1. RECREATION: AN ESSENTIAL PART OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
Presenters:
Lauren Sirkin, CTRS
Melissa Lachanski, B.S

2. It's time to play a game :)
STAND UP!
It's time to play a game :)
Egg
Chicken
Eagle
dinosaur

3. WHAT IS RECREATION THERAPY
Recreational therapists assist clients to develop skills, knowledge and behaviors for daily living and community involvement. The goal of recreational therapy is to restore, remediate or rehabilitate in order to improve functioning and independence as well as reduce or eliminate the effects of illness or disability
Social
Emotional
Physical
Cognitive

4. Certification Four years of college
Pass a certification test, soon to be licensure in NYS
Activities coordinator: Someone who organizes activities for clients
Recreation therapist: Someone who organizes recreation therapy for clients

5. Why add Recreation therapy to the medical modalities now?
It uses the same medical model as other therapies
It has a strength based focus
People try harder when they are having fun
It creates an atmosphere to succeed
People should be able to enjoy the therapy they are receiving to help them get better, and feel happy!

6. ASSESSMENT Why did we play that game a moment ago?
What did you notice about each other?
What is the difference between an assessment written by a psychologist, and an assessment written by a recreation therapist?
Goal of assessment: To help a person discover their strengths and use those to discover a person’s aspirations for recreation, health, and life.

7. PLANNING Once you assess a patient/client, you must plan.
Creating client identified goals

8. Development of plan What is the participant’s current situation?
What are the participant’s internal and external strengths and resources?
What are the participant’s goals, dreams, and aspirations?
Where does the participant want to be?
Development of plan

9. IMPLEMENTATION Here is where you put your plan into action
This could be individually or in groups!
My therapy groups have been things such as: ninja training, relaxation, The Sharks (a house wide team building group), Iron Chef

10. EVALUATION
As with all events, you must evaluate your process after it ends. Did it go the way you planned? If not, why, and was that okay?

11. SCENARIO #1
An elderly lady is admitted into your nursing home. She is confused, and shows signed of mild dementia. She is upset with her family's decision, but is willing to tell you about it. When she was younger, she worked in a bookstore. She and her husband had three children together.
What could a goal be, and what activity would you do to help her reach that?

12. SCENARIO #2
An average functioning 14 year old female, who cuts her thighs while in the shower. She rarely reports the incidents, and gets upset/ defiant when people find out. She likes to hang out with her friends, take walks, and watch tv. Her family would like her to decrease self harming behaviors, be truthful to those around her, and go to school on a regular basis in order to return home.

13. SCENARIOS 1 AND 2
Elderly woman: My goal would originally be to make her feel comfortable. After that, I would have her come up with the idea to create program revolving around books
Teenager: The goal would focus on self esteem. In order to increase her self esteem, I would involve her in a volunteer activity of her choosing.

14. Research is limited but evolving
Wounded Warrior Project
Still very little research, however...
Participants continue to report that the program works!

15. STRIDE
CREATE opportunities and provide outlets for individuals with special needs and wounded warriors to make friends, increase self-esteem, develop life skills, realize their potential and become productive members of society.
“Stride has been an inspiration, a stepping stone and incredible program that not only gives us veterans a chance at feeling normal and whole; it gives us our lives back. It gave me a way to open up to people, get my life back on track and gave me a sense of purpose. It's something all veterans long for after we leave the military.” Jeremy Walton

16. Our Programs

17. Why Volunteer?
Making new friends and connections
Being involved in your community
Building confidence and self esteem
Feeling needed and important
Getting active and healthy by reducing stress

18. According to Psychologytoday.com,
“Even when medical history, age, socioeconomic status, social support network, marital status, and physical/emotional health were taken into consideration, volunteering appears to reduce risk of death by 25 percent”
The full study is on the desk if you would like a copy

19. Caregiver’s systems model
Helping leads to feelings of perceived usefulness and provides social integration and support.
Oxytocin and progesterone are released as a result which regulate stress.
Older volunteers are potentially better able to resist disease and can live longer as a result.

21. Is it possible, that through volunteering and recreation, we can help reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and ultimately, suicidal ideations?

22. Psychologytoday.org Public.asu.edu Pbskids.org Recreationtherapy.com
References
Psychologytoday.org
Public.asu.edu
Pbskids.org
Recreationtherapy.com
Stride.org