This is the ARCHIVE SITE - IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTAbout ATRA
Membership
Leadership
Chapter Affiliates
Continuing Education
Bookstore
Treatment Network
Vendors
Members Only
Frequently Asked Questions about Recreational Therapy
Why is Recreational Therapy important for
your clients? Research
What clients do Recreational Therapists
serve? Recreational
Therapists may work with a wide range of individuals
requiring health services including geriatric, mental
health, addictions, general medicine, physical medicine
and rehabilitation, developmental disabilities and
pediatric clients. How are Recreational Therapy services recognized? Recreational
What are a
Recreational Therapist's Education, Qualifications, & Credentials? A qualified recreational therapist is someone who
is Where is Recreational
Therapy headed in the future? According to the
About the American Therapeutic Recreation Association.... The American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA) is the national membership organization representing the interests and needs of recreational therapists. The association is directed by an elected board of directors with over 42 volunteer teams and committees, focused on areas such as public policy, coverage and reimbursement, diagnostic specialty groups, education and research. An executive director leads the association national office in Alexandria, Virginia. The association provides a vast array of membership services focusing on professional practice, professional development, external affairs, advocacy, treatment networking and educational services. Specifically, ATRA leads the profession with nationally recognized professional standards of practice, code of ethics and competency guidelines. American Therapeutic Recreation Association |
supports the concept that people with active, satisfying
lifestyles will be happier and healthier.
Recreational therapy provides services which are
based on the individuals' interests and lifestyle
which allows them to better engage in therapy and
apply these functional improvements to all areas
of their life. Ultimately, it allows them to generalize
their therapeutic outcomes to their life after the
healthcare team is no longer involved resulting in
greater health maintenance over time. Recreational
therapy aims to improve an individual's functioning
and keep them as active, healthy and independent
as possible in their chosen life pursuits. 
therapists are employed by health
care agencies and work in traditional inpatient hospitals
or health facilities but an increasing number are
being hired in residential facilities, community
mental health centers, adult day care programs, substance
abuse centers, hospice care, community centers and
in school systems. There is a growing trend for recreational
therapists to work in private practice providing
services in the home and community as well. 
Recreational
therapy embraces a definition of "health" which includes not
only the absence of "illness", but extends
to enhancement of physical, cognitive, emotional,
social and leisure development so individuals may
participate fully and independently in chosen life
pursuits. The unique feature of recreational therapy
that makes it different from other therapies is the
use of recreational modalities in the designed intervention
strategies. Recreational therapy is extremely individualized
to each person, their past, present and future interests
and lifestyle. The recreational therapist has a unique
perspective regarding the social, cognitive, physical,
and leisure needs of the patient. Incorporating client's
interests, and the client's family and/or community
makes the therapy process meaningful and relevant.
Recreational therapists weave the concept of healthy
living into treatment to ensure not only improved
functioning, but also to enhance independence and
successful involvement in all aspects of life. 
therapy is defined by the American Therapeutic
Recreation Association (ATRA) as a health care
and
human service discipline that delivers treatment
services designed to restore, remediate and/or rehabilitate
functional capabilities for persons with injuries,
chronic illnesses and all types of disabling conditions
(ATRA 1986). Recreational therapists are standard
treatment team members in rehabilitation services.
Recreational therapy is listed as a rehabilitation
therapy service in the Joint Commission on Accreditation
of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) standards. In
addition, recreational therapists are designated
as treatment team members (based upon need) in the
acute brain injury, the post-acute brain injury,
and the inpatient rehabilitation standards of the
Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities
(CARF). The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS) includes recreational therapy in the mix of
treatment and rehabilitation services used to determine
federal compliance in skilled nursing, rehabilitation
(physical and psychiatric) and long-term care facilities.
Therapeutic Recreation is specifically indicated
as a Related Service under the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act. A few states regulate this profession
through licensure, certification, registration or
regulation of titles. 
indicates a significant number of positive
health outcomes resulting from participation
in recreational therapy programs: 
nationally certified as a certified therapeutic
recreation specialist (CTRS), usually referred to
as recreational therapists. Qualified professionals
are certified through the National Council for Therapeutic
Recreation Certification (NCTRC) http://www.nctrc.org,
which requires a bachelors degree or higher from
an accredited university, a formal internship and
the passing of a national certification examination.
A CTRS must maintain their credential every five
years through the NCTRC recertification process.
Academic programs in therapeutic recreation or recreational
therapy emphasize course work in the physical, biological,
and behavioral sciences and recreation and leisure
theory. 
facilities have a therapy referral
process in place, and include recreational therapy
as part
of their standard referral process for other ordered
therapies and services. Once the referral for recreational
therapy is made, usually by the physician or health
care professional responsible for the client's
care an assessment should be completed by the CTRS.
On
many inpatient program units a standard order is
provided for each new resident "to evaluate
for recreational therapy services". Clients
from outpatient, home health or community programs
may also be appropriate for recreational therapy,
and the referral is done on a case-by-case basis. 
US Department of
Labor, "The
rapidly growing number of older adults is expected
to spur job growth for recreational therapy professionals
and paraprofessionals in assisted-living facilities,
adult daycare programs, and other social assistance
agencies. Continued growth also is expected in community
residential care facilities, as was daycare programs
for individuals with disabilities."