{"title":"ConnectionsRx: A distance-support, community participation intervention for emerging adults with serious mental illnesses","authors":"Gretchen Snethen, Kyra H. Baker, B. McCormick","doi":"10.18666/trj-2022-v56-i2-11380","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/trj-2022-v56-i2-11380","url":null,"abstract":"The COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to develop and test distance-based interventions. Based upon the Competence Enhancement model, ConnectionsRx is a distance-based intervention designed to support emerging adults with serious mental illnesses to identify and increase participation in the community. Using a case study approach, the purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of ConnectionsRx. The case study details the APIE process, highlighting the individualized, client-driven nature of the intervention. Preliminary outcomes suggest the intervention has the potential to improve well-being through increased social and community participation. This study lays the groundwork for future research, which should explore the effectiveness of the intervention using more robust research methods.","PeriodicalId":45238,"journal":{"name":"Therapeutic Recreation Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46997592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Preparation for Working in Long Term Care Homes: Recommendations on Therapeutic Recreation Curricula from Recreation Therapists and Staff in Ontario","authors":"Kris Prentice, Miya Narushima","doi":"10.18666/trj-2022-v56-i2-11109","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/trj-2022-v56-i2-11109","url":null,"abstract":"As our population ages, more seniors will require care in long term care (LTC) homes, including care from recreation therapists and staff. This study examined recreation therapists and staff’s retrospective views of what would make them better prepared for working in LTC homes. A questionnaire distributed to 290 LTC homes in Ontario was completed by 487 recreation therapists and staff. Data were analyzed using ANOVAS and frequencies. Participants ranked experience as the most important and education as the least important factor for preparing them to work in LTC. Participants indicated increased practicum experience and knowledge of charting and documentation would help prepare them to work in LTC. The results of our study suggest the need for further training in gerontological competences for TR students, such as incorporating interprofessional collaboration and experience into TR curricula. TR practitioners can also enhance their learning by collaborating with others through communities of practice.","PeriodicalId":45238,"journal":{"name":"Therapeutic Recreation Journal","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41479616","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J. Piatt, Čedomirka Stanojević, Ivanka Simic-Stanojevic, Abigail Fisher, Junhyoung Kim
{"title":"Attitudes Toward Sexual Wellness for Individuals with Disabilities: Recreational Therapists' and Students' Perspectives","authors":"J. Piatt, Čedomirka Stanojević, Ivanka Simic-Stanojevic, Abigail Fisher, Junhyoung Kim","doi":"10.18666/trj-2022-v56-i2-11182","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/trj-2022-v56-i2-11182","url":null,"abstract":"Sexual wellness, an important component of overall quality of life, is often ignored or omitted from the scope of recreational therapy practices, mostly due to attitudes, beliefs, and lack of formalized training and education. No prior research exists on the attitudes of recreational therapists (RT) and students toward incorporating sexual wellness into practice for individuals with disabilities. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the current attitudes of practicing recreational therapists, as well as the attitudes of current students on sexual wellness within the scope of recreational therapy practices. A cross-sectional survey design was employed with a purposive sample of 112 RT practitioners and students. Results indicated that both RT students and practitioners believe that sexual wellness is an important component of rehabilitation and should be included in undergraduate and graduate education. Implications for practice and research are presented.","PeriodicalId":45238,"journal":{"name":"Therapeutic Recreation Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43834583","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evaluation of a Virtual Recreational Therapy Fieldwork and Clinical Supervision Program: Implications during the Pandemic and Beyond","authors":"Jami Bennett, Rhonda Nelson","doi":"10.18666/trj-2021-v56-i2-11339","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/trj-2021-v56-i2-11339","url":null,"abstract":"Fieldwork and clinical supervision are vital to the growth and development of students during their Recreational Therapy (RT) education. However, restrictions on in-person instruction and suspended access to clinical agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic challenged educators to find new ways to provide these experiences. This retrospective program evaluation describes a virtual RT fieldwork and clinical supervision program, and assesses its effectiveness. Undergraduate students (n = 17) and RT clinical supervisors (n = 17) matched into dyads met virtually for one hour weekly over the course of 10 weeks. Data from separate student and clinical supervisor surveys were analyzed using frequency counts and thematic review. Findings suggest both students and clinical supervisors found value in this virtual fieldwork and clinical supervision program. Suggestions for program improvement/development as well as implications for RT education are discussed with emphasis placed on ways technology can expand opportunities for RT fieldwork and clinical supervision.","PeriodicalId":45238,"journal":{"name":"Therapeutic Recreation Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42161523","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
H. B. McKissock, Ashley Bowen, S. Dawson, Lori Eldridge, Jordan McIntire, Čedomirka Stanojević, Daniela Tamas, B. McCormick
{"title":"Manualized Equine-Assisted Therapy Protocol for Clients with Autism Spectrum Disorder","authors":"H. B. McKissock, Ashley Bowen, S. Dawson, Lori Eldridge, Jordan McIntire, Čedomirka Stanojević, Daniela Tamas, B. McCormick","doi":"10.18666/trj-2022-v56-i1-10862","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/trj-2022-v56-i1-10862","url":null,"abstract":"Equine-assisted therapy (EAT) is an increasingly popular intervention for people with various disabilities and diagnoses. However, a lack of evidence-based protocols has hampered efforts to provide standardization of treatment. The Galloping Towards Success (GTS) protocol was designed specifically for clients with moderate to severe autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and is described in this paper. The 15-week manualized EAT protocol was previously tested across multiple sites in Serbia and the U.S. (Dawson et al., 2022) demonstrating the protocol’s preliminary effectiveness in increasing social skills in 9 out of 10 individuals with moderate to severe ASD. This manuscript aims to provide professionals with information regarding the GTS 15-week protocol, including an introductory overview, description of participants, assessment, planning weekly intervention activities, evaluation procedures, documentation, limitations, and author comments. This protocol will help create consistency in facilitation among Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists (CTRS ) who use equine-assisted therapy to treat adolescents and young adults with moderate to severe ASD while equipping researchers with the means to conduct future evidence-based research in the area of equine-assisted therapies.","PeriodicalId":45238,"journal":{"name":"Therapeutic Recreation Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48044421","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
F. Béland, P. Ouellette, H. Roussel, Jerome Singleton, Tristan D. Hopper
{"title":"Exploratory Study: Measurement Invariance of the Therapeutic Recreation Job Responsibility Scale","authors":"F. Béland, P. Ouellette, H. Roussel, Jerome Singleton, Tristan D. Hopper","doi":"10.18666/trj-2021-v56-i1-11070","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/trj-2021-v56-i1-11070","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of this study was to assess the measurement invariance of the Therapeutic Recreation Job Responsibility Scale (TR-JRS). It measures four dimensions of recreational practitioners’ duties with 27 items: 1) administration, 2) therapy, 3) face-to-face leadership and 4) professional development. Measurement invariance assesses the ability of a single instrument, the TR-JRS, to measure duties among recreational practitioners working in different environments, members of separate professional associations, and to promote different aspects of their work. The sample comprised 417 members of the Canadian Therapeutic Recreation Association and the F´ederation qu´eb´ecoise du loisir en institution. The initial factorial measurement analysis showed metric invariance as the model of choice, though its overall fit was outside the usual acceptable criteria. A factor analysis with a target rotation resulted in a short scale of 14 items with an appropriate Root Mean Square Error of Approximation and Comparative Fit Index. It included the same four dimensions as the 27-item version. A measurement invariance analysis was also run on the short-form scale. The number of factors, position of items within factors, and factor loadings were equal in both groups. The absolute values of the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation and the Comparative Fit Index associated with the short form were over the acceptable cutoff points by a small margin. As expected, items means differed between the two groups and reliability coefficients were high. Such findings reflect this study’s exploratory nature. Hence, further studies on item development could improve fit indices in favor of a stronger invariance status for this scale, which measures an important construct in therapeutic recreation.","PeriodicalId":45238,"journal":{"name":"Therapeutic Recreation Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45679985","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Status of Clinical Supervision in Therapeutic Recreation in 2020: A Follow-Up Study","authors":"L. Anderson, Jason Page, Melissa L. Zahl","doi":"10.18666/trj-2022-v56-i1-11189","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/trj-2022-v56-i1-11189","url":null,"abstract":"Despite increasing attention among allied professions, clinical supervision within therapeutic recreation remains an under-researched topic. This has left the field with limited knowledge regarding the status of clinical supervision received by recreation therapists. Just one study has examined clinical supervision in RT (Jones & Anderson, 2004) and found that most recreation therapists were not receiving or giving clinical supervision. The purpose of this study was to gain a current understanding of the status of clinical supervision in TR/RT. An online survey yielded a response of 954 recreation therapists. Results indicated that most in TR/RT are not receiving or giving clinical supervision, which has worsened in the last 17 years. The majority of respondents indicated that they had not received training in clinical supervision, noted many barriers to supervision, and a need for training. Recommendations to increase access to clinical supervision as well as needs for future research are identified.","PeriodicalId":45238,"journal":{"name":"Therapeutic Recreation Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49253840","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. Dawson, B. McCormick, Daniela Tamas, Čedomirka Stanojević, Lori Eldridge, Jordan McIntire, Ashley Bowen, H. B. McKissock
{"title":"Equine-Assisted Therapy with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Serbia and the United States: A Pilot Intervention","authors":"S. Dawson, B. McCormick, Daniela Tamas, Čedomirka Stanojević, Lori Eldridge, Jordan McIntire, Ashley Bowen, H. B. McKissock","doi":"10.18666/trj-2022-v56-i1-10387","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/trj-2022-v56-i1-10387","url":null,"abstract":"Adolescent and young adults with a diagnosed autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the severe to moderate functioning range were recruited for this study in Serbia and the United States (U.S.). A total of ten participants, five from each respective country, participated in a 15- week equine-assisted therapy (EAT) intervention that utilized ground-based learning through a manualized program approach. The purpose of the study was to test the effects of a manualized 15-week EAT intervention on the social functioning of individuals with severe to moderate ASD across two cultures using a single subject research design. Nine out of 10 participants displayed improved social functioning over the course of the 15- week EAT intervention in both cultures.","PeriodicalId":45238,"journal":{"name":"Therapeutic Recreation Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48281322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Čedomirka Stanojević, Lori Eldridge, Jordan McIntire, Ashley Bowen, S. Dawson, B. McCormick, Daniela Tamas, Blair Mckissock
{"title":"Employing an International Research Collaboration Framework to Pilot Test an Evidence-Based Recreational Therapy Program","authors":"Čedomirka Stanojević, Lori Eldridge, Jordan McIntire, Ashley Bowen, S. Dawson, B. McCormick, Daniela Tamas, Blair Mckissock","doi":"10.18666/trj-2022-v56-i1-10376","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/trj-2022-v56-i1-10376","url":null,"abstract":"The field of recreational therapy has well-established methods of scientific collaboration within the United States yet historically there is a scarcity of International Research Collaborations (IRC). IRC could provide many benefits to the field as well as encourage the pollination of new ideas and philosophies to other continents and cultures. The purpose of this paper is to present an IRC framework and to describe the steps that would bring successful IRC to the field of recreational therapy.","PeriodicalId":45238,"journal":{"name":"Therapeutic Recreation Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43445106","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Recreational Therapists Consider Leisure Motivation when Evaluating Virtual Reality Games","authors":"Lauren Lee Isaacs, Rhonda Nelson, S. Trapp","doi":"10.18666/trj-2021-v55-i4-10976","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18666/trj-2021-v55-i4-10976","url":null,"abstract":"Virtual reality (VR) interventions can be motivating for clients when presented as treatment in healthcare settings. Researchers know little, however, about the elements of specific VR games that contribute to this motivation. This study aimed to describe differences among a sample of commercially available VR games using the four subscales of the Leisure Motivation Scale (LMS). The research team used a mixed-methods design, and compiled an expert panel of recreational therapists (N = 5) who evaluated eight VR games using Q-sort methodology. Semi-structured interviews generated additional data for the evaluation. Results indicated participants viewed certain VR games as containing elements more closely aligned with each of the LMS subscales of intellectual, social, competence-mastery, and stimulus avoidance than others. These findings represent a critical step in developing guidelines for the purposeful selection of VR games as treatment interventions in recreational therapy practice based on a client’s leisure motivation. Subscribe to TRJ","PeriodicalId":45238,"journal":{"name":"Therapeutic Recreation Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2021-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48023238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}