About this Blog

Hi, my name is Jenna Whitworth and I am a student at Brigham Young University! This blog is filled with the many things that I have learned about the profession of Therapeutic Recreation throughout the semester. Here's an overview of all of the information contained in this blog:

 Article Critiques: This section includes article critiques that I have done over research articles found in the Therapeutic Recreation Journal. These critiques contain strengths and weaknesses of the article, as well as how these articles can be applied to the profession of therapeutic recreation. Also included are article critiques of some of my classmates and my thoughts on them.

 ATRA: The ATRA section includes the American Therapeutic Recreation Society's views on various aspects of the profession such as definitions, a code of ethics, and standards of practice. As this is the national association for TR, it is important to become familiar with what they stand for.

Background: The background section includes the basics of therapeutic recreation. Included are timelines of the profession, a glossary of important terms, descriptions of various related field, and skills that are important to have as a recreational therapist.

Licensing and Certification: If you are interested in learning about how to become a recreational therapist (legally), then this is the place to go! Described in this tab is how to become licensed and certified as a recreational therapist as well as various rules and regulations in the profession.

Philosophies: This tab contains various thoughts on the practice of therapeutic recreation, both my own and those of others. Included is my personal philosophy statement, a definition of therapeutic recreation, a model for practicing therapeutic recreation, and the philosophies and codes of ethics of various professional organizations.

Populations: This is my personal favorite tab because it is here that you can learn about the people that recreational therapists can work with-which is great, sense we are all about people! There are links here to both fact sheets and powerpoints that students in my class put together throughout the semester.

Additional resources can be found on this tab.

If you find a post that is interesting, many have an option underneath that says "see more" and will show you the full blog post.

I hope you enjoy your visit to this blog!
-Jenna Whitworth

Board Approved Statements

Mission Statement

The mission of the American Therapeutic Recreation Association is to serve as a member-driven association that collectively supports the recreational therapy profession.
Revised by ATRA Board of Directors | September 2009

ATRA Code of Ethics

The American Therapeutic Recreation Association's Code of Ethics is to be used as a guide for promoting and maintaining the highest standards of ethical behavior. The Code applies to all Recreational Therapy personnel. The term Recreational Therapy personnel includes Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists (CTRS), recreational therapy assistants and recreational therapy students. Acceptance of membership in the American Therapeutic Recreation Association commits a member to adherence to these principles.

Principle 1 Beneficence

Recreational Therapy personnel shall treat persons served in an ethical manner by actively making efforts to provide for their well-being by maximizing possible benefits and relieving, lessening, or minimizing possible harm.

ATRA Standards for the Practice of Therapeutic Recreation

The Standards for the Practice of Therapeutic Recreation, developed by the American Therapeutic Recreation Association, reflect standards for the quality of therapeutic recreation practice by therapeutic recreation professionals and paraprofessionals in a variety of settings. The standards are divided into two distinct areas: Direct Practice of Therapeutic Recreation; and Management of Therapeutic Recreation Practice. The standards, originally released in 1991, revised in 1994 and again in 2000 reflect state of the art practice in therapeutic recreation. This represents a brief overview. A complete copy may be purchased in our online bookstore.
The standards as listed in this appendix do not stand-alone and should not be used without the measurement criteria of structure, process and outcome provided in the manual. For instance, the following examples illustrate the use of the measurement criteria to aid in interpretation and evaluation of each standard.
The Self Assessment Guide (includes useful worksheets on standards scoring, documentation audit, management audit, outcome assessment, competency assessment and clinical performance appraisals).
Standard 1. Assessment. The therapeutic recreation specialist conducts an individualized assessment to collect systematic comprehensive and accurate data necessary to determine a course of action and subsequent individualized treatment plan. Under the clinical supervision of the therapeutic recreation specialist, the therapeutic recreation assistant aids in collecting systematic, comprehensive and accurate data necessary to determine a course of action and subsequent individualized treatment plan.
Example:
Structure Criteria
1.1.2. The assessment process generates culturally appropriate baseline data that identifies the patient’s/client’s strengths and limitations in the following functional areas: physical, cognitive, social, behavioral, emotional and leisure/play.
Example:
Process Criteria
The Therapeutic recreation specialist:
1.2.3. Provides a summary of the assessment process that contains information relative to the patient’s/client’s strengths, patient’s/client’s limitations, analysis of assessment data, and summary of functional status.
The Therapeutic recreation assistant:
1.2.3.1.Provides a summary of assessment information relative to the patient’s/client’s strengths and weaknesses, to the therapeutic recreation specialist.
Example:
Outcome Criteria
The patient/client, family and/or significant other(s):
1.3.3. Benefits from the assessment process and does not incur adverse consequences due to participation in the assessment.

Standards for the Practice of Therapeutic Recreation*

Direct Practice of Therapeutic Recreation

Standard 1. Assessment
Standard 2. Treatment Planning
Standard 3. Plan Implementation
Standard 4. Re-Assessment and Evaluation
Standard 5. Discharge and Transition Planning
Standard 6. Recreation Services
Standard 7. Ethical Conduct

Management of Therapeutic Recreation Practice

Standard 8. Written Plan of Operation
Standard 9. Staff Qualifications and Competency Assessment
Standard 10. Quality Management
Standard 11. Resource Management
Standard 12. Program Evaluation and Research

*Please note: The standards as listed in this appendix do not stand-alone and should not be used without the measurement criteria of structure, process and outcome provided in the manual.
Order the ATRA Standards for the Practice of Therapeutic Recreation and Self Assessment Guide in our online bookstore.

http://atra-online.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=42

Rules and Regulations

By following the links below, you can find information on various rules and regulations in the Recreation Therapy profession.
Division of Occupational and Provisional Licensing Act
General Rule of the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing
Recreational Therapy Practice Act
Recreational Therapy Practice Act Rule
Retired Volunteer Health Care Practitioner Act
Retired Volunteer Health Care Practitioner Act Rule

Licensure Application

Click the link below to get to the application for recreational therapy licensure in the state of Utah.

http://www.dopl.utah.gov/apps/recreational_thrpst_2013-11-01.pdf

If you want to become a recreational therapist of any type, licensure is a requirement. Licensure is practice control, and without your license in the profession, you cannot practice (at least, not legally). This licensure is granted through the Utah Department of Occupational and Professional Licensing (DOPL). In order to receive your licensure, it is required to send in an official transcript showing the completion of your bachelor's degree as well as a copy of your certification from NCTRC and a payment.

Article Critique: River Running

River Running as a Therapeutic Medium by Spencer Lowe

My thoughts on Spencer's article critique:

The summary given of the article was vague and didn't give me much of a sense of what the main point or results of the research was. However, Spencer did a great assessment of the strengths of the article, which included that the way that data was collected and the ability to repeat the experiment because of the narrowness of the sample population. I probably wouldn't have seen how using journal entries would have limited negative effects on the research by making it seem to scientific. The weaknesses section also called attention to several things that could have affected the results of the study. I also thought it was great that Spencer was able to apply the article to his life and his enjoyment of rafting and nature.