Some therapeutic recreation specialists work with people suffering from sports-related injuries.
A therapeutic recreation specialist works with patients who have mental, physical, or emotional difficulties. Through a series of carefully planned exercises and activities, the therapist works to restore clients’ independence and self-control. The Therapeutic Recreation Specialist works with clients in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, mental health centers, and in private practice. Most clients are referred by a psychiatrist or social worker.
A review of the patient’s history is normally completed prior to the start of therapy sessions.
There are four main functions a therapeutic recreation specialist performs: assessment, plan development, implementation, and documentation. To become a therapeutic recreation specialist, a college degree in recreation therapy or physical therapy is usually required. Most employers require certification from the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC).
Therapeutic recreation specialists help others get in shape.
Most therapeutic recreation specialists are part of a medical services team. The first meeting with a new client involves a review of the patient’s history, a discussion with the primary care physician about the issues that need to be addressed, and a brief meeting with the client. A recreation specialist looks at a patient’s interests, hobbies, or abilities and draws on these elements to develop a therapy program. For example, a therapist might teach a partially paralyzed stroke victim how to fish. The activity can be completed with the functional side and then expanded to the paralyzed side.
Before beginning a program, a therapeutic recreation specialist performs a series of diagnostic tests to measure the patient’s level of mobility, strength, and interests.
At the beginning of the program, the therapist will perform a series of diagnostic tests to measure the level of mobility, strength and interest. This information is used to form a baseline to measure growth. The items measured depend on the patient and her concerns.
For example, a patient struggling with severe depression may be very quiet and respond with a single word. A patient with motor control problems may not be able to walk in a straight line. The measure of progress is based on the individual achievements of each patient during a specific period of time.
Therapeutic recreation specialists focus on creating programs around patients’ interests or hobbies.
The treatment plan is designed to meet specific goals and skill levels. Multiple activities can be used to engage the client, introduce variety, and target different muscle groups. Switching between individual and group activities increases variety and helps with the recovery process.
The approach used to implement the treatment plan varies depending on the client’s problems, level of family support, and interpersonal skills. Many therapists use a very low-key approach, with an invitation to participate in an ongoing activity with a family member or a group of other patients. Some therapists provide a detailed plan to the support team, but do not share it with the patient. The level of involvement, success, and failure of the different options and techniques should be documented and discussed with the patient’s care team. This type of review measures the effectiveness of therapy.