REHABILITATION THERAPIST - F/C - 60009380

Requisition No: 813364 

Agency: Children and Families

Working Title: REHABILITATION THERAPIST - F/C - 60009380

Position Number: 60009380 

Salary:  $32,760-$42,000 Annually 

Posting Closing Date: 05/02/2024 

The Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) is the state of Florida’s social services agency. The agency oversees services for child safety, fostering, adoption, domestic violence, adult protective services, refugees, homelessness, mental health, substance abuse, childcare providers, human trafficking and public assistance. The agency’s mission is to work in partnership with local communities to protect the vulnerable, promote strong and economically self-sufficient families, and advance personal and family recovery and resiliency.

Within DCF, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health (SAMH) Program office is recognized as the single state authority for substance abuse and mental health services. The Office of SAMH is statutorily responsible for the planning, evaluation, and implementation of a comprehensive statewide system of care for the prevention, treatment, and recovery of children and adults with serious mental illnesses or substance use disorders.

North Florida Evaluation and Treatment Center (NFETC) is a 216 bed, all male, forensic, mental health rehabilitation facility. The Center is located in northeast Gainesville, Florida on 639 picturesque acres with regular sightings of deer, turkey and other wildlife. NFETC employs a variety of entry level to leadership positions including food service, maintenance, direct care, nurses, counselors, rehab therapists, medical doctors, security, psychiatrists, and psychologists.

NORTH FLORIDA EVALUATION AND TREATMENT FACILITY IS A TOBACCO FREE FACILITY.

TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION RESPONSES TO THE QUALIFYING QUESTIONS ARE REQUIRED AND MUST BE VERIFIABLE BASED ON YOUR SUBMITTED APPLICATION.

This is a highly responsible and professional position that will serve as Rehabilitation Therapist F/C. This position will collaborate with each section within the state facilities and be required to use independent judgement, take initiative in carrying out duties and responsibilities and should be extraordinarily detail oriented. 

Specific Duties and Responsibilities include:

• Works with the Rehabilitation Therapy Services Team in the development and delivery of a Therapeutic Activities Program including but not limited to the following, in order of priority: Competency Restoration, NGI Groups, Substance Abuse Education, Basic Adult Education, Anger Management, Conflict Resolution, Music, Horticulture, Arts & Crafts and Recreational activities designed primarily to complement and enhance the resident's recovery goals, as identified in the resident's recovery plan. Competency restoration and other clinical/recovery modules will be the primary focus of Rehabilitation Therapy Services. This position involves direct contact with residents a minimum of 75% of the time.
• Plan, coordinate and facilitate Center-wide recreational and social activities and events, designed to identify and reduce discharge barriers, model and promote appropriate social interaction skills and enhance overall health and wellness.
• Document observations and progress by completing and posting to the resident's building chart, (and / or appropriate database) required progress notes, event notes and incident reports as required.
• Assist in the development and implementation of individualized therapeutic recreational and social programs for implementation by building staff for use when residents are not able to participate in the center-wide Therapeutic Activities Program.
• Requisition and maintain recreational equipment and supplies and promote the safe and secure utilization of all equipment by staff and residents.
• Complete current training required by the facility within required timeframes.
• Performs other related duties as assigned. The job duties listed above are not intended to be a comprehensive list of duties and responsibilities of the position. The omission of a specific job function does not absolve an employee from being required to perform additional tasks incidental to or inherent in the job. Performance of lower level duties may be required.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities required for the position:

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of one of the allied health field disciplines or one of the rehabilitative sciences.
• Knowledge of interviewing techniques.
• Ability to interview clients to identify needs.
• Ability to plan and conduct rehabilitation therapy programs.
• Ability to prepare reports.
• Ability to plan, organize and coordinate work assignments.
• Ability to write evaluation and progress reports.
• Ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in an allied health field; one of the behavioral or rehabilitative sciences, music therapy, music education, or music, physical education with course work in adaptive physical education, vocational education, sociology; trades and arts education, industrial arts education, leisure studies with course work in therapeutic recreation, or horticulture therapy is preferred.

Preference will be given to applicants who have:

• Five years mental health experience.

Benefits of Working for the State of Florida:

• Health insurance
• Life insurance; $25,000 policy is free plus option to purchase additional life insurance
• Dental, vision and supplemental insurance
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions
  • (For more information, please click www.myfrs.com);
• Nine paid holidays and one Personal Holiday each year;
• Flexible Spending Accounts;
• Opportunities for career advancement
• Tuition waiver for public college courses

For a more complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.

DCF EMPLOYMENT DISCLOSURES

US CITIZEN REQUIREMENT Only US citizens and lawfully authorized alien workers will be hired.

SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM REGISTRATION All selected male candidates born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion into an authorized position unless they are registered with the Selective Service System (SSS).  Verification of Selective Service registration will be conducted prior to hire.  For more information, please visit the SSS website: http://www.sss.gov.

RETIREE NOTICE If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida. Your current retirement benefits may be suspended or voided, and you required to repay all benefits received depending upon the date of your retirement.

BACKGROUND SCREENING It is the policy of the Florida Department of Children and Families that any applicant being considered for employment must successfully complete a State and National criminal history check as a condition of employment before beginning employment, and, if applicable, also be screened in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, F.S., and Chapter 408, F.S.  No applicant may begin employment until the background screening results are received, reviewed for any disqualifying offenses, and approved by the Agency.  Background screening shall include, but not be limited to, fingerprinting for State and Federal criminal records checks through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and may include local criminal history checks through local law enforcement agencies.

#SAMH

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE.  Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply.  Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements.  Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code.  Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here.  All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.