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

The TR Faculty & Advisors Faculty:  Jen Piatt, CTRS– TR Coordinator Physical medicine and rehabilitation, inclusive recreation, mental health, adaptive sports camps, Paralympic movement, seniors and wellness  Arlene Krause, CTRS – Part-time Instructor Non-profit management, advocacy and persons with disabilities, legislation  Jenn Taylor, CTRS- Part-time Instructor Mental health, youth with diabetes, camps, management of TR services  Kath Pinch – Grad Coordinator 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:  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  Know your catalog rights  Become familiar with graduation requirements  Meet with TR advisor Bring transcripts from all universities Be ready to discuss classes and internships  Also, meet with GE advisor (this is separate from the TR advising)

Advising orientation  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 RPTA 32 Rec Leadership *Must take before 136, or the same 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 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 168Abnormal Psych CHDV 030 Human Development (elective) **Refer to TR Supportive Coursework (elective) **Refer to TR Supportive Coursework (elective)**Refer to TR Supportive Coursework IV. Internship : 12 Units RPTA 195D TR Internship *Taken after courses are completed

Deadlines to file for Graduation  Applications are due ONE YEAR prior to graduation 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  Internship manual is available on the RPTMA website  Takes place after all coursework is complete Pre-internship hours = 600  Work directly under the supervision of a CTRS  Internship = 480 hours minimum 12 consecutive weeks (30 hours per week minimum) 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)  All information for certification can be found at  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  Start saving now for application fee $400 for professional eligibility and exam registration $425 if applying for eligibility prior to degree completion  Application Deadlines for Certification Exam 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.  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  Veterans Administration  Corrections  Mental Health  Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation  State Hospitals  Children’s Hospitals  Community Parks & Rec  Elite sports  Outdoor Programs  Consulting

Final thoughts….  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:

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