Opening Session – 8:00 – 9:30 am
Aligning Our Values with Our Life Purpose
Sandy K. Negley, M.S., MTRS, CTRS, FDRT, University of Utah
This keynote address will actively engage attendees in exploring self, profession, and life purpose. Sandra will guide recreational therapists through identifying their values, life purpose, and alignment with the profession of Therapeutic Recreation and the practice of Recreational Therapy. The question to answer is...Do Your Values Align with Your Life Purpose?
Concurrent Breakout Sessions – 9:45 – 10:45 am
Recreational Therapy in a Behavioral Healthcare Hospital
Antoinette Siu, CTRS, Bakersfield Behavioral Healthcare Hospital
Learn how recreational therapists work in behavioral or psychiatric hospitals. What are things we program and hidden challenges in a hospital? How the mental health system utilizes recreational therapists for expressive arts. The modalities used by Recreational Therapists and how they program around restrictions.
A Clinical Supervision Framework in Recreational Therapy
Jamie R. Bennett, MS, MTRS, CTRS, University of Utah
Dare to Lead was developed by Brene Brown after twenty years of studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. In addition, she recently completed a seven-year study on brave leadership. Leadership is about the willingness to step up, put yourself out there, and lean into courage. Taking this framework, this session will identify the need for brave leadership in the clinical supervision of Recreational Therapy. This interactive session will help professionals rumble with vulnerability, identify their values, and develop their clinical supervision skill set through the Dare to Lead concepts. This practice will establish the professional and advance the profession.
Concurrent Breakout Sessions – 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
A Game by another Name. Improvisation, Drama Therapy, and Recreation Therapy in creating dynamic/innovative therapeutic games for any population.
Stephen Breithaupt, RDT, BCT, Telecare Corp.
Participants will learn the basic foundations of theatrical improvisation, then be broken into break-out groups and apply these principles in creating interactive games out of 10 random objects. Then the participant will be given some cognitive, affective, or behavioral board games from various areas they might work in (psychiatric, community health, geriatric, etc.). The new break-out groups will devise ways to apply the skills they acquired in the first hour in making the board game interactive in some way. Finally, the groups will demonstrate these for the entire group.
Rebuilding Social Connections: A TR’s Role
Jo Burns, CTRS, Jo Burns Connects LLC
Join us for some group and self-discovery of our roles as therapeutic recreation specialists in helping our clients, patients, and communities rebuild our social connections. The pandemic has done a number on our abilities to connect socially meaningfully. Now that we’re moving forward in life with COVID, we need to brush off these skills so we can rebuild, promote, and advocate for their importance of them at our agencies and beyond. In this fun, reflective and interactive workshop, we’ll examine how protective factors, non-verbal cues, built environment, and DEI components contribute to successful and engaging connections with peers, family, and community members.
Concurrent Breakout Sessions – 1:45 – 3:15 pm
Chair Chi: Seated Tai Chi
Pat M. Griffith, Pat Griffith Chair Chi, Inc.
Chair Chi is a gentle exercise program developed by Pat Griffith to help people receive the benefits of traditional Tai Chi in the comfort and safety of their chairs. This allows people who cannot stand or do not feel confident with their balance, to participate.
The roles of a new leisure activity in older adults' well-being: A case of the American Gold Star Manor (AGSM)
Chungsup Lee, CTRS, CSU Long Beach
Terry Robertson, CSU Long Beach
Patti LaPlace, MPA, RTC, CSU Long Beach
Heewon Yang, CSU Long Beach
The purpose of this session is twofold: 1) It will provide an overview of a collaborative, 3-year service-learning partnership between the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at California State University, Long Beach, and the American Gold Star Manor (AGSM), a community senior housing organization; and 2) it will provide how a new leisure activity, in this case, virtual reality activity, plays a role in the residents' wellbeing at AGSM.
Concurrent Breakout Sessions – 3:30 – 5:00 pm
Self-Care for the Healing Professional
Jacquie I. Van Horne, MA, R-DMT, A Rhythmed Life
"Healer... heal thyself". This phrase is very common yet hard to practice, especially for the healing practitioner. It is very easy for professionals who hold healing space for others to forget to tune back into self. It can get to the point where we lose connection to our somatic cues and fail to recognize when our bodies are asking of us to tune back in. This is where I come in. As a somatically trained healing professional and former psychotherapist, now intuitive wellness coach, I love holding space for professionals to have a moment to tune back into self, recognize when the body needs care, and to know what kind of care to offer oneself. I would love to come back another year and offer another self-care healing session to the conference participants.
Connecting the Dots for Health Equity
Jo Burns, CTRS, Jo Burns Connects LLC
Parks and Recreation are an essential dot in the big picture of Health Equity for communities. Are you ready to consider Parks and Recreation’s role in the health system? We are in a prime position to promote health through physical activity, access to spaces and places, connection with nature, and bringing community members together virtually and in person. By discussing our roles, acknowledging our ability to make an impact, and identifying potential partners in our communities, we can make the healthy choice the equitable choice. In this workshop, we’ll take a close look at what health really is, gain an understanding of health equity, and consider our role in the public’s health. Join us for a candid and interactive discussion to try and answer these compelling and complex questions.
Closing Session – 5:15 – 6:15 pm
You Can Teach New Tricks to an Old RT; The Benefits of Lifelong Learning
Patti LaPlace, MPA, RTC, CSU Long Beach
Lifelong learning opportunities have many benefits. As we age and consider retirement or new career paths, acknowledging our past experiences, skills development, and potential future opportunities are key factors for successful aging. This session will focus on exploring our personal journeys as we age, recognizing our unique strengths from our careers as Recreation Therapists, and how lifelong learning opportunities influence positive and successful aging.