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Certified Recreational Therapist

Ascension Health

Chicago, ILPer Diem$27.7–40.5/hrSeen 4w agoSeen in employer's feed 1w ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$27.7–40.5/hr
Location
Chicago, IL
Schedule
Per Diem
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

BLS Provider CertificationTherapeutic Recreation Certification

Job overview

The Certified Recreational Therapist works in Ascension Saint Joseph’s adult inpatient units in Chicago. The role conducts patient assessments, establishes recreational and leisure therapy goals, evaluates patient progress and interventions, coordinates group activities, and shares community resources. The schedule is day shift, PRN, Sunday through Thursday. A therapeutic recreation certification is required; BLS must be obtained within 30 days of hire or transfer.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Patient AssessmentTreatment Goal SettingProgress EvaluationTherapeutic RecreationGroup Activity Coordination

Qualifications

BLS Provider CertificationRecreation Therapist CredentialHigh School+2 Yrs or Associate's or 4 YrsTherapeutic Recreation Certification

Benefits

401(k) Match

Full job description

Your future role at a glance

  • Location: Chicago, IL

  • Facility: Ascension Saint Joseph

  • Department: Adult Inpatient Units

  • Schedule: Day shift | PRN | Sunday - Thursday

How you’ll make an impact in this role

  • Conduct patient assessments and establish recreational/leisure therapy treatment goals.

  • Evaluate each patient's progress and the effectiveness of recreational/leisure therapy interventions.

  • Coordinate therapeutic recreational/leisure activities for both large and small groups.

  • Provide the patient with information regarding resources and therapeutic recreational/leisure activities in the community.

What minimum requirements you’ll need

Licensure / Certification / Registration:

  • BLS Provider obtained within 1 Month (30 days) of hire date or job transfer date required. American Heart Association or American Red Cross accepted.

  • Therapist specializing in Recreation credentialed from the National Council for TherapeuticRecreation Certification preferred.

Education:

  • High School diploma equivalency with 2 years of cumulative experience OR Associate'sdegree/Technical degree OR 4 years of applicable cumulative job specific experience required.

Additional Preferences:

  • Therapeutic Recreation Certification required

Benefits that help you thrive

  • Retirement: 403(b) plan

  • Well-being support: Employee Assistance Program, counseling and peer support, spiritual care and stress management resources

Life at Ascension: Where purpose meets opportunity

Ascension is a leading nonprofit Catholic health system with a culture and associate experience grounded in service, growth, care and connection. We empower our 99,000+ associates to bring their skills and expertise every day to reimagining healthcare, together. Recognized as one of the Best 150+ Places to Work in Healthcare and a Military-Friendly Gold Employer, you'll find an inclusive and supportive environment where your contributions truly matter.

Equal employment opportunity employer

Ascension provides Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) to all associates and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex/gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, lactation, breastfeeding, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, all as defined by applicable law, and any other legally protected status or characteristic in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. For further information, view the EEO Know Your Rights (English) (https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088\_EEOC\_KnowYourRights6.12.pdf) poster or EEO Know Your Rights (Spanish) (https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088\_EEOC\_KnowYourRightsSp6.12.pdf) poster.

Fraud prevention notice

Prospective applicants should be vigilant against fraudulent job offers and interview requests. Scammers may use sophisticated tactics to impersonate Ascension employees. To ensure your safety, please remember: Ascension will never ask for payment or to provide banking or financial information as part of the job application or hiring process, our legitimate email communications will always come from an @ascension.org email address; do not trust other domains, and an official offer will only be extended to candidates who have completed a job application through our authorized applicant tracking system.

E-Verify statement

Employer participates in the Electronic Employment Verification Program. Please click here (https://www.e-verify.gov/about-e-verify) for more information.

Min Salary: 27.70

Max Salary 40.50

How this job compares

Set against the 2,877 open Therapist jobs on Olive Jobs, counted October 28, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$27.7–40.5/hr
  • US median$45–55/hr831 hourly ranges

This range's midpoint, $34.10/hr, is 34% below the US median midpoint ($52/hr) — in the lowest quarter of Therapist hourly ranges across the US.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 48 open Therapist jobs in Illinois and 2,877 across the US. 17% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Illinois
Experience
Therapist postings that state a minimum ask for 2 years of experience at the median; the middle half ask for 1 to 2 years (833 postings).
Education
1,929 of the 2,877 open Therapist jobs (67%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on October 28, 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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