Therapeutic Recreation What to know to graduate Therapeutic

Therapeutic Recreation – What to know to graduate Therapeutic Recreation Option Advisor Jennifer Piatt

The TR Faculty & Advisors Faculty: o Jen Piatt , CTRS– TR Coordinator n o Arlene Krause, CTRS – Part-time Instructor n o Non-profit management, advocacy and persons with disabilities, legislation Jenn Taylor, CTRS- Part-time Instructor n o Physical medicine and rehabilitation, inclusive recreation, mental health, adaptive sports camps, Paralympic movement, seniors and wellness Mental health, youth with diabetes, camps, management of TR services Kath Pinch – Grad Coordinator n Adventure therapy, outdoor programming for individuals with disabilities, adaptive golf, camps and youth with disabilities, experiential education including ropes courses for individuals with disabilities Advisors: o o o Jen Piatt (Appointments only August 25 – Sept 5) Lisa Jorgensen (Office Hours: Tuesday 10: 30 – 11: 30; 3: 00 – 5: 00; Wednesday by appointment only) Beth Erickson (Office Hours: TBA)

The basics o o Know your catalog rights Become familiar with graduation requirements Meet with TR advisor n Bring transcripts from all universities n Be ready to discuss classes and internships Also, meet with GE advisor (this is separate from the TR advising)

Advising orientation o o TR curriculum and the NCTRC Job Tasks Analysis Internship requirements Certification eligibility Job prospects

Core Classes in the RPTA Major I. Department Core Lower Division: 10 Units RPTA I Orientation to RLS RPTA 30 Rec Leisure Contem Rec Leadership *Must take before 136, or the same RPTA 32 semester RPTA 42 Rec Ntrl Resources II. Department Core Upper Division: 15 Units RPTA 101 Sr. Portfolio RPTA 105 Mgmnt of Leis Serv (Fall only) *Must take before RPTA 119 RPTA 106 Inclusive TR *before or concurent RPTA 109 Computer App RPTA 110 Rsrch app in leisure **Ideally take this your last semester RPTA 136 Leis. Program Planning (required for catalog 2004 - current)

TR Option III. TR Option: 15 Units RPTA 116 TR Principles & Prac (Fall only) RPTA 117 TR Contemp Dis (Spring only) RPTA 118 Facilitation Tech in TR (Fall only) RPTA 119 TR Services/Systems (Spring only) (elective) IV. Non-RPTA Electives : 18 Units BIOL 25 Human Anat & Phys PSYC 168 Abnormal Psych CHDV 030 (elective) IV. Internship : RPTA 195 D Human Development **Refer to TR Supportive Coursework 12 Units TR Internship *Taken after courses are completed

Deadlines to file for Graduation o Applications are due ONE YEAR prior to graduation n n o o Fall – November 1 st Spring – May 1 st You must have the forms to your advisor at least two weeks prior to the university deadline TR Grad Check can be downloaded from Jen’s website

The Internship

Internship requirements o o Internship manual is available on the RPTMA website Takes place after all coursework is complete n o o Pre-internship hours = 600 Work directly under the supervision of a CTRS Internship = 480 hours minimum n 12 consecutive weeks (30 hours per week minimum) n Many sites require additional hours (up to 600 hours) University clinical contract must be in place prior to internship start date (this can take up to 5 months to complete) Plan on applying one year prior to internship start date

Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) o o o All information for certification can be found at www. nctrc. org. All courses meet the requirements for eligibility to sit for the NCTRC exam You can apply and sit for the examination during your internship (strongly recommended!) Most agencies require national certification prior to employment Title Protection law in California

How to prepare yourself o Start saving now for application fee n n o $400 for professional eligibility and exam registration $425 if applying for eligibility prior to degree completion Application Deadlines for Certification Exam n n n October 1, 2007 for January 7 -11, 2008 exam February 1, 2008 for May 5 -9, 2008 exam July 1, 2008 for October 6 -10, 2008 exam

How to prepare yourself cont. o o o Purchase the NCTRC Exam Study Guide Print off the application from the NCTRC website and become familiar with what is required Take practice exams online Form a study group Make the commitment to become certified

Job Prospects o o o o o Veterans Administration Corrections Mental Health Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation State Hospitals Children’s Hospitals Community Parks & Rec Elite sports Outdoor Programs Consulting

Final thoughts…. o o ASK! Don’t try to figure everything out on your own Everyone’s advising plan is different – your TR buddies plan might be different than yours Start building your reputation NOW – the field is small – you are already building your professional portfolio Still have questions? Go to: n http: //www. csus. edu/indiv/p/piattj/

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