Jan. 2007
Kate is our January 2007 Professional of the Month. She is a Recreation Therapist at the INOVA Cameron Glen Care Center. This is a Rehab facility that has assisted living and transitional care. Kate has been in the RT profession for about 5 years. She is only 22 and feels as if she is just starting her 'professional' career now! For the past 5 years Kate has worked within the Intellectual Disability (profound) population. At INOVA Cameron Glen, Kate worked serving the geriatric population. She feels this was a great opportunity to be exposed to individuals with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Kate was selected as our Her of the Month because, Kate said: “I absolutely LOVE what I do. Without Recreation Therapy patients and clients wouldn't have an the opportunity to have fun and achieve personal goals at the same time.” |
Feb. 2007
Sarah Norris, a graduate student in Therapeutic Recreation at the University of North Texas is our February 2007 Hero of the Month!
Currently, Sarah works in a nursing home facility where she leads leisure education group and one-on-one activities with elderly residents. She taught her residents the Hand Jive just a few weeks ago! Sarah says: “It was a blast!”
Sarah studied Music Therapy for two years and just started a Master's degree in Therapeutic Recreation last fall.
Here is what Sarah has to say about her profession: “I love so many populations and settings, that it has been tough for me to decide where I want start out! Eventually though, I'd really like to go into research, exploring and developing fun and effective techniques to use in practice.”
“I have a passion for mankind and love to see people living up to their fullest potential, which to me, is what Recreation Therapy is all about!” |
March 2007
Amanda, completed an undergraduate degree in Therapeutic Recreation from West Virginia State University. She is currently a full-time student working towards two master degrees at Marshall University of Huntington, West Virginia in Leadership Studies and Special Education.
Amanda is also a part-time adjunct college teacher at West Virginia State University. She teaches Introduction to Therapeutic Recreation and assist in student advising and TR consultation.
Amanda has experience working with patients with traumatic brain injury and accident victims. More recently she works with a group of young females in treatment for learning disabilities and behavioral problems. She provides them with a variety of therapeutic recreation treatments. |
April 2007
Ashley C. Dubose is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) at a medium security prison in South Jersey. She has worked as a Recreation Therapists for almost 5 years. The first two were spent in Indiana working in a community mental health setting. She currently provides services for adult men with chronic mental illness on an inpatient unit.
Here is what Ashley has to say about her profession:
“I love working in mental health and I believe it is a population that is underserved. I go to work everyday with the hopes of changing one’s outlook or perspective on life, educating them on the different choices they have and providing them with assistance to obtain the necessary resources to make changes in their lives. Change can be a slow process but if there is just one patient that makes small improvements towards changing their life I feel like I have made a difference.” |
May 2007
Jolene Arnold works full-time as a TR Assistant at Bachman Therapeutic Recreation Center in Dallas, Texas and part-time doing contract work for LIFE Therapies. She has been with Bachman for 7-years and LIFE Therapies for 4-years.
Bachman Therapeutic Recreation Center is a Center that serves only people with disabilities in Dallas and surrounding areas. We provide recreational activities such as gym games, aerobics, scrapbooking, table games, science experiments, etc.
Jolene has a vast experience working with a wide range of disabilities from depression to autism, downs syndrome to schizophrenia, and others.
Helping people has been Jolene’s passion since she was a little girl. She became profoundly deaf at the age of 4 due to spinal meningitis and has struggled all her life to overcome her disability and to prove to everyone that it is possible to overcome barriers and lead a successful life. Jolene says “You can do anything you set your mind to!” |
June 2007
Kayleigh Walker is a : Full-time Therapeutic Recreation undergraduate at Old Dominion University.
Kayleigh plans to work in mental health. She has volunteered at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in the Recreation Therapy Department on the Mental Health Unit.
Kayleigh decided to become a Recreation Therapist because of her brother Jacob. He's 13 years old and he has cerebral palsy. Kayleigh says “I feel that him being born with a disability was some kind of sign that I was meant to do something that would help children and adults like him, with either physical or mental disabilities. When I discovered Recreational Therapy I knew right away that it was what I was meant to do.”
Here is what Kayleigh has to say about our profession: I plan/hope to touch many lives with the work that I will do. I live to help people, it's my nature. Every career path that I've ever thought about pursuing has involved helping people. I want to do something that I know will have a positive effect on people's lives. I truly believe that Recreational Therapy is my calling. |
July 2007
Rebecca Atwell is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS). She has been acknowledged as our hero-of-the-month for July 2007!
Atwell, a graduate from Lock Haven University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Recreation Management with a focus in Therapeutic Recreation and a minor in Psychology has worked in the field for two-years.
She works at WCA Hospital at the Jones Memorial Health Center in Jamestown, New York. After completing a 480-internship in therapeutic recreation at WCA, the hospital asked her to stay on staff.
She primarily works with adolescent mental health, but also has experience working with adults in mental health. She has also covered on the chemical dependence and medical rehab units.
This is not the first time Atwall has been awarded. She was acknowledged as employee of the month at WCA Hospital in May 2006 for her hard work and dedication to her patients.
Atwell started college as a special education major. She discovered recreation therapy at her university’s career center and knew it was right for her. .
Atwell said “I love every minute of it. I learn and grow each day and wake up with new ideas and a positive outlook on life and my job. It is a rewarding job and I feel I have been able to [change many] people’s lives and improve their quality of life, as a CTRS is meant to do. “
In addition to her full-time job, Atwell goes above and beyond her call of duties working on her weekends doing home care for people with traumatic brain injury. |
Aug. 2007
Stacie Frank has been a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) since January 2006. She earned a B.S. in Recreation Administration with a concentration in Therapeutic Recreation from Eastern Illinois University in 2005. After completing 600 hours for her internship at Springfield Hospital Center (State of Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene) she was asked to stay full time as a recreation therapist.
Stacie works on the Acute Admissions Unit. Her patients are 18 years of age or older. Frank serves patients with dual diagnosis with substance abuse, forensic cases and a few developmentally challenged and physical disabilities. She has experience providing Equestrian Therapy for individuals with physical disabilities. She also has experience working with Mental Retardation and people with mental illness who are also deaf.
Stacie knew she wanted to be in a service career. Stacie first declared Pre-Medicine as her major, but she wasn’t finding passion there. Her advisor encouraged her to look around online for another field of student. She discovered Recreation Therapy and felt at peace. Frank called her mother and read a description of the profession. Her mother replied: “That’s it! That is you and I know you will be great!” Call it fate or pure coincidence. Her advisor handed her a job description for a recreation therapist. This crazy story still gives her chills!
Today, Stacie loves to challenge her patients. She teaches patients new ways of incorporating recreation into their daily routine for coping as well as enjoyment and relaxation. She helps her patients to increase focus because psychiatric symptoms decrease ability to focus. She provides social skills, mental health and wellness, exercise, creative writing, teambuilding, stress management, community outings, and other sports/ expressive groups.
Stacie says: “I believe in the power of Recreational Therapy! I want to shout out all the wonderful things that it can provide for people with challenges and disabilities. I hope I never lose my passion and drive for our field [recreational therapy] and more importantly for serving others.” Stacie believes in the importance of every human being! |
Sept. 2007
Kristen Grapes is a CTRS. She graduated with a B.A. in Therapeutic Recreation from Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She acknowledges that she has been a recreation therapist for two-years, thanks to, Dr. John Shank and Cathy Coyle.
She works full-time as an enrollment coordinator for a Jewish oriented residential camp. She serves children between the ages of 7 to 15 who are from low income and middle class areas in the United States. In addition to her full-time job, she has a part-time job working in home support for an individual with TBI.
Kristen, at the age of 13, started volunteering at Easter Seals of southeastern Pennsylvania day camp, which services individuals with various disabilities and offers a variety of recreation activities. She wanted to be an occupational therapist, but after volunteering at camp and working her way up the ladder over the course of 11 years, she realized how much she loved “playing with a purpose” and re-evaluated her career options. She decided to major in Therapeutic Recreation during her sophomore year in college. She completed her senior internship with Easter Seals and was offered the position of the Assistant to the Director of Camping and Recreation. After working two years, she decided to broaden her horizons in order to gain more experience in therapeutic recreation. She took on a job at Golden Slipper Camp, where she has been employed for the last several months. Kristen says, “I love that I can help give individuals the opportunity to have a safe and fun filled summer.
Kirsten feels that she is just an ordinary person in the world trying to make a difference in peoples lives. Kristen says that” if u believe in something and work towards a goal, you can achieve anything. Intrinsic motivation is what drives individuals to achieve and accomplish the goals we set for ourselves.” Through this, Kristen has witnessed the growth within so many of her participants. “Recreation Therapy is not just a job or a career, but a lifestyle that I have chosen to follow.”
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Oct. 2007
Jennifer Viola is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS). She graduated with degrees in both recreational therapy and psychology from Ashland University, Ohio.
Jennifer works in Mwanza, Tanzania, which is located in East Africa at a community base center called Uzima Center. The term “Uzima” is Swahili means life, wholness, or well-being. They have two programs. One program is for children and adults living with HIV/AIDS between the ages of a 3-month old and a 75-year-old. Services include support group meetings, counseling, education program, food, and medical assistance. The second program is for orphans and vulnerable children. This program provides elementary and high school children with uniforms, supplies, tutoring, paying feeds and home and school visits. Age appropriate support/ play group sessions are on Saturdays.
Jennifer originally wanted to become a dance therapist. She became interested in recreational therapy because it was a way that she could do what she loved: dance, play, sing and get paid for it. Jennifer sees the value and need for use what she loves to impact lives.
Jennifer is meeting the needs of Tanzanians with the use of recreation therapy theories and modalities and in the essence helping to spread the use of recreation as therapy all over the world. She is reaching out to the poorest of the poor in hope to save lives in a unique and special way.
Jennifer sends encouragement to all those working in a helping position and to keep up the good work because we can all make a difference. |
Nov. 2007
Elizabeth is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS). She has been working in a State Adult Psychiatric Hospital in Kentucky on the acute unit since 2000. On acute services, she serves patients ranging from 18+ with varying diagnosis. She provides group therapy sessions and usually has between 30 to 55 patients on her unit in two weeks.
Elizabeth provides a mix of recreation therapy services including: leisure activities/ leisure education, fitness education, arts and crafts, coping skills, relaxation, social skills, stress management, anger management, self-esteem/ self-expression, and horticulture. She also provides community integration activities offered to patients with specific needs. She provides one-on-one sessions with more challenging patients who need extra therapeutic interactions and/ or education.
Elizabeth received a degree in Recreation and Leisure Studies with a Therapeutic Emphasis from Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky in August 2000. She became a CTRS in May of 2002.
After changing her major several times, Elizabeth discovered therapeutic recreation through a sorority sister who was in her first year in the program and thought she would be interested in the profession. She took a few courses and realized that it was the right major for her. Elizabeth always knew she wanted to work with people, however. During her internship, she realized that she really wanted to continue working with people diagnosed with mental illnesses.
Elizabeth says: “It is such a rewarding field to work in. I love my patients and love what I do.” |
Dec. 2007
Heather earned a B.A. in Family and Child Studies from Montclair State University in 2007. She is a employed as a Behavioral Assistant. Through this position, Heather provides in-home services through a social service organization. She serves children between the ages of 6 to 10 who have emotional disturbances due to family dysfunction and crises.
Heather feels that she is privileged to spend time with these children on a weekly basis. It takes time for the children to gain her trust and to open up and talk about their home lifestyles, their fears, and their aspirations for the future. Heather enjoys being a mentor.
Heather has a vast amount of experience, having worked with children and families from diverse backgrounds and countries. She has provided services for children with trauama and crises in many different ways. She has worked hard as a volunteer and at fundraising in order to provide relief work and to work hands on with children, whether it be providing medical, food, or educational needs, or simply just being there to listen and love them through their struggles. She enjoys being present in the lives of people.
Heather thrives to serve the people who have no voice in the world and this makes her our December hero of the month. It takes a certain kind of person to do this work.
Heather recently got back from Uganda where she had worked with street children, school children and children in IDP camps.
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