Exploring Transitions of Care Through an Interprofessional Education Track

Therapeutic Recreation Journal · 2025-05-14

Interprofessional education (IPE) is critical to the development of a collaborative practice-ready workforce, yet implementation of high-quality IPE that is meaningful to students is recognized as challenging. The use of IPE tracks as part of a larger IPE program can be an effective approach to navigating implementation barriers. As the Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy (TR/RT) profession looks to identify best practices in IPE, scholars have noted that documentation and evaluation of existing programs is critical. This project documented and evaluated a Transitions of Care IPE track offered at one university as part of a larger IPE program. To provide a comprehensive overview of this IPE experience, it was documented in terms of three key elements: (a) the Transitions of Care IPE structure, (b) administrative supports and IPE infrastructure, and (c) use in undergraduate and graduate RT curriculums. It was evaluated in terms of (a) student attitudes toward IPE following the experience, and (b) RT faculty perspectives.

Offering mental health supports to college students in a rock climbing course: A recreational therapy program evaluation

American Journal of Recreation Therapy · 2024-12-01

This program evaluation was part of a broader research study that aimed to evaluate a new recreational therapy (RT) program focused on developing resiliency and self-efficacy in college students through a combination of rock climbing, mindfulness, and reflective journaling activities. RT programming was imbedded in an introductory college rock climbing course offered over three consecutive days, and participants experienced significant increases in resiliency and self-efficacy post-program. Given the multifaceted structure of the intervention, this program evaluation aimed to (a) clarify the role of specific program elements by assessing the RT program’s alignment with its 12 intended objectives and (b) determine the program’s appropriateness for its intended clientele by assessing perceived value to college students. Evaluation surveys revealed that 11 of the 12 objectives (91.67 percent) were met based on established thresholds for participant feedback, indicating that the program content and activities were well aligned with the intended objectives. Additionally, all of the participants (N = 12) either agreed (n = 4) or strongly agreed (n = 8) that the program had value to them.

Leisure education and parks programming to address stress, burnout, and coping in law enforcement officers: an exploratory study

Leisure/Loisir · 2024-10-29 · 1 citations

How Recreational Therapists with a Disability Perceive Their Current Workplace: Perception of Climate of Inclusion, Self-Advocacy, and Occupational Self-Efficacy

Therapeutic Recreation Journal · 2024

• Political Science
• Psychology
• Clinical psychology

High perceived levels of climate of inclusion, occupational self-efficacy, and self-advocacy skills in employees are beneficial to employers. Yet, it is unclear how recreational therapists with disabilities perceive their workplace's climate of inclusion as well as their own self-advocacy skills and occupational self-efficacy. Therefore, the purpose of this study was two-fold: (a) to investigate the extent to which Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists (CTRSs) with a disabling condition perceive climate of inclusion, self-advocacy, and occupational self-advocacy in their current workplace; and (b) to explore if there are associations between climate of inclusion, self-advocacy, and occupational self-efficacy in the workplace. A convenience sample of 77 CTRSs who identified as having a disability participated in this study. Results indicated that participants were neutral regarding the climate of inclusion at their current workplaces, are confident with their self-advocacy skills at work, and perceive their occupational self-efficacy levels to be fairly high. There are also positive associations between the three concepts of climate of inclusion, self-advocacy, and occupational self-efficacy. Future research is needed to better understand the neutrality recreational therapists with disabilities perceive of their workplace as well as to conduct more robust studies.

Evaluation of a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Program for Military Personnel Receiving Inpatient Treatment for a Substance Use Disorder

Therapeutic Recreation Journal · 2024-05-03

This study aimed to evaluate a high intensity interval training (HIIT) program delivered in an inpatient treatment setting serving military personnel. This recreational therapy (RT) program assessed the impact of a single session (60-minute) HIIT program on participant affect and state-anxiety. Using a single-group pretest-posttest design, 58 data sets were collected from participants (N = 20). Results indicated an increase in positive affect (z = -.6.52, p < .001), a decrease in negative affect (z = -2.64, p < .01), and a significant reduction in anxiety, t (57) = 1.99, p = .05 following the intervention. The program also resulted in a significant elevation in heart rate, t (57) = -25.89, p < .001 with most participants reaching moderate to high intensity physical activity levels. On a scale of 1–10, participants rated their likelihood of participating in HIIT post-discharge at 6.28 (SD = 2.43). Additional qualitative data provides valuable insight on the perceived benefits to participants and offers suggestions for future program development and research in this area.

Evaluation of a leisure education program for law enforcement officers

American Journal of Recreation Therapy · 2024-09-01

Leisure education (LE) is frequently provided in recreational therapy (RT) practice and can be offered to a diverse clientele. This study aimed to evaluate a new LE program for law enforcement officers that was developed based on the leisure education content model (LECM) and incorporated leisure experiences in parks to address stress and well-being. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to evaluate (a) the extent to which the program met its stated objectives, (b) the program’s alignment with the four key elements of the LECM, and (c) the perceived value of the program to participants. Participants (N = 10) were offered a series of six LE sessions at their place of employment and supplemented sessions with independent experiences in parks. Findings indicate 89.25 percent agreement that session learning objectives were met, 78.22 percent agreement that session content aligned with the LECM components, and 93.55 percent agreement that sessions had value to the participants. Suggestions for program improvement and implications for the profession are discussed, including possibilities to expand RT services to new populations.

Adaptive Biking for Assisted Living Memory Care Residents and Staff: A Feasibility Study Authors

Therapeutic Recreation Journal · 2024-08-04

This study examined the feasibility of implementing an adaptive biking program to concurrently address health and well-being in assisted living memory care residents and staff. Using an intervention protocol designed around the Flourishing Through Leisure Model, resident and staff participants were matched into biking pairs to engage in eight 20-30 minute bike rides over four consecutive weeks. The research team assessed (a) recruitment capability and sample characteristics, (b) data collection procedures and outcome measures, (c) acceptability and suitability of the intervention and study procedures (d) resources and ability to manage and implement the study and intervention, and (e) preliminary participant responses to the intervention. Results in each area support the feasibility of implementation on a larger scale and provide insights for program improvements and research opportunities. Given the lack of structured intervention protocols that emphasize multiple domains of health for two populations concurrently, the study also documented a replicable RT adaptive biking protocol designed to meet the needs of both staff and residents. Implications for RT practice include increased awareness of the value of RT services among other health care providers, and new opportunities for interprofessional collaboration.

Introduction to Adaptive Sports: An Intervention Protocol for Youth

Therapeutic Recreation Journal · 2024

• Political Science
• Applied psychology
• Psychology

Certified therapeutic recreation specialists (CTRS®s) within pediatric rehabilitation inpatient (PR-I) units use a variety of treatment modalities. One such modality is adaptive sports. Positive emotions that can be generated when participating in an adaptive sports activity include enjoyment and gratification. CTRSs are able to provide youth in the PR-I unit with a unique experience that teaches them about adaptive sports while introducing a potential new leisure pursuit. Thus, the Introduction to Adaptive Sports program was developed with the intent of documenting youths' knowledge related to adaptive sports following brief exposure, their enjoyment of activities associated with four different adaptive sports, and their interest in future participation. The youth involved in the piloting of this protocol were asked to complete a Knowledge and Future Participation Quiz as well as an Enjoyment Scale to measure their level of knowledge about each adaptive sport presented, how much they enjoyed participating in each session, and if they would be interested in future participation. The results showed that the youth demonstrated strong knowledge about each adaptive sport (average scores of 5.06 out of 6). The scores on the Enjoyment Scale indicated that youth on the PR-I unit enjoyed the adaptive sports sessions (average scores of 8.38 out of 10). Additionally, participant responses indicated 78.13% overall interest in future participation in the four presented adaptive sports. Though the preliminary results from the trial of this protocol are encouraging, recommendations for revision and future study by CTRS professionals on PR-I units are included.

Making the Grade with Recreational Therapy Accreditation: Comparing the NCTRC Pass Rates of CAAHEP/CARTE Accredited Programs to National Averages

SCHOLE A Journal of Leisure Studies and Recreation Education · 2024-02-09 · 1 citations

Accreditation is a critical process in maintaining standards of consistency and excellence in the academic preparation of students for their chosen profession. While academic programs, professional associations, and credentialing organizations all recognize the importance of programmatic accreditation in recreational therapy professional preparation, there is no current analysis of the impact of accreditation on student professional outcomes. This study examined passing rates on the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) exam by comparing programs accredited by CAAHEP/CARTE to the national average. Results revealed that CAAHEP/CARTE accredited programs had higher passing rates in all years of the five-year examination period and accreditation had a significant impact (p<.001) in pass rate differences. Professional issues related to accreditation and both current and future preparation of recreational therapy students are further examined.

Evaluating the Impact of a Recreational Therapy and Rock Climbing Program on Resilience and Self-Efficacy in College Students

Journal of Outdoor Recreation Education and Leadership · 2024-02-15 · 2 citations

This exploratory study evaluated a program focused on building resiliency and self-efficacy in college students through a combination of rock climbing and recreational therapy interventions that included mindfulness, and reflective journaling activities. The study imbedded therapeutic programming in an introductory rock climbing course offered through a university over three consecutive days. Secondary aims were to determine the feasibility of offering therapeutic programming to college students within a recreation-based academic course and to evaluate the program’s value to students. Results indicate participants (N = 12) experienced a significant increase in resilience (p = .003) and self-efficacy (p = .01) post-program, and all participants either agreed (n = 4) or strongly agreed (n = 8) the program had value to them. Feasibility data using multiple measures indicate it is feasible to offer brief, therapeutic programming as part of a university rock climbing course.