Rehabilitation Therapist, State Facilities (Safety) (Various Specialties) Consolidated Series

California State Personnel Board Specification

Series established August 1, 2000

Scope

This consolidated series specification describes classes used by the Department of Developmental Services, Department of Mental Health, or at correctional facilities or psychiatric outpatient clinics contracting with the Department of Mental Health for diagnostic and treatment services, which are concerned with providing psychological services in a health facility for forensic clients, patients, or inmates who are developmentally or mentally disordered offenders. These classes provide rehabilitative programs and services through appropriate forensic client/patient/inmate assessment, treatment, service planning, therapeutic activities, discharge planning, and community reintegration by using the principles and practices of these disciplines to develop, maintain, or restore physical, emotional, and social competencies. Specific classes have been established for the following specialties:

Definition of Series

Persons in this series of specialty classes apply therapeutic habilitation/rehabilitation knowledge, skill enhancement activities, and techniques to the problems of developmental, mental, or physical disordered offenders.

Distinguishing Characteristics

This consolidated series of classes is distinguished from the classes in the Rehabilitation Therapist, State Facilities, consolidated class series by the custody requirements imposed by the criminal nature of the forensic client, patient, or inmate population and by the security features of correctional facilities, developmental centers, and State hospitals.

Typical Tasks

Assess individual needs and interests, determine appropriate habilitative/rehabilitative objectives, and develop activities to meet these objectives; conduct various forms of group and individual therapy; evaluate and document forensic client/patient/inmate response and progress; may work with other members of the interdisciplinary team to reinforce other treatment modalities; may participate in interdisciplinary team conferences regarding the habilitative/rehabilitative needs of the forensic client/patient/inmate; may work with volunteers and student interns in rehabilitative therapy; and observe and intervene in instances of disruptive or assaultive behavior.

Assist staff in the counting, distribution, and accounting for all items to prevent their use as weapons; inspecting facility to identify security breaches that could lead to forensic client, patient, or inmate escape; observing and intervening in forensic client, patient, or inmate behavior that may signal an impending escape attempt; and periodic escorting of forensic clients, patients, or inmates to other areas of the facility.

While all Rehabilitation Therapists will be involved in a wide range of habilitative and rehabilitative services, assignments will, to the greatest extent possible, be to positions requiring training and experience in a specific discipline such as:

Art

Uses the art process and product as reflections of an individual's developments, abilities, personality, concerns, and potential; provides a range of services, assessment, and treatment using specialized art therapy techniques. Art therapy is a service performed with individuals, groups, or families for the purpose of achieving more adequate, satisfying, and productive life adjustments.

Dance

Uses body movement and dance as the process in therapeutic intervention, specifically directed toward gaining insight into problematic behavior and toward expanding an individual's freedom of movement, flexibility, and coordination; provides opportunity for expression and communication of feelings, needs, and conflicts; and facilitates positive change in body image.

Music

Uses music media and activities to provide a nonthreatening, self-motivating experience to assist an individual in relating to the immediate environment, the self, and the community; and provides an atmosphere compatible to behavioral change, self-expression, and nonverbal and verbal communications.

Occupational

Uses various treatment modalities including self-help skills, language and educational techniques as well as sensory motor integration, physical restoration methods, and prevocational explorations to facilitate physical and psychosocial growth and development.

Recreation

Uses self-motivating, recreational activities to improve functioning and independence as well as to reduce or eliminate the effects of illness or disability and to restore, remediate, or rehabilitate motor skills, social skills, sensory functioning, and acceptable social behavior; and provides resident recreation and leisure counseling to enable the patient/inmate to appropriately manage his/her leisure lifestyle.

Minimum Qualifications

All Therapists:

Completion of an approved clinical internship in the appropriate rehabilitation specialty in an approved hospital or rehabilitation center affiliated with the college.

(Individuals who are registered or certified with the appropriate therapy association but who have not completed a clinical internship because it was not a component of the academic program at the time are required to have completed a minimum of two years' full-time paid experience in a clinical, residential, or community-based setting after receipt of the required degree to be admitted into the exam.)

Art

Possession of a Master's Degree in Art Therapy or in Art with emphasis in Art Therapy, or registration with the American Art Therapy Association, or eligibility for such registration.

Dance

Possession of a Master's Degree in Dance Therapy, or registration with the American Dance Therapy Association, or eligibility for such registration.

Music

Equivalent to graduation from a recognized college with major work in music therapy, or registration with the American Music Therapy Association, or eligibility for such registration.

Occupational

Equivalent to graduation from a recognized college with major work in occupational therapy, or certification as an occupational therapist registered by the American Occupational Therapy Association, or eligibility for such certification.

Recreation

Equivalent to graduation from a recognized college with major work in therapeutic recreation, or in recreation with an emphasis in therapeutic recreation, or certification as a registered recreator with specialization in therapeutic recreation by the California Board of Park and Recreation personnel, or the National Therapeutic Recreation Society, or eligibility for such certification. (Registration as a senior in a recognized institution will admit applicants into the exam, but they must produce evidence of graduation or its equivalent before being considered eligible for appointment.)

Knowledge and Abilities

All Therapists:

Knowledge of: (With particular reference to their therapeutic specialty) the principles, procedures, techniques, trends, and literature of rehabilitation services, especially those relating to developmental, mental, or physical disordered offenders; the process of restoration, maintenance, and development of capabilities; principles of mental health education; scope and activities of private and public health and welfare agencies; characteristics of mental, emotional, physical, and developmental disorders; current trends in mental health, public health, and public welfare; Federal and State programs in these fields.

Ability to: Utilize and effectively apply required technical knowledge; establish and maintain the confidence and cooperation of persons contacted in the work; secure accurate clinical data and record such data systematically; compose clear, accurate, and concise reports; interpret statistical data; analyze situations accurately and take effective action; communicate effectively.

Special Personal Characteristics

All Therapists:

An interest and a willingness to work at developmental centers, State hospitals, or correctional facilities contracting with the Department of Mental Health for diagnostic and treatment services; sympathetic and objective understanding of the problems of developmentally, mentally, or physically disordered offenders; tolerance; tact; patience; and emotional stability.

Special Physical Characteristics

All Therapists:

Possession and maintenance of sufficient strength, agility, and endurance to perform during physically, mentally, and emotionally stressful and emergency situations encountered on the job without endangering their own health and well-being or that of their fellow employees, forensic clients, patients, inmates, or the public.

Drug Testing Requirement

All Therapists:

Applicants for positions in these classes are required to pass a drug-screening test. (The drug-screening test will be waived for employees who are currently in a designated "sensitive" class for which drug testing is required under State Personnel Board Rule 213.)

Class History

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* NOTE: This was approved as an SPB Staff Item on December 8,

2000.