University Presentation Showcase: Graduate Poster Gallery
Preview
Creation Date
Spring 2017
Major
Therapeutic Recreation
Department
Recreation and Park Administration
Degree
Graduate
Mentor
Michelle Davis Gerken
Mentor Department
Recreation and Park Administration
Abstract
Why all State Veteran Homes should have Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist!
Today, not every State Veterans Home has a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) at their facility for recreation therapy. This position is quickly diminishing across the board due to state budget cuts, leading to an absence of quality programs for all veterans in State Veteran Homes. The purpose of this research is to indicate which facilities across the United States are or are not taking advantage of employing this invaluable resource of a CTRS. The research will show the difference in quality of life to the veteran between those facilities that employ CTRS’s and those that do not. Further, this report will review the number of residents at each facility and their range in age to the ration of CTRS providing the service. Using resource data from the National Association of State Veterans Homes, the American Therapeutic Recreation Association, the Therapeutic Recreation Journal, and the National Recreation and Park Association, we hope to enlighten State Veterans Homes to the numerous benefits of employing Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists. These benefits include a greater diversity of programs available to veterans of all ages, overall improvement of quality of life, and long term cost savings to the state by having experts taking care of our nation’s heroes.
