15. THERAPEUTIC RECREATION
SPECIALIST/
RECREATIONAL THERAPIST
JOB DESCRIPTION
Overview
Therapeutic recreation specialists
(TRSs) use recreation and leisure activities to help people with illnesses or
disabilities. Recreational activities
include sports, games, art, music, dance, outdoor experiences, field trips,
structured social events, and relaxation exercises. The goals of recreational intervention include helping
individuals acquire specific behavioral skills or cognitive abilities;
improving physical, cognitive, and social/emotional functioning; facilitating
an optimal level of personal independence; and enhancing psychological growth
and development.
TRSs provide services to individuals of
all ages. They are frequently employed
in clinical settings, such as medical, psychiatric, and rehabilitation hospitals;
nursing homes and residential centers; and group homes and correctional
facilities. They might also be employed
in community settings, for example, in park and recreation departments;
community recreation centers and non-profit recreational facilities; public and
private schools; and special education programs.
Typical Job Duties: Clinical Setting
• assessing clients’ physical and
psychological needs and interests
• developing an individualized
treatment plan, e.g., using tennis to help an individual with right side
paralysis learn to use the left side; devising activity-based group experiences
for an individual with poor social skills
• working with clients individually and
in groups, teaching specific recreational skills and leading group recreational
activities (e.g., high ropes course, community outing, exercise group)
• conferring with allied health
professionals (e.g., psychiatrists, psychologists, occupational therapists,
physical therapists) about client goals, progress, and discharge plans
Typical Job Duties: Community Setting
• planning creative and stimulating
recreational activities to meet participants’ needs
• adapting activities as needed to
enable individuals with disabilities to participate (e.g., adapted aquatics,
wheelchair basketball, social groups for developmentally disabled individuals)
• leading group recreational activities
(e.g., leisure skills classes, a swimming program, hiking and camping, summer
camps activities)
• providing training and workshops to
educate other staff about people with disabilities
Job Outlook
Faster-than-average job growth is
expected for TRSs in clinical settings due to anticipated expansions in
long-term care, physical and psychiatric rehabilitation, and services for the
disabled. Therapeutic recreation
specialists were not among the top 30 fastest-growing occupations as ranked by
the BLS; TR was ranked in the adequate supply/some oversupply in the MSU study.
Potential Earnings
The average starting salary for
recreational therapists (bachelor’s-degree level) is estimated to range from
$22,000-$28,000. A 1991 survey
conducted by the American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA) revealed an
average salary for ATRA members of $31,000.
In 1995, average earnings for positions in the Federal government were
$36,000.
TRAINING
Professional Degree Required
A bachelor’s degree in therapeutic
recreation/recreational therapy or in leisure studies with an emphasis in
therapeutic recreation (TR) is the usual entry-level degree. Students who have already earned a
bachelor’s degree in another field can complete a second bachelor’s degree
(i.e., only those courses in TR), or, depending on the university, a master’s
degree in TR.
How to Find Programs
TR programs are accredited by the National
Recreation and Park Association/American Association for Leisure and Recreation
Council (NRPA/AALR). Undergraduate
programs earn general accreditation in Recreation, Park, and Leisure Studies
and then specific accreditation in one or more specialty areas: leisure
services management, natural resources recreation management,
leisure/recreation program delivery, and therapeutic recreation. The directory of all accredited programs is
available from the National Therapeutic Recreation Society (NTRS), a branch of
the NRPA, in print form or on the Internet (addresses below). Students interested primarily in TR would
want to be sure the TR specialization is noted (i.e., a program may have
overall accreditation but no specialization in TR).
The importance of attending an
accredited program in this field is unclear.
Students in accredited programs may have an easier time earning
certification as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) upon
graduation, but students in non-accredited programs (depending on the program’s
quality) are by no means prevented from gaining certification. Accredited and non-accredited programs
differ primarily in educational philosophy.
In accredited programs, students get training not only in TR but also in
other areas of leisure studies; this broader education equips students to work
not only in clinical TR but also in community settings. Non-accredited programs in TR are typically
more narrowly focused on TR.
The bottom line: To obtain a directory
of all therapeutic recreation programs, write the American Therapeutic
Recreation Association (ATRA, address below).
Note that this agency is not affiliated with the National
Recreation and Park Association.
Entrance Requirements/Admissions
When pursuing TR as a second bachelor’s
degree, no courses are technically prerequired. A course in anatomy and physiology may save on course work, since
most programs will require this class.
A student with a bachelor’s degree in
another field may wish to pursue a master’s program in TR. Again, such programs may or may not require
background preparation or undergraduate degrees in TR. Among those which do not, students without
such preparation are asked to complete additional graduate level
coursework. Schools do not appear to be
highly competitive: Minimum requirements are in the 3.0 GPA and “satisfactory”
GRE score range.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Print Materials/Organizations
American Therapeutic Recreation
Association (ATRA), P.O. Box 15215, Hattiesburg, MS 39404-5215. 800/553-0304. Directory of colleges and universities with TR costs $5.
National Council for Therapeutic
Recreation Certification, P.O. Box 479, Thiells, NY 10984-0479. 914/639-1439.
National Therapeutic Recreation Society
(NTRS), 22377 Belmont Ridge Road, Ashburn, VA 20148. 703/858-0784. Free list
of accredited programs.
Preparing for a Career in
Therapeutic Recreation (1996). Available for $7.50
from the Publications Center, National Recreation and Park Association, 22377
Belmont Ridge Road, Ashburn, VA 20148.
Internet Resources
ATRA home page: http://www.atra-tr.org/index.html
NTRS home page (for list of accredited
programs, click on “Career Information”): http://www.nrpa.org/branches/ntrs.htm