June 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 20

COMMUNITY CENTER
Recreation Therapy and the Role of Parks
By Anthony Martino

ecreation therapy, therapeutic recreation - synonymous terms;
yet, to many people, they mean vastly different things. So, can we
clarify why there is such a difference of opinion in the name and
what future trends are pertaining to recreation professionals?
According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics' " Occupational
Outlook Handbook, " employment
for recreation therapists is set to
grow 7 percent by 2026. Given this
rate of growth, the field may experience an influx of therapists. But,
what they call themselves directly
impacts their future.

According to the Bureau of
Labor and Statistics'
" Occupational Outlook
Handbook, " employment for
recreation therapists is set to
grow 7 percent by 2026.

Parks & Recreation

In 1966, the pioneers in the field
worked to better define the roles
of individuals who entered it. Still,
what they called themselves varied
depending on who you spoke with.
Nonetheless, recreation therapists
were gaining support, as professional organizations, like NRPA,
began representing them, but they
still struggled as the years went on.
Their responsibilities grew, yet they
were having a difficult time defining
who they were and what they did.
They began to make advocacy their
No. 1 goal, and as the field continued to grow, the National Council
for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) formed in 1981.

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The idea was to show that recreation therapists had a body of
knowledge and were deemed qualified to provide services to the
public. NCTRC began to compile
data regarding those among their
group who achieved certification.
This data was used over the years
to assist with better defining their
roles. NCTRC currently defines
recreational therapy, also known
as therapeutic recreation, as a systematic process that utilizes recreation and other activity-based interventions to address the assessed
needs of individuals with illnesses
and/or disabling conditions, as a
means to psychological and physical health, recovery and well-being.
Eventually, regulatory agencies,
whose language did not require a
certified, credentialed individual to
provide services in nursing homes
and hospitals, began changing to
the use of verbiage, such as " must
be a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) or another licensed qualified individual. "
Though not completely independent and recognized, it was a step
in the right direction.
However, because the language
still allowed for others to provide
services that recreation therapists
also provide, confusion still existed as to what to call themselves
and why it is important. Licensure has been something that
many individuals have pursued
over the years following the certification inception.
Lately, recreation therapists
have been expanding their scope of
practice into park and recreation

June 2018 - Parks & Recreation

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