plan, develop, coordinate, and implement therapeutic treatment programs and activities tailored to meet the needs and interests of each patient in the facility.

Key Responsibilities

• Implement rehabilitation activity groups for patients as needed.
• Monitor patients safety during hygiene and activity groups.
• Conduct activity groups and services of the Recreation Therapy Treatment Program, including assessments, group notes, 1:1 sessions, treatment planning, and discharge planning.
• Maintain quality verbal reporting and written documentation of patient involvement and progress.
• Coordinate treatment and unit activities with other programs and multidisciplinary staff.
• Monitor safety and order inrehabilitationgroup rooms and unit areas.
• Provide feedback on department and program policies and procedures.
• Represent Recreation Therapy on facility committees and in interactions with patients’ families and support systems.
• Document admissions, discharges, group participation, and complete screenings and treatment plan interventions within required timeframes.
• Attend multidisciplinary treatment planning meetings.
• Provide individual leisure counseling and discharge planning as needed.
• Complete data collection for performance improvement activities.
• Keep assigned areas clean, orderly, and safe.
• Supervise and advise RT interns.
• Work designated holidays as required.

Qualifications

• Ability to read, write, and communicate fluently in English
• Bachelor’s degree in occupational, therapeutic recreation, art, music, or drama therapy required.
• Minimum of two (2) years of direct service experience working with acute behavioral health in an inpatient hospital setting (internship or practicum hours may be considered)
• Demonstrated ability to remain calm, composed, and effective in high-stress or crisis situations.
• Strong teamwork and collaboration skills across disciplines and departments.
• Proficiency in the use of computers and standard keyboard functions for data entry and electronic documentation
• Current CPR, BLS, and First Aid certification, or ability to obtain within 90 days of employment
• Demonstrate understandingand becompliant with Patients' Rights, LPS Statutes, and Seclusion and Restraint Protocols.
• Experience using Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems for documentation and coordination of care
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Teams) and/or cloud-based communication platforms (e.g., Slack, Zoom)
• Bilingual in English and Spanish, or other languages commonly spoken by the patient population
• Familiarity with trauma-informed care principles and culturally responsive practices
• Depending on assignment of position may be required to work in a locked unit with juveniles, formerly incarcerated, and individuals assigned to guardianship who have complex social, and psycho-social needs; may be assigned to evening or night shift, assigned to work weekends, and to work holidays as needed as Ocean View is a 24-hour, 7 day a week facility and coverage is essential; environment can be noisy and sporadically chaotic, and may be exposed to hostile patients and profanity.

Special Conditions

• Employment is contingent upon successful completion of Live Scan fingerprinting, background check clearance, and verification of required licenses, certifications, and education
• Satisfactory completion of professional reference checks
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States; Ocean View does not provide visa sponsorship for certain roles unless otherwise specified
• Compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, including California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), The Joint Commission, and HIPAA standards
• Compliance with all required health screenings and immunizations in accordance with regulatory guidelines and facility policy, which may include tuberculosis (TB) testing, N95 fit testing, annual trainings, and proof of vaccination for certain communicable diseases
• Availability to work evenings, weekends, holidays, or variable shifts as needed, based on operational or patient care needs

The pay range for this role is:
23 - 29.50 USD per hour(Long Beach)