Recreation Therapy, B.S.

The Recreation Therapy curriculum will train students to be client-focused while learning to help persons with physical, cognitive and psychological disabilities set and achieve goals in their personal development. Patients accomplish this through many techniques such as creative play, adaptive sports, the use of animals, art, music, exercise, aquatics and interacting with others in social settings. In addition to the recreation therapy courses, you will receive a background in psychology, human movement and human service fields where you will learn to assess and evaluate clients and create treatment plans. These skills can be valuable in a variety of social service fields in addition to recreation therapy.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate entry-level knowledge of the nature and scope of the recreation therapy profession and its associated service delivery systems including professionalism, standards of practice, and codes of ethics, and the foundations of the recreation therapy profession in history, theory, science, and philosophy including theories of recreation, human functioning and human services.
2. Recognize the importance of continuing education for the purpose of best practices, licensure, client benefit, and professional and personal development.
3. Demonstrate the ability to assess the domains of human well-being utilizing standardized assessments, observations and interviews to determine clients’ strengths and weaknesses and to plan client goals and objectives using appropriate strategies and modalities.
4. Employ the ability to implement program plans to individuals or groups working individually and with teams, and to document and evaluate recreation therapy services that facilitate targeted outcomes.
5. Show the ability to use effective individual and group leadership skills, use appropriate helping relationship skills, have a client-centered focus and unconditional positive regard for ones’ clients that embrace personal and cultural dimensions of diversity.