Creative Arts Therapist - San Mateo Medical Center (Open & Promotional)

San Mateo County Health - San Mateo Medical Center is seeking a qualified and compassionate Creative Arts and Recreation Therapist to develop, coordinate, and deliver evidence-based creative arts therapy services for patients across a variety of healthcare settings. This position provides therapeutic interventions that support patients' emotional, cognitive, physical, and social well-being through music and other creative arts modalities as part of an interdisciplinary treatment team.

The Creative Arts and Recreation Therapist will assess patient needs, develop individualized treatment plans, facilitate therapeutic group and individual sessions, and contribute to comprehensive patient care. This role serves diverse patient populations ranging from acute care, behavioral health, long-term care, and specialty treatment settings including inpatient and outpatient.

The current vacancy is a regular, full-time position. The assigned schedule is Tuesday through Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with potential holiday coverage as needed. The schedule may be adjusted based on departmental operational needs.

The ideal candidate is a compassionate, patient-centered clinician with strong therapeutic skills and experience working with adult and/or geriatric populations in healthcare or clinical environments. They are comfortable supporting patients with complex medical, cognitive, psychiatric, and behavioral health needs and can tailor interventions to individuals with varying levels of functioning.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• At least two years of hands-on therapeutic experience in a healthcare, behavioral health, long-term care, or comparable clinical setting.
• A strong background in music therapy, creative arts therapy, recreation therapy, therapeutic activities, or a closely related field.
• Experience working with adults and/or older adults, particularly individuals with medically complex conditions, dementia, cognitive impairment, psychiatric conditions, or behavioral health needs.
• Experience conducting patient assessments; establishing treatment goals; implementing therapeutic interventions; and evaluating patient outcomes.
• Experience facilitating both individual and group therapeutic sessions.
• Ability to modify activities for patients with physical, cognitive, communication, emotional, sensory, or behavioral limitations.
• Strong clinical documentation, report-writing, and electronic health record skills; experience using Epic is highly desirable.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with an interdisciplinary healthcare team.
• Sound clinical judgment, initiative, accountability, and the ability to navigate crucial or difficult conversations constructively.
• Flexibility to adjust priorities and provide services across assigned units based on patient and operational needs.
• Ability to work independently while maintaining a high standard of patient care, professionalism, and communication.

The following are also highly desirable:

• A master’s degree in Music Therapy, Creative Arts Therapy, Recreation Therapy, or a closely related field.
• Certification as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS).
• Advanced specialty certifications relevant to music therapy, creative arts therapy, recreation therapy, geriatric care, dementia care, or behavioral health.
• Experience using Epic or another electronic health record system.
• Experience providing therapeutic services in long-term care, inpatient psychiatric, acute care, outpatient, or other healthcare settings.

NOTE: The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, term, unclassified, and regular classified vacancies.Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Evaluate needs and interests of patients; define creative arts therapy goals; and plan individual therapy programs.
• Participate in multi-disciplinary meetings, case conferences and unit rounds to discuss patients' progress and coordinate creative arts therapy with other services.
• Supervise and conduct a variety of individual and group therapeutic activities.
• Lead adult therapy groups.
• Keep records and prepare reports.
• Order supplies and equipment.
• Supervise creative arts therapy interns.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Knowledge of:

• Principles, procedures, techniques, trends and literature of rehabilitation services.
• Special techniques of creative arts therapies, including those relating to mental disabilities.
• Scope and activities of private and public health and welfare agencies.
• Characteristics of mental, emotional and developmental disorders.
• Current trends in mental health, public health, and public welfare.
• Federal and state programs in mental health, public health, and public welfare.
• Creative arts therapy materials, tools and processes used in providing therapy services to psychiatric, physically disabled and geriatric patients.
• Physical and psychological problems of geriatric, physically disabled, psychiatric and medical patients.
• Behavioral disorders and theories of group management.

Skill/Ability to:

• Establish and maintain the confidence and cooperation of persons in therapy.
• Secure accurate clinical data and record such data systematically.
• Work with patients with communications dysfunctions.
• Write clear, accurate and concise reports.
• Interpret statistical data.
• Supervise, instruct and lead creative arts therapy activities.
• Integrate creative arts therapy activities with other medical and institutional programs.
• Work effectively with volunteers.
• Discuss patient activities and create interest and support for them with members of the community.
• Work without close supervision.

Education and Experience:
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is:

Open & Promotional. Anyone may apply.  Current County of San Mateo and County of San Mateo Superior Court of California employees with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, extra-help/limited term positions prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score on this examination.

The examination process will consist of an application screening (weight: pass/fail) based on the candidates' application and responses to the supplemental questions. Candidates who pass the application screening will be invited to a panel interview (weight: 100%). Depending on the number of applicants, an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations or further evaluation of work experience may be conducted to group applicants by level of qualification. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. All examinations will be given in San Mateo County, California and applicants must participate at their own expense.
 
IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button. If you are not on the County's website, please go to http://jobs.smcgov.org/ to apply. Responses to the supplemental questions must be submitted in addition to our regular employment application form. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required employment application and supplemental questionnaire. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date. 

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE

Final Filing Date: Tuesday. October 27, 2026 11:59PM PST
Application Screening: Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Combined Panel/Departmental Interviews: Week of Novemvber 9, 2026

About the County

San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California and serves a multitude of culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse communities.

The County of San Mateo, as an employer, is committed to advancing equity to ensure that all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment. The County seeks to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply. Eighty percent of employees surveyed stated that they would recommend the County as a great place to work.

The County of San Mateo is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion at all levels.

Analyst:  Debbie Kong (10132026) (Creative Arts Therapist - F029)