We’re often called “the play” or “the fun” people, and while providing clients with opportunities for play and fun are important aspects of our work, there is so much more to Recreation Therapy. Through assessment of needs, planning and implementing interventions, and evaluating services to determine goal achievement, Recreation Therapists provide a client-centered practice that promotes inclusion and diversity in all environments. February is Therapeutic Recreation Month, so we’d like to tell you about our role in providing quality healthcare services.
Many people take recreation for granted and don’t often think how their leisure time would change if they could no longer function at their current level. What would your leisure time look like if you experienced a decrease in functioning due to a brain injury, loss of limb, mental health problem (such as depression or schizophrenia), or stroke? What would happen if you could no longer use your body in the same way?
Those who provide recreation therapy services help clients to attain a greater quality of life through utilization of their personal strengths, skill development, and increased access to resources. Helping clients to identify and overcome personal barriers to recreation are important aspects of supporting residents in attaining greater independence.
Therapeutic Recreation Practitioners within Vancouver Coastal Health consist of Recreation Therapists, Recreation Therapy Assistants, Recreation Aides, Recreation Programmers, Activity Workers and Rehabilitation Assistants. Within Vancouver Coastal Health we work with diverse populations such as people with mental illness, children and youth, geriatrics, addictions, physical rehabilitation and eating disorders. We work in various settings including hospitals, residential care, community based, outpatient facilities, adult day programs, addictions, and rehabilitation centers.
Recreation Therapy is unique from other disciplines because we use various practice models. We take a holistic approach to health and wellness and work closely with clients to develop goals in the social, emotional, physical, cognitive and spiritual domains. We strongly believe that everyone has a right to recreation and leisure. Please join us throughout the month of February to celebrate the importance of improving quality of life, health and well-being through leisure and recreation.