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Recreational Therapists
(SOC Code : 29-1125)
in California

Plan, direct, or coordinate medically-approved recreation programs for patients in hospitals, nursing homes, or other institutions. Activities include sports, trips, dramatics, social activities, and arts and crafts. May assess a patient condition and recommend appropriate recreational activity.

Employers are usually looking for candidates with a Bachelor's degree .
Occupational Wages[Top]
AreaYearPeriodHourly MeanHourly by Percentile
25thMedian75th
California 20231st Qtr$39.03$29.74$41.81$48.43

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")[Top]
 AreaEstimated Year-Projected YearEmploymentEmployment ChangeTotal Job Openings
EstimatedProjectedNumberPercent
California 2018 - 20281,7001,8001005.9950

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange[Top]
 
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Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)[Top]
Industry Title
Number of Employers in State of California
Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California
Nursing Care Facilities (Skilled4,41321.4%
General Medical and Surgical Hos1,47720.5%
Psychiatric and Substance Abuse1,73817.6%
Individual and Family Services37,2204.8%
Continuing Care Retirement Commu4,2534.3%
Outpatient Care Centers 10,3422.8%
Residential Intellectual and Dev1041.8%

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Training Programs (click on title for more information)[Top]
Program Title
Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy

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About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)[Top]
Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)
Conduct therapy sessions to improve patients` mental and physical well-being.
Observe, analyze, and record patients` participation, reactions, and progress during treatment sessions, modifying treatment programs as needed.
Plan, organize, direct and participate in treatment programs and activities to facilitate patients` rehabilitation, help them integrate into the community and prevent further medical problems.
Develop treatment plan to meet needs of patient, based on needs assessment, patient interests and objectives of therapy.
Prepare and submit reports and charts to treatment team to reflect patients` reactions and evidence of progress or regression.
Obtain information from medical records, medical staff, family members and the patients themselves to assess patients` capabilities, needs and interests.
Counsel and encourage patients to develop leisure activities.
Instruct patient in activities and techniques, such as sports, dance, music, art or relaxation techniques, designed to meet their specific physical or psychological needs.
Confer with members of treatment team to plan and evaluate therapy programs.
Encourage clients with special needs and circumstances to acquire new skills and get involved in health-promoting leisure activities, such as sports, games, arts and crafts, and gardening.

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Top Skills used in this Job
Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others` reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others` reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others` reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

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Top Abilities (Attributes of the person that influence performance in this job.)
Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

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Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)
Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.
Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

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Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)
Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Artistic - Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

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Alternate Titles
Activity Coordinators; Activity Directors; Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists; Recreation Therapists; Rehabilitation Therapists; Therapeutic Recreation Specialists
 
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