Skip to content

Therapy & rehab

Recreational Therapist CTRS Required Per Diem

  • BLS

Open in 2 locations

College Medical Center posts this job separately for each location. Apply to the one where you can work: the unit, shifts, schedule and pay can differ between locations.

California

2 open

How this pay compares

This posting states $31 an hour. Open recreational therapist jobs in California post a median of $37.53 an hour, the middle half $31.97–$43.38, across 6 jobs that state their pay, so this one is below the middle half of what they post. Recreational therapists employed in California earn a median of $47.20 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025) (source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, opens in a new tab).

Recreational therapists in California: pay by town and employer

The Physical, Occupational, Speech & Respiratory Therapy job market: pay, applicant demand and hiring, researched nightly

About the job

HLB/Hawthorne Behavioral Health Campus is proud to be part of College Hospitals. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality of customer service, delivered with warmth, friendliness, and organizational pride. Join a team that values respect, flexibility, a tight-knit work environment, and the autonomy to utilize your knowledge and experience.

Job Summary

CHLB/Hawthorne Behavioral Health Campus is seeking a full-time Activity/Recreational Therapist (Music, Dance, Drama, Art & Recreational Therapy). This position supports the Mission of the Hospital through the provision of distinctive and compassionate care to our patients. The therapist implements and coordinates therapeutic activity programming for the adult inpatient population, evaluates and establishes individualized treatment plans, and documents patient progress toward goals and treatment in the medical record.

Job Qualifications

  • California Board of Recreation and Parks Certification: Recreation Therapist Certified (RTC) and/or National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification: Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS)
  • Current BLS for Healthcare Provider; must obtain CPI certification within 30 days of hire
  • Minimum six (6) months of experience in an acute psychiatric setting preferred.
  • Willingness to work weekends

Job-Specific Duties

  • Provide therapeutic activity services to adult psychiatric and mentally ill patients
  • Perform assessments, develop treatment plans, and provide group and individual therapy interventions
  • Plan, implement, and coordinate the Unit’s activity therapy program, including daily and special events, and provide in-services for staff involved in activity therapy
  • Conduct group and individual activity therapy sessions using sound group principles and techniques
  • Complete activity therapy evaluations and progress notes within prescribed timeframes and quality standards
  • Participate in multidisciplinary treatment team meetings
  • Demonstrate strong interviewing, assessment, documentation, and reporting skills
  • Utilize supervision and performance feedback to improve practice
  • Support referral development by communicating effectively with families and outside agencies, and participating in the Referral Development Committee
  • Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor

If you are passionate about making a difference and seeking a supportive team environment to grow your skills, we welcome your application.

Placement within the pay range is based on multiple factors, including but not limited to relevant years of experience and qualifications. In addition to base pay, there may be additional compensation available for CHLB roles, such as shift differentials and other special pay practices. The posted compensation for this position is a reasonable estimate that ranges from the lowest to the highest amount CHLB/Glendora Hospital, in good faith, believes it might pay for this job based on the circumstances at the time of posting.

Job Type: Per Diem

Benefits

  • 401(k)
  • 401(k) matching
  • Dental insurance
  • Health insurance
  • Life insurance
  • Paid time off
  • Vision insurance

License/Certification

  • CTRS (Required)

Work Location: In person

From College Medical Center's job posting for Hawthorne, CA, checked Oct 29, 2026. The employer's own page is the final word on requirements and availability.

Selected agencies hiring now

All agencies and apps →
  • Cross Country Healthcare logo

    Cross Country HealthcareTravel nursing agency

    A national staffing company placing travel nurses, allied professionals, therapists and locum tenens providers, with local and per diem work too.

    Places: Nurses, NPs & PAs, Doctors, CNAs & PCTs

  • Advantis Medical logo

    Advantis MedicalTravel nursing agency

    Places travel nurses and allied professionals on contracts across the US, with a bonus for new travelers who are referred.

    Places: Nurses, Allied health, Therapy & rehab, Imaging

These agencies and apps pay CareJobs.Now a referral fee when someone we introduce is placed or signs up. It costs you nothing and never changes your pay. Hospital and clinic jobs below keep their own order.

Sponsored

Sponsored jobs from job networks, which pay CareJobs.Now when you click one.

Free tools for this application: check your resume against this job, answer the application's questions or see every free tool.

New physical, occupational, speech and respiratory therapy jobs in California, by email

One email a week with the newest ones, straight from the employers' own careers sites, with the pay each posting states. Free, stop anytime.

About College Medical Center

College Medical Center is a hospital with an emergency department in Long Beach, CA. Its job board posts jobs for nurses, imaging techs and therapists. Source: Medicare Care Compare: College Medical Center

Based in Long Beach, CAHires in CaliforniaPay on its listings: 93.8% of its open jobs state an hourly rate

More open jobs at College Medical Center

More physical, occupational, speech and respiratory therapy jobs

A licensed therapist?

One profile for every employer here. Hospitals, clinics and care companies ask us for people with a specific license, specialty, language or schedule: add yours once, and when a job fits, we introduce you, only with your yes. Free.

Create my profile

College Medical Center openings, sent to you weekly

Each week we send the newest postings from College Medical Center's own careers site, along with similar openings at other hospitals and care employers. It costs nothing and you can stop anytime.