PRT 3800 INTERNSHIP- LA EUROPA ACADEMY FALL 2015 Codi Wagner

La Europa Academy (LEA) Arts based Residential Treatment Center for adolescent girls ages Mental and behavioral health disorders RTC = Students live, go to school, and go to therapy on campus Interned under Nikki North, TRS, CTRS Expressive Therapies Recreational Therapy Art Therapy Music Therapy Dance Therapy Sand Tray Psychodrama

Internship Goals Goal #1: By the completion of my internship (December 2015), enhance my therapeutic communication skills in working with a diverse population of adolescent girls who are in crisis mode. Goal #2: By the end of the first month of my internship, develop an increased understanding and education of the various conditions treated at La Europa Academy in order to provide better student care. Goal #3: By the completion of my internship (December 2015), develop the ability to confidently create and lead intervention groups under supervision.

Goal #1 Therapeutic Communication Skills Active Listening, Clarifying, Paraphrasing, Summarizing, Self-Disclosure, Focusing, Sharing Empathy, Validating, Using Silence etc. Sharing Empathy Difficult to relate “That must be hard” vs. “I understand” Every interaction = chance to practice Groups Assessments Casual Conversation

Goal #2 Conditions treated at LEA Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Substance abuse, Eating Disorders, Body Distortion, Personality Disorders, Panic Disorders, Bipolar Disorder, Sexual Reactivity, Adoption and Attachment issues, Self-harming behaviors Most of the girls at LEA have multiple diagnoses Examples of behaviors seen in recreational therapy Lack of motivation Withdrawal Social anxiety Intense frustration/overwhelm Controlling

Goal #3 Leisure Education Group Variety of activities on and off campus Bowling, trampoline park, canyon drives, hiking, sushi making, humane society, go karting, 5 domains, apples to apples, tie dying etc. Processing What did you think of the activity? What did you like/dislike about the activity? Is this an activity you have done before? Are they places accessible to you to do this activity at home? Would you do this activity again?

Goal #3 Cont. Recreational Therapy Group Interventions Evidence based interventions Linear values line, Labyrinth, Broken Squares, Blocks, Tarp, Paper bags etc. Other Wilderness presentations & Burnings Processing Based on the outcome of the intervention Communication, teamwork, mindfulness, life application etc.

TR PROCESS (APIED) Assessment Interviewed students upon admit to LEA Established recreational therapy treatment goals Plan Assisted supervisor in planning groups and activities Planned 1 Leisure Ed. Group, and 2 Rec. Therapy Groups Implement Ran, assisted and observed planned weekly group interventions Evaluate Evaluated group outcomes and modified rec. therapy goals as needed Document Charted following groups Subject, Intervention, Plan Assessment Plan Implement Evaluate Document

Projects Fine Arts Festival (FAF) Zion Camping Trip Thanksgiving Weekend Arts Week

Additional Takeaways I have always known I wanted to work in community based settings but wanted to gain experience in a clinical setting. Interning at LEA opened my eyes to the wonderful, but challenging world of residential treatment and I now see it as a possibility for my future. Planning to do my large internship in community based setting CLINICAL VS. COMMUNITY BASED

Takeaways Cont. My biggest obstacle was being confident in myself and trusting my abilities. By the end I had learned to believe in myself more and developed confidence in my ability to learn and practice recreational therapy. CONFIDENCE

QUESTIONS?