Recreation Therapist

Recreation Therapist

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/recreational-therapists.htm#tab-2

Duties and Responsibilities:

The recreational therapists plan, direct, and coordinate recreation-based treatment program for people with disabilities, injuries, or illnesses.  They use a variety of modalities including arts and crafts, drama, music, dance, sports, games, and community reintegration field trips; they use the field trips to help maintain a patient’s physical, social, and emotional well-being. Some duties that the recreation therapist does are:

·         Evaluating interventions for effectiveness

·         Help patients learn social skills needed to become or remain independent

·         Record and analyze a patient’s progress

·         Engage the patients in therapeutic activities, such as games

Salary: $42,280 per year   $20.33 per hour

Education:

Most therapists need a bachelor’s degree in recreational therapy. Some recreational therapists can get an associate’s degree, master’s, or a doctoral degree. Courses include assessment, human anatomy, medical and psychiatric terminology, characterizes of disabilities, and the use of assistive devices and technology. A bachelor’s degree program usually includes an internship.

Reflection: Do you think you would like to be one? Why? Why not?

I think I would like to become one because I get to help patients with their injuries and I get to have fun with them. I would also like to become one because this job would bring a great experience to me.