Job Description

Posting number: Y5858I

Department: HEALTH SERVICES

Job classification: OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY ASSISTANT

Posting type: Open

Categories: Health Services

Summary

EXAM NUMBER

Y5858I

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT

We welcome applications from anyone.

WHEN TO APPLY

The application filing period will begin on September 29, 2026, at 12:30 p.m. (PT) – Continuous. We will keep accepting applications until the position is filled. The application window may close unexpectedly once we have enough qualified candidates.

ABOUT LOS ANGELES COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES:

LA Health Services is LA County’s integrated healthcare system and the second-largest public health system in the nation. Our system includes four public hospitals, more than 20 community health centers, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Correctional Health Services, and community-based programs that connect people to care where they are.

We serve as the safety net for more than 10 million residents, providing care regardless of ability to pay, insurance coverage, or immigration status. As one connected system, we deliver extraordinary care—from prevention and primary care to emergency, specialty, trauma, and recovery services across Los Angeles County.

With more than 2.9 million visits annually and a workforce of over 23,000 dedicated staff, LA Health Services is proud to deliver high-quality, compassionate, and accessible care to everyone, no matter how they come through our doors.

Explore our one system of hospitals and community health centers: Our Locations – Health Services Los Angeles County

The Mission

To advance the health of our patients and our communities by providing extraordinary care.

Check Out Our Outstanding Benefits!

We offer one of the strongest public-sector benefits packages in the country. Join us and discover a rich selection of health care options, robust retirement plans and the flexibility to work, relax and rejuvenate as you reach your fullest personal and professional potential. Click here to see comprehensive information regarding County employee benefits.

ABOUT THE POSITION:

The Occupational Therapy Assistant performs occupational therapy procedures to help acute or rehabilitative patients with mental or physical disabilities attain, regain, or maintain physical or mental functioning, and performs structured assessments and screenings.

Examples of duties

What You'll Be Doing:

• Assists occupational therapists in patient evaluation by performing standardized gross evaluation procedures including range of motion measurement, grasp and pinch measurement, and homemaking checkout. Performs a variety of functional tests to assess patients’ self-care level. Engages patients in targeted exercises or exercises developed to explore their interests, therapy needs, performance capacities, and physical and/or mental limitations.
• Facilitates patient participation in therapy activities by discussing with patients their goals and treatment objectives, selecting specific tasks or activities most appropriate to patients' needs and interests, and encouraging and motivating patients to participate in the treatment program.
• Advances the patients through progressively more difficult or strenuous activities, and modifies activities based upon observations of the patients' developmental stage, performance, and interest.
• Implements treatment procedures to stimulate muscle activity to develop or improve movement, including exercise, activities of daily living, arts and crafts activities, homemaking skills, social activities and games crafted to help patient reach, regain, or preserve both physical and mental functioning.
• Selects and applies equipment, machines, tools, materials, and supplies appropriate for patient treatment including pulleys, lapboards, towels and dowels and ambulatory slings.
• Provides education to patients and their families about the use and care of equipment and devices. Examples include exercisers, mobile arm supports, splints, adaptive utensils, self-care aids, and craft activity tools.
• Updates patients' records as to progress in therapy and treatment goals and reports observations to occupational therapists, other providers and agencies to provide total care.

To acquire more details, please view the classification specification: Occupational Therapy Assistant.

Qualifications

REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY:

EDUCATION & TRAINING:

• Satisfactory completion of an occupational therapy assistant curriculum* approved by the American Occupational Therapy Association Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).
• * To receive credit for your education, provide a legible copy of your official diploma, official transcript, or letter/certificate from an accredited institution when applying or email the required document(s) to ahsu3@dhs.lacounty.gov within seven (7) calendar days of filing your application. Unofficial transcripts are not acceptable to fulfill the educational requirement. The document should show the date the degree was conferred and be in English; if it is in a foreign language, it must be translated and evaluated for equivalency to U.S. standards if not accredited by ACOTE. For more information on our standards for educational documents, please visit: Accredited College Education Guidelines. NOTE: We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching them to your application or sending to the exam analyst.

LICENSE:

• Current certification** or a limited permit** for certification as an Occupational Therapy Assistant by the California Board of Occupational Therapy (CBOT).
• ** To validate your certification/permit, ensure that the License and Certification section of the application is complete. List the title, certification/permit number, issue date, expiration date, and issuing agency for all required certifications. You can also attach a photocopy of the certification to your application or email a copy to ahsu3@dhs.lacounty.gov within seven (7) calendar days of filing. All required licenses and certifications should be active and without restrictions.
• A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to use an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.

Withhold Information

No withhold will be allowed for this examination. Required education and licensure must be fully met at the time of filing and clearly indicated on the application.

Physical Class

III - Moderate: This class requires that the incumbent stand or walk most of the time with bending, stooping, squatting, twisting, reaching, working on irregular surfaces, occasional lifting of objects weighing over 25 pounds, and frequent lifting of 10-25 pounds.

DESIREABLE QUALIFICATION(S):

Additional credit will be given to applicants who possess the following desirable qualification(s) subsequent to graduation:

• Experience assisting occupational therapists with therapeutic procedures and treatment programs in a hospital, clinic, rehabilitation center, or residential care facility setting.
• Experience assisting occupational therapists with therapeutic procedures and treatment programs in a school, learning center, or home care setting.

Supplemental information

EXAMINATION CONTENT:

Training & Experience (T&E) Evaluation

This assessment type will evaluate the education, training, and desirable qualification(s) you list on your application and supplemental questionnaire and assign a score based on a standardized scoring system. This assessment is worth 100% of your total score. Applicants must receive a passing score of 70% or higher on the assessment to be added to the list.

ELIGIBILITY AND VACANCY INFORMATION:

Applicants who passed the assessment(s) are placed on a list in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months. Applications will be processed as they are received and added to the list accordingly. We will use this list to fill vacancies in the Department of Health Services as they occur.

SPECIAL INFORMATION:

Available Shift

Appointees may be required to work any shift, including evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays.

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION:

We only accept applications filed online. Applications submitted by U.S. mail, fax, or in person are not accepted. Apply online by clicking on the "Apply" green button at the top right of this posting. This website can also be used to get application status updates.

Please fill out the application completely! The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the Requirements. Provide relevant job experience including employer's name and address, job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, and description of work performed. Copying verbiage from the Requirements or class specification as your work experience will not be sufficient to demonstrate meeting the requirements.

We may verify information included in the application at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made. Falsification of information on your application and any attachments will result in refusal of application, rescission of appointment, or restriction of application to future recruitments.

Email Verification Information

We will send notifications to the email address provided on the application, so it is important that you provide a valid email address. If you choose to unsubscribe or opt out from receiving our emails, it is possible to view notices by logging into governmentjobs.com and checking the profile inbox. It is every applicant's responsibility to take steps to view correspondence, and we will not consider claims of missing notices to be a valid reason for re-scheduling an exam part. Register the below domains as approved senders to prevent email notifications from being filtered as spam/junk mail.

• info@governmentjobs.com
• noreply@governmentjobs.com
• ahsu3@dhs.lacounty.gov

New email addresses need to be verified. This only needs to be done once per email address and can be done at any time by logging in to governmentjobs.com and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of the online application and to prevent incorrectly entered email addresses.

Social Security

Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number, so include yours when applying.

No Sharing of User ID, Email and Password

All applicants must file their application using their own user ID and password. Using a family member or friend’s user ID and password may erase a candidate’s original application record

Computer and Internet Access at Public Libraries

For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.

Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI)

The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. We are committed to promoting Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst race. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.

DEPARTMENT CONTACT:

Annie Hsu, Exam Analyst

(213) 288 - 7000

ahsu3@dhs.lacounty.gov

ADA Coordinator Phone

(323) 914 - 6365

California Relay Services Phone

(800) 735 - 2922