The Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist® (CTRS) exemplifies the profession’s dedication to quality standards and professional excellence.
National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification® (NCTRC®) is the premier credentialing organization within the profession of Therapeutic Recreation.
Individuals wishing to become certified through NCTRC and earn the CTRS credential must meet specific educational and professional experience requirements, in addition to passing the NCTRC Certification Exam.
The CTRS designation indicates that the individual has training and demonstrated abilities in core therapy skills including assessment, planning, implementation, documentation and evaluation.
It is important to understand that only individuals who have met the specific qualifications and requirements to become professionally certified through NCTRC can use the Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) designation.
Once certified, individuals follow a five-year certification cycle to maintain their credential and show continued competence in recreational therapy practice.
Read the details below for more information.
As an employer, we encourage you to support the CTRSs who work in your organization to stay actively certified. Once certified, each CTRS follows a five-year certification cycle.
Maintaining the CTRS credential is valuable. Encourage CTRSs in your organization to check their certification cycle and annual maintenance due date. CTRSs submit applications, documents, and payments directly to NCTRC from their personal dashboard on the MY NCTRC LOGIN portal.
NCTRC® offers Specialization Area Designation as a direct extension of the CTRS credential for individuals who qualify. The Specialization Area Designation on the CTRS credential is used to indicate advanced knowledge, skill, recreational therapy experience and focused continuing education within a specified area of practice.
As healthcare evolves, the technical knowledge and skills required to practice successfully in a complex service environment increases significantly. Beyond the broad range of essential professional skills, there is an increasing expectation to develop specialized knowledge and skills that are distinctive to specific populations and service sectors. Specialization is well recognized within professional practice and has become the norm within the health and human service delivery system today.
The CTRS designation of specialization provides a higher level of assurance and verification that the practitioner has committed to advancing their knowledge and skills to support provision of quality services to the consumer. Recreational therapy professionals who acquire a higher level of education, knowledge, and advanced skills in specific areas of specialization stand out among their peers.
NCTRC provides digital badges to those who earn Specialization Area Designation to help CTRSs communicate their earned credentials to the public.
If you employ a CTRS working in one or more areas of specialization offered by NCTRC, we encourage the CTRS to review the requirements to apply for Specialization Area Designation.
Learn more: Specialization Area Designation overview and definitions.
