Heather Broderson, CTRS heather.broderson@va.gov
It is a new year and hard to believe that it has been a decade since Y2K. People are hoping for a better 2010 after a difficult 2009 where many endured decrease in pay, working hours, and even job loss as the economy was anything but stable. It is time for us to remain optimistic and remember what is important. As president of ASTRA, it is my duty to lead this organization into a new year.
A concerned member contacted me regarding organization representation at the annual ATRA conference held in Reno, NV in October 2009. It was discussed in the August 2009 board meeting regarding sending a board member to the ATRA conference or sending a board member to the APRA/ASTRA conference later that month in Scottsdale, AZ. The board decided at that time it was important to foster the ongoing relationship with APRA. Sending someone to the conference held locally was not only a decision based on availability for time away from work, but also much more affordable for ASTRA. The last annual ATRA conference an ASTRA board member attended cost the organization more than it made at its previous April conference. Board members have proposed several ideas in order to assure representation at local and national conferences. These include:
Increasing the annual membership fees.
Increasing the cost of attending the April conference.
Asking for donations to assist in sending a board member to a national conference.
Board members are hesitant to increase fees or to ask for its members for donations especially in these tough economic times. It is a continuous struggle to maintain members at the current rate of $20.00 for a professional annual member. The purposes of conferences are to provide members with current trends and programming in Recreation Therapy as well as continuing education credits or CEU’s for the professional. I am hopeful current members and new members will find their membership to ASTRA beneficial this year.
To maintain our status with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), I filed paperwork electronically in early November. This filing assures ASTRA a 501(c) 6 organization. This was accepted the same day.
In December, ATRA proposed a name change from American Therapeutic Recreation Association to American Recreation Therapy Association (ARTA). ASTRA sent out an email to its members asking ATRA members to vote on the name change. Several questions emerged. The ATRA members did not pass the name change and it remains ATRA.
I am pleased to announce that ASTRA has a new webmaster. Jamie Heckerman has volunteered to take on this extra position. Thank you Jamie for serving as Membership/Member at Large and now Webmaster too. Your dedication is greatly appreciated.
As Jamie gets the website updated, the board has taken steps that eventually the website will allow members to pay for membership and register for conferences online through Pay Pal. I am optimistic this will be available soon.
It is time to start thinking of upcoming conferences. The board is finalizing plans for the April 2010 conference and will again partner with APRA in August for our mid-year conference. Suzanne is working hard improving the APRA/ASTRA partnership and filling time slots for speakers.
I feel very fortunate to be working with committed board members. Next year, ASTRA will have open board positions. I am asking members to be thinking of possible nominations of professionals who will contribute to the success of ASTRA.
Please contact me or any of the board members with any questions, suggestions, or concerns you may have regarding ASTRA. Our contact information is on the last page of this newsletter.
ASTRA Announces our new Website
As Heather stated above, the new website is almost ready for use.
You will now be able to:
Update your profile and pay your membership dues using Pay Pal
Register for conferences and pay for CEUs using Pay Pal
Post upcoming events hosted by your organization
Post job opportunities
Recruit volunteers for your upcoming events
Share pictures of your events
The current website astra-tr.com will soon provide you with a link to the new website. Take a minute to check it out and review your personal profile.
ASTRA’sMid-Year Conference
Suzanne Prosser, CTRS prosses@azdhs.gov
The upcoming ASTRA Mid-Year Conference is shaping up to be an exciting and rejuvenating event.
Will be held on April 29, 2010At Aurora Behavioral Health6015 W. Peoria Ave. Glendale, Arizona 85302
As illustrated by the title, the event is designed to promote wellness through healthy mind, body, and spirit, not only for the individuals who receive recreation therapy services but also for those providing these services. As recreation therapists, we provide opportunities for our clients to explore all areas of self in order to progress toward optimal levels of health. This conference is designed to provide professionals with the tools and skills needed in order to do this. In addition, this conference is designed to help therapists maintain a personal level of wellness while providing these services resulting in the highest quality of care for our clients.
The tentative topics for the conference include:
Healthy BehaviorsPresented by: Karen Miller, LCSW
Exercise, Nutrition, and RelaxationPresented by: Melissa Lopes, CTRS
Adolescent InterventionsPresented by: Amy Boettcher, CTRS
HumorPresented by: Nancy Yeamans, PhD
Childhood Obesity or Recreation Therapy in a school settingPresented by: Thea Kavanaugh
In addition to the educational opportunities, ASTRA is again planning to hold a raffle and silent auction.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the therapists and staff at Aurora Behavioral Health for assisting ASTRA in securing their facilities for our conference. If your organization would be interested in hosting the next ASTRA mid-year conference in Spring 2011, please contact me to discuss the possibilities as well as the facilities your organization could provide.
ASTRA Student Club Happenings
Mikala Edwards ASTRA Student Club President
The ASTRA student club has many exciting events to look forward to this year: we are pairing with ASU’s adaptive sailing club, joining KEEN Phoenix for the Autism walk in Tempe, Rock Climbing with Daring Adventures and volunteering at Day on the Lake. These one-time opportunities have been instrumental in exposing us to a variety of populations and experiences that can be done as a group. The student club
also facilitates a “retreat” type event for its members every year. A retreat site has yet to be determined
for this academic year and is seeking suggestions from ASTRA members. Past retreats have included a retreat with the Spinal Cord Injury Association and Whispering Hope Ranch. Such partnerships provide win/win situations as the students gain positive experiences and provide support to groups who need volunteers for such events.
ASTRA Students have been reporting challenges gaining “hands on” clinical experience. Many of the
clinical volunteer opportunities involve long waiting lists, multiple orientations, and a strict time line for volunteering. As the student club president, I strive to assist the student with these struggles, and would like to pair with our CTRS professionals in order to alleviate some of these challenges.
One-time volunteer opportunities and clinical “hands on” instruction are an excellent way to gain career field experience and partner with therapeutic recreation professionals in Arizona. The ASTRA Student Club would like more volunteer and retreat experiences throughout the upcoming academic year and seeks your assistance. Please contact the student club president with your ideas; Mikala Edwards at mnedward@asu.edu.
Special Olympics
Jamie Heckerman Jamie.Heckerman@peoriaaz.gov
Special Olympics is an internationally recognized sports program for individuals with intellectual disabilities and an integral part of recreational therapy services. Special Olympics are open to every person with intellectual disabilities who is at least eight years of age.
The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports. To allow athletes continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy, and participate in a sharing of skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympians and the community.
Special Olympics Arizona currently offers 22 sport training and competition opportunities and serves over 9,000 athletes.
To find out more information about Special Olympics please visit www.soaz.org. If you are interested in volunteering for Special Olympics please contact me at: Jamie.Heckerman@peoriaaz.gov.
Outstanding Program Award –Adaptive Program
Submitted by Beth Lucas, CTRS City of Tucson Therapeutic Recreation Supervisor
The City of Tucson Parks and Recreation Therapeutic Recreation Unit and Blue Pants Racing held the 2nd Annual Tucson Kids' Try-athlon at the Edith Ball Adaptive Aquatics Center in March 2009. Blue Pants Racing is a local tri-athlon group that encourages fitness for individuals of all ability levels. This free event was open to kids ages 6 through 21 with different disabilities and/or special needs and their family members. Younger kids without disabilities were welcome to participate as well.
The focus of the event was to do your personal best and to have fun doing it! Hence the title “Try-athlon, as in “try” your best. There were no set distances for any of the three events that included swimming, biking, and
running. Kids were not required to participate in all three portions of the event. They could choose to
participate in one, two, or all three events. Each child was assigned an adult volunteer or “buddy” who had
attended previous trainings.
As in a typical tri-athlon, the event was held in waves with the younger children going first. The opening event was swimming and children could swim one, two, three, or four laps depending on their skill level. Swim aids such as kickboards and noodles were allowed and buddies assisted the children in the water as needed.
The second event was biking and a course was set up in Reid Park. A buddy carried water, a first-aid kit and a cell-phone for safety and followed each kid on the course. Some kids brought their own bikes and training wheels were allowed. A number of bikes of different sizes as well as hand-cycles for those who could not use their legs to pedal were available for those who needed to borrow equipment. Bike helmets were required. Bicycle mechanics from one of our sponsors, Trek Bicycles of Tucson, were on site for last minute check-ups as well as helmet loans.
The final event was the running portion. Kids were encouraged to walk, run or race their wheelchair to the best of their ability. Wheelchair users were encouraged to bring their own sports wheelchairs and race-chairs were provided for those that did not own one. Participants walked, ran or wheeled around a scenic duck pond in the park. City of Tucson lifeguards were on hand for this portion of the event.
A number of safety considerations were considered and utilized. Sunscreen was available and water was provided throughout the course. Medical staff was available in the event of an emergency and a First Aid tent was set up on site. Lifeguards were provided during the swimming portion and the running portion of the event. The number of volunteers matched the number of participants providing plenty of adult supervision.
Well over 800 participants, sponsors, and volunteers have taken part in this event over the past 2 years. Sponsors included Sunflower Market, Tri-Sports, United Cerebral Palsy, and Trek Bicycles. They assisted in donating food and drinks, providing expertise and specialized equipment, and marketing of the event. Local news media covered the event both years.
This year, Channel 12 did a special interest story on a young first time participant. Olivia is a 3 year-old who
was injured in January 2009 in an accident and now has a spinal cord injury and uses a wheelchair. Olivia’s
mom, Carolyn, describes her daughter as a typical 3 year-old who is very active. The Kids Try-Athlon provided the first opportunity for Olivia to see other kids like her who use wheelchairs. Carolyn added that Olivia is a strong, determined little girl and that when she decides she wants to do something, she finds a way to do it. Carolyn was thrilled that Olivia could participate in the Kids Try-Athlon and states that Olivia discovered that,
“There’s a whole community for her” and that Olivia has realized that, “she can do wonderful things.”
The goal of the Kids Try-Athlon was to have fun, promote a healthy lifestyle and offer a great athletic event. Many adaptations such as specialized equipment and options such as varying distances and differing levels of assistance were offered to support meeting this goal. All participants, both finishers and non-finishers, received a medal as well as a standing ovation from our very enthusiastic volunteers at the finish line. At the conclusion of the event, all kids, family and volunteers attended the awards ceremony and athletes were presented with a medal. The pride of accomplishment was evident in the smiles of the participants who put forth their best effort and achieved their personal best.
The ASTRA Board of Directors is currently seeking nominations for the 2010 Recreation Therapist of the Year Award. Your nomination can be submitted via e-mail to any current Board member.
The award is designed to recognize an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the field of Recreation Therapy through creative and innovative programming in a clinical or community setting, is active in promoting the profession, and offers services to upcoming professionals.
Qualifications:
The nominee must meet at least two of the following:
A. Evidence of creative and innovative programming in a clinical setting.
- Case Study example of positive outcome with client.
- Creative and/or unique clinical program developed to meet a specific population need.
- Outstanding program development and implementation.
B. Minimum of 3 years full-time employment related to RT.
C. Evidence of promotion of the profession.
- Presentations at Recreational Therapy related conferences.
- Service on a Recreational Therapy Board or Committee.
- Service as an Information source on Recreational Therapy, i.e.…author of written materials
D. Service to upcoming professionals.
- Supervision of student interns.
- Provides “Experience Days” to students allowed them to gain observational or practical experience.
Please include the following information in your nomination:
Name of nominee
Supporting information for the Board to review
Your name and Contact information
Nomination are due by April 1, 2010
We thank you for taking time to support your peers and our profession!
Save the Date for the APRA/ASTRA Conference coming in August 2010.
Mobilize Your Internship Program
Kelly Ramella, M.A., CTRS Kelly.Ramella@asu.edu
At a time when resources are scarce, mobilizing an internship program is one of the most effective ways to address your needs. Therapeutic Recreation students across the nation are potential human capital that can provide quality support to your patients and clients. In fact, during such economic times, people return to school due to a lack of employment and thus there are more students seeking valuable volunteer/intern experiences. This is a time to think strategically about using interns to have significant impact on the growing demands you face each day. With careful planning, you can educate your organization about the value of an internship program. Consider the following steps as you either develop or refresh the internship program in your organization.
Organizational Readiness – Review the job knowledge areas (58) provided by NCTRC. Talk with staff and administration to explore ideas about how interns can gain exposure to the tasks while supporting the needs of your organization.
Develop an Internship Manual – Review the internship requirements stated by NCTRC and consider your own needs. Develop a guide that at a minimum abides by NCTRC while providing a challenging and rewarding experience for students. *Please note there have been significant developments in the requirements, so it is critical you review this information found on www.nctrc.org
Recruit and Market Your Program – There are programs all over the nation with students seeking exciting internships. The Valley of the Sun is appealing to many! Make your program competitive, so you will recruit the highest quality student. By using a targeted and structured form of recruitment, you will save time and energy.
Ensure Quality Training & Supervision – Consider organizational resources and develop ways to include other professionals within the organization and community to provide unique training opportunities while abiding by NCTRC guidelines. Communicate with Universities to discuss your expectations of interns and learn of their requirements.
Evaluation & Capacity Building – Ongoing evaluation of the internship experience by you, by staff and by the intern is helpful to build visibility and credibility as a quality provider of therapeutic recreation internships.
As you consider the steps outlined above, you may need support and guidance from colleagues. ASTRA is a good source for networking. In addition, if you are interested in a one-day intensive workshop on the
topic (to earn CEU’s too), please let us know.
Kelly Ramella Arizona State University
Students Looking For Internships
Does your facility offer Student Internships? If your facility is interested in having a student intern for one of the upcoming semesters please post your information on www.recreationtherapy.com, so we can attract students to Arizona from all over the country.
Providing children with a great start.
Dawna Sterner, CTRS, HTR Djsbonik@aol.com
The Children’s Centers, Good Beginnings Preschool is giving preschool children a great start. Our inclusive developmental preschool is excited to be serving children from ages 2-5 with or without special
needs. The aim of our program is to increase student’s academic readiness, by providing an environment
rich in language activities, sensorimotor exploration, and progressive self-help training. Instructors and therapists work together to formulate individual goals in speech and language, motor skills, adaptive behavior, social skills, and pre-academics. The program includes unique interventions facilitated by speech, occupational, recreational, and music therapists to enhance the learning experience provided by our caring instructors.
If you would like a tour of the preschool or more information please call Dawna at 623-915-0345.
Upcoming Events
PowerBlast Power Soccer Tournament
Saturday, January 23rd
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.ASU Student Recreation Complex, 400 E. Apache Blvd, TempeFierce competition between Division I and Division II Power Soccer teams.
SkiAble Adaptive Alpine Experience
February 7th – 10th, 2010Full Day (9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.) / Half Day (9:30 a.m. – Noon or 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.)Sunrise Ski Park, Greer, AZThe cooperative program provides an opportunity for beginner, intermediate and advancedskiers to enjoy the freedom and thrill of the downhill sport. Adaptive equipmentand instruction is available throughout the multi-day event.
Desert Challenge Regional Games
April / May 2010TBDMulti-sport event including archery, track and field, swimming and weightlifting open to competitive
Wheelchair Games and other National Championships by meeting the qualifying standards in their respective events.
Information for all events hosted by Arizona Disabled Sports can be found online at www.ArizonaDisabledSports.com as it becomes available. Please contact Lane Jeppesen at 480-835-MASD or lane@mesadisabledsports.com
Information Corner
2010 ATRA AWARDS NOMINATIONS REQUESTED!
Hello all CTRS’s out there! It’s that time of the year to start thinking about those professionals in
therapeutic recreation who have made a difference in the last year. Whether a clinician, ATRA or affiliate member, researcher, organization, institution, college or university, or chapter affiliate, if you feel they should be recognized for their positive contribution to the field of therapeutic recreation, NOMINATE! We deserve to recognize those in our field who are doing exemplary work.
Nominations are due by JUNE 4th 2010
The ATRA Awards Program is comprised of 11 awards, presented each year at the fall ATRA Annual Conference and Membership Meeting.
Award Categories:
Distinguished Fellow Award Frank N. Basile Clinician of the Year Award Outstanding Professional Award Excellence in Education Award Member of the Year Award Scholarly Achievement Award Individual Citation Chapter Affiliate of the Year Award Organization or Institution Citation Advocacy Award Certificate of Recognition
*The Linda Levine Madori Scholarship is an additional award *
The purpose of this scholarship is to support individuals in the field of Therapeutic Recreation who are currently in a period of financial need. This scholarship will assist an ATRA Member in good standing who is also a single parent with the financial assistance for a conference registration for the ATRA Annual Conference September 12–15, 2010.
For more information on nomination criteria and official nomination form please email the ATRA Awards Team Co-Leader: Marilyn Radatz MS, CTRS at Marilyn.Radatz@va.gov.
Thank you and remember to do your part as a member of ATRA and nominate a deserving professional.
ATRA Mid-Year Conference
“Coasting Toward Success”
February 20-23, 2010Beau Rivage Casino and ResortBiloxi, MS
ATRA Annual Conference
"Near Nature, Near Perfect."
September 12-15, 2010Spokane, WA
ATRA is seeking presenters for both of these conferences.Please see their website atra-online.com for more information.
ASTRA Board Members
President:
Heather Broderson, CTRS heather.broderson@va.gov
President-Elect:
Suzanne Prosser, CTRS prosses@azdhs.gov
Membership/Member at Large:
Jamie Heckerman Jamie.Heckerman@peoriaaz.gov