National Council For Therapeutic Recreation

Certification

845.639.1439
nctrc@nctrc.org
www.nctrc.org

Welcome to NCTRC e-News!

CTRA Endorses CTRS Credential

The Canadian Therapeutic Recreation Association (CTRA) and the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) entered into a formal agreement pertaining to the endorsement and the promotion of the Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) credentialing program. The purpose of this agreement is to acknowledge the CTRS designation as the benchmark for the qualified provider of RT/TR services and to promote its use throughout Canada and the United States. Formal endorsement of this agreement occurred on May 15, 2009 at a signing ceremony conducted at the CTRA Annual Conference, held in Calgary, Alberta, CA.

NCTRC Completes CTRS Profile Study

In February 2009, NCTRC launched its second comprehensive CTRS Profile Study. A total of 3177 CTRSs responded to the emailed survey for a response rate of 33 percent. Preliminary analysis indicates that several profile variables have changed during the past five years since the last survey was conducted. A full report regarding the CTRS Profile will be available in print and e-format this coming summer. NCTRC sincerely appreciates the effort of the CTRSs who responded to the survey. The winner of the iPOD random drawing was Kimberly Few, a CTRS who works in the Indianapolis, IN area. Congratulations to Kimberly!

CTRSs to Promote Therapeutic Recreation Week

July 12-18, 2009

National Therapeutic Recreation Week, established by the National Therapeutic Recreation Society in 1984, is celebrated each year during the second week of July. The purpose of National Therapeutic Recreation Week is to enhance public awareness of therapeutic recreation programs and services, promote recreation and leisure opportunities for individuals with disabilities, and recognize the qualified provider of RT services…the CTRS. According to NCTRC, recreation therapy, also known as therapeutic recreation, is a systematic process that utilizes recreation and other activity-based interventions based upon the assessed needs of individuals with illnesses and/or disabling conditions. The purpose of the RT process is to improve or maintain physical, cognitive, social, emotional and spiritual functioning in order to facilitate full participation in life. For more information... NCTRC Scope of Practice.

NCTRC has developed a National TR Week Flyer for promotional use. Please feel free to print this PR tool and make several copies to display at your agency. NCTRC also offers an array of marketing materials for use at your agency during TR Week or any other time to help promote the CTRS and therapeutic recreation services. All NCTRC promotional material can be downloaded in PDF format from the NCTRC website or you can contact NCTRC if you would like multiple copies of a specific brochure.

During the TR week promotion, CTRSs and their agencies host lectures and presentations, career days, adaptive sport events, workshops, receptions, information booths, and open houses. Proclamations, press releases, articles and public service announcements also enhance awareness of the CTRS during National Therapeutic Recreation Week. The National Therapeutic Recreation Society has identified 31 promotional ideas that are tried and true ways to help plan your celebration.

NCTRC Conducts Annual Board Meeting

The NCTRC Board of Directors conducted its annual meeting on April 16-17, 2009 in Newburgh, NY. Among the many achievements accomplished during the two-day meeting were the following:

• Two new members were inducted to the NCTRC Board of Directors. Suzanne Melcher, CTRS (NC) and Teresa Beck, CTRS (MI) were inducted for a three-year term (2009-2012). William Sturges, (NY) was re-appointed as the Consumer Representative to the NCTRC Board of Directors and will also serve a three-year term (2009-2012).
• Andrew Ritcey, CTRS ( Nova Scotia ) was elected as Chair of the Board of Directors for the term of 2009-2010.
• The Board approved conducting the NCTRC Annual Certificants Meeting at the NRPA/NTRS Annual Congress to be held in Salt Lake City , Utah , October 13-16, 2009.
• A proposal to establish specialty certification as a component of the CTRS credential received final approval by the Board and it is hopeful that the specialty certification program will be available in early 2010.

Helpful Reminders to Assure a Successful Internship

The summer months often serve as an opportunity for students to complete their academic internships. In order to provide a smooth transition to obtaining the CTRS credential, the following requirements must be met during the internship experience:

• The length of the internship must be a minimum of 12 consecutive weeks and 480 hours.
• The intern should work no less than 20 hours per week and no more than 45 hours per week.
• The field placement supervisor must be employed full-time at the sponsoring agency and work a minimum of 32 hours per week. At least 50% of the supervisor's duties must be in therapeutic recreation and they must be an active CTRS on the first day of your internship.
• The internship experience must be based on the therapeutic recreation process as defined by the current NCTRC Job Analysis.

Please visit NCTRC 's website to review and download the NCTRC Field Placement Standards.

NCTRC Seeks Nominations for Board of Director's Positions

The NCTRC Nominations and Election Committee is accepting nominations for two Board position vacancies anticipated in 2011. All active CTRSs are eligible for nomination or self-nomination for the Board positions. Although not a strict requirement, previous organizational board experience and exposure to regional or national RT/TR issues is a plus. Please contact NCTRC for additional information regarding the nomination process.

Did you know ...

• NCTRC is a charter member organization of the National Organization for Competency Assurance (NOCA). NCTRC is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA).
• NCCA's Mission is to help ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the public through accreditation of a variety of certification programs/organizations that assess professional competence.
• The first TR registration program was sponsored by CAHR (Commission for the Advancement of Hospital Recreation). The initial program credentialed 68 hospital recreation personnel in 1959.

Please contact NCTRC at 845-639-1439 or nctrc@nctrc.org if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you for your continued support of NCTRC and the CTRS credential.