Recreation Therapy Horizon’s recreation therapists are health care professionals who work in hospital and outpatient services to improve, maintain, and prevent decline in a patient’s overall health, while enhancing their well-being and quality of life. Recreation therapists work with patients and their circle of care, to provide patient-centred care using leisure-based interventions. Recreation therapists provide supervision and direction to activity workers who work as part of the care team. What we do We understand and acknowledge our patients through their “life story” respecting their values, preferences, and cultural/spiritual beliefs. We assess a person’s strengths, needs, interests, medical condition, social history, legal status, ethnic values, and the context in which they occur to create an individualized treatment plan. We focus on a patient’s cognitive, physical, emotional, and social strengths while addressing their individual needs and offer interventions that are purposeful, meaningful and based on their individual assessment. We develop a treatment plan that is patient-centred utilizing interventions to achieve goal-oriented, and research-based outcomes. Benefits of participating in recreation therapy Source: Canadian Therapeutic Recreation Association Therapeutic recreation cognitive benefits Improved problem-solving skills Increased attention span Improved memory Goal-setting skills Improved time-management skills Improved cognition levels Therapeutic recreation emotional benefits Fosters positive experience Decreasing symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression Increased sense of belonging Improved self-confidence Decreases loneliness, boredom, and expressive behaviours Therapeutic recreation physical benefits Balance Find + gross motor skills Coordination Strength Range of motion Improved sleep Therapeutic recreation social benefits Decreased social isolation Develop/maintain social skills Strengthens social connections Increased community involvement How recreation therapy is offered Treatment sessions involve individual, small and/or large groups. Interventions may include but not limited to: leisure counselling physical activities including exercises, dance, and movement cooking games/card games or puzzles accessing and utilizing technology creative activities including creative writing or journaling mindfulness and relaxation individualized music programs gardening and nature community integration membership in clubs/organizations or volunteering FAQs What will my recreation therapist want to know about me? What are the things that are important to you? What are your goals? What do you want to achieve? What are your leisure interests? What does your chosen recreation participation look like? Involvement in organized sports/structured programs, opportunities for socialization, enjoyment and self-expression, or independent engagement. How can we help you in achieving you desired goals? Where are recreation therapy services available within Horizon? Recreation therapy is provided in a variety of settings, such as Hospitals, Long-term care facilities, Rehabilitation, and Addiction and Mental Health Services. The following locations offer recreation therapy The Moncton Hospital (TMH): Geriatric Medicine (5200 unit) Psychiatry Unit (3200) Provincial Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit (3700) Youth Wellness Unit (3100) St. Joseph’s Hospital (SJH) in Saint John: Geriatric Evaluation and Management Unit (GEM) Cognitive Assessment and Management Unit (CAM) Restorative Care Transitional Care Units (TCU) Saint John Regional Hospital (SJRH): Acute Psychiatry (4DN) Ridgewood Veterans Wing (RVW) in Saint John: All Veterans (Victory Lane and Liberty Lane) Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital (DECRH) in Fredericton: Healthy Aging and Rehabilitation Program (3NE) Transitional Care Unit (4E) Oromocto Public Hospital (OPH): Med1 WR Duffie Unit Hotel-Dieu of St.-Joseph in Perth-Andover: Inpatient Upper River Valley Hospital in Waterville: 2N 2E (special consult required) Veterans Health Unit (VHU) in Fredericton: All Veterans (Regent and Priestman) Miramichi Regional Hospital (MRH): Rehabilitation & Restorative (1 East) Transition Care Unit (4 East) Acute Psychiatry (1 West) Addiction Services (Detox) Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation (SCCR) in Fredericton: Inpatient Adults Outpatient Adults Outpatients Pediatrics Centracare in Saint John: Psych Rehabilitation Complex Behavioural Unit Psychogeriatric Geriatric Unit How to I get in to see a recreation therapist at Horizon Referral from a member the of the care team or yourself on a unit that has recreation therapy services in place. What is the definition for terms such as “assessment” and “circle of care”? Definitions: Assessment: is a clinical process during which standardized assessment tools are selected and administered to collect necessary information in creating a client intervention. The recreation therapist then interprets and analyzes the results of this process and communicates these results to key stakeholders in the assessment report. The therapeutic recreation process, consists of: Functional intervention: designed to address limitations that prevent the patient from improving their leisure-related awareness, knowledge, skills, abilities, and involvement. Leisure Education: focuses on the patient developing leisure-related attitudes, self awareness, knowledge, skills, related decision-making, and awareness of leisure resources. Recreation Participation: are organized structured programs which include opportunities for community integration, socialization, enjoyment, and self-expression. Circle of care: includes individuals that are identified/designated by the patient who they want involved in their care and members of your health care team. These members can include family members, close friends or other caregivers, and/or the substitute decision maker (SDM). These members are active partner in care who are an essential member of the health care team and contribute to a positive patient experience and outcome. Life Story: is more than an accounting of events in your life. It encompasses all your experiences and how they have impacted and shaped who you are today. Educational Institutions for recreation therapy Educational placements for recreation therapy student Volunteer Opportunities Professional Associations Educational Institutions – CTRA – Canadian Therapeutic Recreation Association (canadian-tr.org) Horizon is able to provide recreation therapy internship placements that are supervised by a certified recreation therapist specialist (CTRS) in accordance with the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification requirements of a 560-hour, 14 consecutive week internship, at various locations throughout Horizon. If you are interested in an internship, please go to the Horizon Education Placements. Volunteers are a valuable part of many recreation therapy programs. They work with recreation therapy staff in assisting with participatory programs for patients as well as social opportunities. The Recreation Therapy team works with Horizon’s Volunteer Resources to define and fill all volunteer positions in a way that promotes a rewarding experience for everyone involved. If you are interested in volunteering, check out Volunteers Resources https://horizonnb.ca/careers/volunteering/volunteer-opportunities/ Canadian Therapeutic Recreation Association – CTRA – Canadian Therapeutic Recreation Association – Uniting Therapeutic Recreation Across Canada. (canadian-tr.org) National Council of Therapeutic Recreation Certification – NCTRC How to recognize a recreation therapy professional If you would like to recognize a member of the Recreation Therapy team, you could consider sending a Bravo! Testimonials “…It just made me understand and realize that his quality of life isn’t over, it’s just different, and that he will still be able to enjoy life.” – Family Member “…I learned a lot how to express my feelings to other people.” – Patient “Thank you for helping rediscover the calm in art.” – Patient “Those techniques you suggested to make giving meds and taking blood pressures less stressful (for the patients)… I’ve been using them and it’s working.” – Horizon Staff Member “Watch this (swinging arms to music)! I never thought I’d move that arm again,” – Patient “It was so nice to see him up there being part of the ceremony that was so important to him…and being able to do it again, even though he can’t see.” – Family Member “I can’t believe the difference in him, before he wouldn’t even get out of bed for anybody and now, he calls the nurses to get him up because he looks forward to his therapy sessions with you.” – Family Member Recreation therapy is not intended to stop when the treatment ends but rather to expand a patient’s resources, support networks, and create links for continued participation within their homes and/or communities to improve their quality of life. Horizon locations offering this service: Fredericton Facility Name Address Phone Stan Cassidy Centre For Rehabilitation 800 Priestman St., Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 0C7 506-452-5225 Veterans Health Unit (Fredericton) 680 Priestman St.,, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 3B7 506-452-5034 Oromocto Public Hospital 103 Winnebago St., Oromocto, New Brunswick, E2V 1C6 506-357-4700 Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital (Fredericton) 700 Priestman St. , PO Box 9000, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 3B7 506-452-5400 Miramichi Facility Name Address Phone Miramichi Regional Hospital 500 Water St., Miramichi, New Brunswick, E1V 3G5 506-623-3000 Moncton Facility Name Address Phone The Moncton Hospital 135 MacBeath Ave., Moncton, New Brunswick, E1C 6Z8 506-857-5111 Saint John Facility Name Address Phone Centracare 416 Bay St., Saint John, New Brunswick, E2M 7L4 506-649-2550 Ridgewood Veterans Wing (Saint John) 422 Bay Street, South Bay, c/o Saint John Regional Hospital, Saint John, New Brunswick, E2L 4L2 506-635-2420 St. Joseph's Hospital (Saint John) 130 Bayard Dr., Saint John, New Brunswick, E2L 3L6 506-632-5555 Saint John Regional Hospital 400 University Ave., Saint John, New Brunswick, E2L 4L2 506-648-6000 Upper River Valley Facility Name Address Phone Hotel-Dieu of St. Joseph (Perth-Andover) 10 Woodland Hill, Perth-Andover, New Brunswick, E7H 5H5 506-273-7100 Upper River Valley Hospital (Waterville) 11300 Route 130, Waterville, New Brunswick, E7P 0A4 506-375-5900