Activity Therapist
Bakersfield Behavioral Healthcare Hospital
Bakersfield, CAFull-time$34.85–47.56/hrPosted 7mo agoSeen in employer's feed 6 days ago
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At a glance
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Requirements
Credentials this posting asks for.
Job overview
Bakersfield Behavioral Healthcare Hospital is hiring an Activity Therapist. The Activity Therapist provides therapeutic interventions and recreational services to patients as a member of the interdisciplinary team. This role requires critical thinking, leadership, teamwork, and communication skills in a fast-paced environment. The hospital offers inpatient and outpatient services for mental/behavioral health, chemical dependency, and co-occurring disorders.
Key focus areas include Serve as a member of the interdisciplinary team, Provide therapeutic interventions to patients, and Provide recreational services to patients.
Successful candidates bring High School Diploma, Bachelor's In Relevant Field, and CTRS or RTC Certification. Important skills include Problem Solving, Leadership, Collaboration, Communication, Assessment, and Evaluation.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Benefits
Full job description
About Us
Bakersfield Behavioral Healthcare Hospital, located in Bakersfield, California, is an acute psychiatric and behavioral 90 bed facility situated on 8.8 acres.
We offer inpatient and outpatient services for children, adolescents and adults needing mental/behavioral health, chemical dependency; and co-occurring disorders treatment through our medically supervised detoxification.
Within our Workplace Community, BBHH is striving daily to be one of the BEST PLACES TO WORK not just here in Kern County, but throughout the Behavioral Healthcare Community.
By offering amazing benefits, encouraging individual growth and development, and incorporating our CARES values system into our daily operations, we are creating a workplace culture where people enjoy coming to work each day.
BBHH CARES about your experience as a candidate and we encourage you to apply to our open positions.
Compassion
Acceptance
Respect
Empowerment
Sincerity
Our progressive and dedicated healthcare team strives to change the lives of our patients and provide exceptional care.
This is a fast-paced environment that requires critical thinking, exceptional leadership, teamwork, and communication skills.
Job Summary
CTRS or RTC Required. Serve as a member of the interdisciplinary team, provide therapeutic interventions and recreational services to patients at the hospital. Minimum of 2 years experience in a healthcare, psychiatric care, and/or educational field. Inpatient psychiatric experience preferred. Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as psychology, therapeutic recreation, music therapy, art therapy, or occupational therapy with a recreation therapist certificate. Excellent communication, assessment, evaluation, and interpretation skills. Knowledge of psychiatric and substance use disorders and treatment; flexibility; teaching or training skills; understanding of and ability to apply DSM-V methodology.
CTRS/RTC wage range: $34.85/hr. - $47.56/hr.
+$2,000 Sign-on Bonus (Full-Time Employees Only)
Requirements
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
Simply put: HUMANS WHO CARE
Though we do need to meet some minimum requirements for the position such as a High School Diploma and an appropriate degree and certification as defined below, we're really looking for people who bring their HEART to work.
If you have previous experience in a mental healthcare hospital environment where your attention was focused on human behavior, psychiatry, psychology, or other mental healthcare situations, your application to this position will be moved to the shortlist of candidates.
Education
Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., psychology, recreational therapy, music therapy, art therapy, occupational therapy).
Minimum Work Experience
At least two (2) years experience with one (1) year in a behavioral or psychiatric setting preferred. Combination of education and experience acceptable
Required Licenses/Certifications
Must have CTRS or RTC
Benefits
Bakersfield Behavioral Healthcare Hospital is proud to offer a suite of benefits to those who join our workplace community.
*Benefits eligibility varies based on employment status (full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary, etc.).
Some of the benefits you can expect as a Full-Time employee include:
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Paid Time Off
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over THREE WEEKS of Paid Time Off in your first year!!!
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Life Insurance
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Short-Term Disability Insurance
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Long-Term Disability Insurance
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Medical Insurance
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Dental Insurance
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Vision Insurance
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Pet Insurance
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Accident Insurance
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401k Retirement Plan
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Discounted Meals
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Employee Assistance Program
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TUITION REIMBURSEMENT
How this job compares
Set against the 2,861 open Therapist jobs on Olive Jobs, counted October 27, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$34.85–47.56/hr
- California median$58–65/hr90 hourly ranges
- US median$45–55/hr827 hourly ranges
This range's midpoint, $41.21/hr, is 34% below the California median midpoint ($63/hr) — in the lowest quarter of Therapist hourly ranges in California.
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 165 open Therapist jobs in California and 2,861 across the US. 17% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in California
- Kaiser Permanente20 open
- Genesis Healthcare18 open
- University of Southern California12 open
- Experience
- This posting asks for at least 2 years of experience; Therapist postings that state a minimum ask for 2 years at the median (833 postings).
- Education
- This posting asks for a high school diploma; 2,007 of the 2,861 open Therapist jobs (70%) ask for a high school diploma or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on October 27, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.
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