Today the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification® (NCTRC) is the largest internationally recognized credentialing organization within the profession of Therapeutic Recreation.
Credentialing of therapeutic recreation personnel began in 1956 with the establishment of the Commission for the Advancement of Hospital Recreation (CAHR). In 1967, with the formation of the National Therapeutic Recreation Society (NTRS), the NTRS Registration Board continued the voluntary registration program for therapeutic recreation personnel. NCTRC was founded in 1981 as an independent credentialing agency designed to meet national credentialing standards in the United States.
Established in 1981, NCTRC is a non-profit, international organization dedicated to professional excellence for the protection of consumers through the certification of recreational therapists.
A volunteer leadership managed NCTRC in 1981, but by 1985 three part-time staff members were added to manage the growing certification program. In September 1986, the first full-time Executive Director was hired along with two full-time clerical personnel. NCTRC currently employs ten staff members.
Today, NCTRC is the premier credentialing organization within the profession of Therapeutic Recreation and exclusively offers the Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist® (CTRS®) credential.
Issued by the NCTRC, the Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) credential indicates to employers and the public that the CTRS has met specific educational and professional experience requirements, in addition to passing the NCTRC Certification Exam.
Along with an official certificate, all individuals who earn the Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) credential receive a digital badge. The CTRS digital badge is a secure, web-enabled credential containing verified information about the earner’s professional achievements. The digital badge serves to validate and showcase professional skills and competencies beyond traditional certificates and are designed to be easily shareable and verifiable.
The digital badge allows CTRSs to shine a spotlight on their credential and enhances their professional visibility, making them more noticeable to employers, peers, and professional networking communities.
NCTRC provides a wide range of professional programs and services to ensure both the value of the CTRS credential and protection of the consumer. Explore the various programs and services offered by NCTRC, including:
In today’s demanding employment market, NCTRC certification signifies that the CTRS is a qualified professional providing recreational therapy services, with the skills, ability and knowledge recognized as essential for recreational therapy practice. The CTRS has extensive knowledge and skill-based training in core therapy skills including assessment, planning, implementation, documentation, and evaluation.
Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists work with a wide spectrum of client populations within a plethora of service settings, including hospitals, housing and healthcare centers, hospice, home and community-based programs, parks and recreation programs, schools, and residential settings. There are also recreational therapists who work in academic and research settings.
The number of certified professionals served by NCTRC has grown since the organization was established. The first registration by CAHR in 1959 credentialed 68 hospital recreation personnel. During NTRS’s management of the therapeutic recreation registration program the numbers grew from 260 in 1967 to just over 3,000 in 1981.
NCTRC currently has almost 19,000 certificants who hold active, inactive, or eligible for re-entry status on the registry, and receives approximately 1,300 new applications for certification each year.
The NCTRC Registry includes data for active, inactive and those eligible for reentry. The NCTRC Registry is updated quarterly to share the number of certificants within states, provinces, territories, and countries.
Any person accessing the Registry agrees that NCTRC is not responsible for any consequences resulting from inaccurate or incomplete information that may be provided herein.
Utilize the CTRS Verification Portal found on the NCTRC website to access the full registry of active Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists (CTRSs).
Recreational Therapy has shown tremendous growth and development over the past two decades. There is an increasing number of research studies that demonstrate the impact that recreational therapy services can have on overall health, well-being, and quality of life when provided by a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist. This alignment with global leaders who are also focusing on quality of life and well-being, sets the stage for favorable employment opportunities for qualified providers within the profession.
Since many CTRSs focus their practice within a specific population and service sector, NCTRC awards recognition of advanced knowledge and skill in seven specialized areas of recreational therapy practice. 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. Specialization is well recognized within professional practice and has become the norm within the health and human service delivery system today.
In healthcare settings where professional credentials and training are the benchmarks of quality, the CTRS and Specialization Area Designations through NCTRC exemplify the profession’s dedication to industry standards and professional excellence.
For occupation-specific information, review the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) O*NET Ally listing for Recreational Therapists.
