Recent News

NCTRC Welcomes Two New Board Members

As a result of the recently conducted Board election, NCTRC is proud to announce the addition of two new members to its Board of Directors. Dr. Teresa Beck, CTRS and Ms. Suzanne Melcher, CTRS will officially join the NCTRC Board in April 2009 and will each serve a three-year term from 2009-2012.

Teresa M. Beck, PhD., CTRS resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Teresa earned her BS degree in Recreation Administration with an emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation from Indiana University, a MS in Leisure Services with an emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation from Florida State University and her PhD in Higher Education Administration with a minor in Leisure Studies from the University of North Texas. She is currently Associate Professor and Director of Therapeutic Recreation and Health Professions Programs as well as the Faculty Director for Freshman Orientation at Grand Valley State University. More

Suzanne Melcher, MA, LRT /CTRS, LBMT resides in Clemmons, North Carolina. Suzanne earned her BS in Recreation and Leisure Services with an emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation from Radford University and her Master of Arts and Liberal Studies from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. She also has a Certificate in Therapeutic Massage from Forsyth Technical Community College. More

If you or someone you know is interested in being considered for the NCTRC Board or a committee nomination, please contact the NCTRC Elections Committee via Mary Ann Devine, Chair at (330) 672-2015, or mdevine@kent.edu ; or Bob Riley, at (845) 639-1439 or briley@nctrc.org .

 

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NCTRC Certification Standards: Changes, Updates and Effective Dates
The NCTRC Certification Standards serve as the official guidelines for test eligibility status and govern all requirements pertaining to certification and recertification. It is the policy of the NCTRC Board of Directors to post notice of all standard changes well in advance to effective dates.

The NCTRC Board of Directors has approved the following changes to the Certification Standards.

1. Field Placement Requirement - Supervisor must possess the CTRS Credential for one year prior to supervising interns:

Effective Date: January 1, 2010

The full-time, on-site agency supervisor must be currently NCTRC CTRS certified and must possess the CTRS credential for one year prior to supervising an internship student.

2. Supportive Coursework Information - Anatomy and Physiology Requirement:

Effective Date: January 1, 2012

The content area of anatomy and physiology is required for professional certification because knowledge of human anatomy (bones, muscles, and body systems) and physiology (how those systems work and interface) is deemed essential to an educational foundation in therapeutic recreation. Across the continuum from inpatient care to independent enjoyment of recreation, from knowledge of pathology to the benefits of health promotion, the CTRS who facilitates the therapeutic recreation process in any way draws from knowledge of the human body. NCTRC believes that this foundation was best laid through the requirement of a course in anatomy and physiology. Typical course titles accepted by NCTRC include “Anatomy and Physiology” or “Human Anatomy and Physiology”, “Kinesiology” may be accepted as the physiology requirement if the applicant also completes a course in anatomy. If a single course is used to meet this requirement (ie: Human Anatomy and/or Human Physiology), then the course must address anatomy and physiology in equal parts (at least 50% of the course respectively). A course that is intended to serve as an entry-level Human Biology course does not meet the NCTRC Anatomy and Physiology requirement.

3. Content Coursework Information - Increase in Therapeutic Recreation Content Course Requirement:

Effective Date: January 1, 2013

Academic Path

“A minimum of 18 semester or 24 quarter credit hours of therapeutic recreation and general recreation content coursework with no less than a minimum of 15 semester or 20 quarter credit hours in therapeutic recreation content. A minimum of 5 courses in therapeutic recreation is required and each course must be a minimum of 3 credit hours; AND…”

 

Equivalency Path A & B

“A minimum of 18 semester or 24 quarter credit hours of therapeutic recreation and general recreation content coursework with no less than a minimum of 15 semester or 20 quarter credit hours in therapeutic recreation content. A minimum of 5 courses in therapeutic recreation is required and each course must be a minimum of 3 credit hours; AND…”

4. Content Coursework Information - Content Specific Therapeutic Recreation Coursework Requirement:

Effective Date: January 1, 2013

Content specific Therapeutic Recreation coursework will be required as part of the NCTRC professional eligibility requirements. The specific course content will include the following areas: a/ Assessment; b/ TR Process; and c/ Advancement of the Profession. It is recommended that each content area be addressed by a specific TR course and that at a minimum at least 50% of the course be devoted to the designated content material.

5. Field Placement Standards Information - Increase in the Number of Internship Weeks and Hours: Effective January 1, 2013 

Academic Path

A minimum 560-hour, fourteen (14) consecutive week field placement experience in therapeutic recreation services that uses the therapeutic recreation process as defined by the current NCTRC Job Analysis.

 

6.  Field Placement Standards information - Academic Field Placement Supervisor must possess the CTRS Credential:

Effective January 1, 2013

The Academic Field Placement Supervisor must be an active CTRS at the start of the field placement experience and is required to sign the final Field Placement Verification Form signifying that the candidate completed all stated components of the NCTRC field placement requirements.

 

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NCTRC Military Reserve Status

The NCTRC Board of Directors approved at its April 2003 meeting a Military Reserve Certification Status for those CTRSs currently on active duty in the Armed Forces. NCTRC recognizes the efforts of the men and women serving in the Armed Forces and is committed to assisting them to maintain their CTRS or Professional Eligibility status.

During the period of Reserve Status, the qualified individual is not required to complete the NCTRC annual maintenance or recertification application, pay annual renewal fees, or complete the NCTRC exam if test eligible. A qualified individual can remain on NCTRC Reserve Status as long as he/she is on active duty within a United States military service, not to exceed a period of two years. NCTRC Reserve Status will cease as of the date of your official military discharge from active duty.

If you wish to apply for Military Reserve Certification Status or have any questions regarding the information outlined above, please contact NCTRC.

 

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