Facilitation of Therapeutic Recreation Services: An Evidence-Based and Best Practice Approach to Techniques and Processes

The intent of this book is to improve the systematic application of various techniques and modalities to the practice of therapeutic recreation.Improving and standardizing practice is fundamental to increasing our ability to select interventions based on their potential to impact client outcomes. When we fully realize the potential of specific interventions to help clients arrive at certain outcomes, then we can choose these interventions and techniques with greater skill and confidence. Systematic application, however, depends on a number of key factors to succeed. First, every profession benefits from the application of evidence and theory to their practice. Evidence based practice; i.e., the application of research evidence to intervention design, and theory-based practice;i.e., the application of relevant theory to intervention design, are both equally important to ensure that programs, interventions , or treatments are built on best practices. Conversely, programs that are designed haphazardly or lackadaisically - say from tradition, therapist interest, or sheer inertia - are unlikely to help clients to achieve their goals and fulfill their full potential. Second, program design and planning needs to be done with care and through a systematic process using established procedures. Comprehensive program design, activity analysis, protocol development, are a few of the steps of systematic program design used by therapeutic recreation specialists. Third, targeting important and valued client outcomes is extremely important. Clients and their families need to be assured that professionals are providing the best possible care, in the most efficient and effective manner possible, to arrive at the most vital and significant outcomes. The aim of this book is to vastly improve our frameworks for interventions by extracting and synthesizing the best possible evidence and theory so that therapists can then apply systematic program design and build effective and meaningful programs aimed at specific and known outcomes. Each chapter contains introductory information, followed by research evidence to support the technique, and related studies in the therapeutic recreation literature. A sampling of resources and illustrative activities are included in most chapters as well. This book provides students and practitioners with solid information that will improve the likelihood that the interventions they provide are the most powerful and most effective.