Thank You!

I wanted to post a “Thank You” for several good friends of mine who had submitted a nomination or a letter of recommendation in Support of my organization, “DannyPettry, LLC” for the 2016 American Therapeutic Recreation Association’s – Organization Award!

Thank you so much to the following individuals:

·      

Kim Severance is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) who works as the Veran Program Coordinator and Marine Education Coordinator at Island Dolphin Care. She had submitted the official nomination form.

 Lacy Speert is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS), a Certified Dementia Practitioner, and Certified Laughter Leader (CLL). She had written a very nice letter of recommendation about my program, which I appreciate.

Dr. David Austin is well-known in our profession. He is a professor emeritus (Indiana University). I read his text books as an undergraduate student at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. I selected to earn my graduate degree through Indianan University’s distance education program because Dr. David Austin was a professor there. I was fortunate to have had one of the last classes he taught to students before graduating. It was a course on Social Psychology in Therapeutic Recreation. I can recall reading an article by Dr. Austin in a journal where his professor claimed that those of us in recreational therapy are applied social psychologists. David Austin was a founding member of the American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA), a past president of the association, and he has been awarded the Distinguished Fellow Award by ATRA. I feel very fortunate to have studied at Indiana University with Dr. Austin. Dr. Austin also writes a RT blog.

  Charlie Dixon, M.S. CTRS is well-known in our profession as being the operator of the Therapeutic Recreation Directory online. His site has won several awards from ATRA. Charlie has also been awarded the Distinguished Fellow Award by ATRA. I was present at the ATRA conference when Charlie received this award in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I first discovered his web-site in the late 90s when I was doing research on the profession. I was surprised to discover he was from my home state of West Virginia. I’ve often sought out his advice and information about web-site design. Charlie has been very kind in providing door prizes and email blasts about my site via his TR Directory newsletter, which I am very grateful for as well.

I want to say thanks again to Kim, Lacy, David, and Charlie for your kind words and recommendation for the ATRA organization award. 

River Cities is in the News!

From Red Basket: a Story about River Cities Therapy (based in Milton, West Virginia), which is owned by my good friend Connie Boggess!

https://redbasket.org/888/river-cities-therapy-and-recreation-center

Phrases to calm an anxious child

From the Mighty: 49 phrases to calm an anxious child: http://themighty.com/2016/03/49-phrases-for-parents-to-use-with-their-anxious-child/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Mighty_Page&utm_campaign=MENTALHEALTH

why meaningfulness matters more than happiness.

From Business Insider:  a psychiatrist who survived the holocaust explains why meaningfulness matters more than happiness.

http://www.businessinsider.com/a-lesson-about-happiness-from-a-holocaust-survivor-2014-10

Danny P. - my favorite theory Victor Frankl's existential theory as described in his book, Man's Search for Meaning.

things you should not say to someone who is depressed

From Psychology Today: three things you should not say to someone who is depressed:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/culture-shrink/201507/5-things-you-shouldnt-say-someone-whos-depressed?utm_source=FacebookPost&utm_medium=FBPost&utm_campaign=FBPost

Early signs of Asperger Syndrome:

From Cure Health: Early signs of Asperger Syndrome:

http://www.curehealth.info/early-signs-asperger-syndrome/

Danny P. comments: Although Asperger Syndrome is not in the DSM-5, it is part of the Autism Spectrum.

Despite not being a diagnosis, there are some people who still associate with the “Aspie culture.” 

Library offers homeless people mental health services (and it is working)

From Huffpost Impact: Library offers homeless people mental health services (and it is working)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/a-library-is-often-the-safest-place-for-homeless-people-thats-why-this-one-hired-a-social-worker_us_56fbf43ee4b083f5c6063b0d?pbx=25&ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000010&te=Upworthy

Kids' grades suffer when a parent is depressed

From Mental Health America:

Kids’ grades can suffer when a parent is depressed:

https://wamu.org/programs/morning_edition/16/04/04/kids_grades_can_suffer_when_mom_or_dad_are_depressed

Standards of Practice

From the American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA): Standards of Practice:

https://www.atra-online.com/what/standards-of-practice

verbal abuse hurts at least as much as physical abuse

From Psychology Today: Verbal abuse hurts at least as much as physical abuse:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/stop-walking-eggshells/201603/study-verbal-abuse-hurts-least-much-physical-abuse?utm_source=FacebookPost&utm_medium=FBPost&utm_campaign=FBPost

Why ignoring stuff is good for your memory

From Scientific American: Ignoring Stuff is Good for Memory:

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/mind-guest-blog/ignoring-stuff-is-good-for-your-memory/

why some people are happy being single.

From Psychology Today: why some people are happy being single:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/close-encounters/201508/why-many-people-are-just-happy-being-single?utm_source=FacebookPost&utm_medium=FBPost&utm_campaign=FBPost

24 ways to help someone who is feeling suicidal

From Project Semicolon: 24 ways to help someone who is feeling suicidal:

http://themighty.com/2016/03/how-to-help-someone-who-feels-suicidal/

Mindfulness and trauma

From Mindful.org: Mindfulness practice can help people with trauma to learn how to feel safe again.

http://www.mindful.org/point-of-view-when-vulnerability-and-trauma-collide/

Don't say this to a person with brain injury

From Health Perfection: 6 things you should never say to a person with brain injury:

http://healthperfection.co/6-things-you-should-never-ever-say-to-a-brain-injury-survivor/

Dr. Caroline Solomon

From NPR: Dr. Caroline Solomon earned her degree from Harvard. She is a great teacher who inspires students who are deaf that they can do anything. By the way Dr. Colomon is deaf too.

http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/05/20/406148448/in-the-classroom-and-on-the-river-modeling-success-in-science?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20160410

physical activity can forestall the mental decline i

Mindful.org posted: New evidence that physical activity can forestall the mental decline in aging brains. http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/04/07/sweat-smart/?_r=1

Rec Therapy Today is on facebook

Follow Rec Therapy Today on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RecTherapyToday/

Student questions

There was a question and answer panel with a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) at the Great Lake Recreational Therapy Student Conference.

I  was very pleased to be one of the CTRS on this panel.

I heard there were over 100 students present! What a great bunch of enthusiastic people! I validated to them that the fact that they made it to this event. Most of the people I met were from Indiana or Michigan. 

Other CTRS on the panel included: Shawn Geise, Jake Newhand, Brittany Hook, Kaitlyn Smith, Tommy Means, and Lori Schwyer. 

Those CTRS are great people. They worked in various different fields and I was so happy and pleased to be on stage with them and to hear their experiences. One woman (and I regret to say I can't recall who) provides services for people with traumatic brain injury. I told her that I am a CTRS, but I would not feel fully competent working in that position. She told me she had worked in mental health before switching. She informed the audience that we can and do get harmed by clients in mental health, which I agreed is true. 

Jared Allsop (conference co-chair) lecturer at Indiana University had called on student hands in the audience. They asked questions and the CTRS answered!

I can’t recall the exact questions asked. I wish I would have had a student to write them down.

Some questions I vaguely recall some of the questions.

Should you take an internship in an area you want to work or reach out and try something different to broaden your horizons?

I disagreed with one of the other CTRS on this one. I suggested go for the area you want to get more of a focus/ experience in an expertise area. I also suggested being open-minded to at least trying out other jobs when you’re ready to get hired. Why? I did my training mostly with elderly and seniors in skilled nursing (internship) and rehabilitation hospital (practicum), and even a nursing home (practicum). My first job offer was in mental/ behavioral health working with children and teens. I took the job and I’ve worked there since August 2002.

·         

What do you look for in an intern for your facility? 

My answers: passion, interest, eager to learn, well-groomed/ appropriate to work in a hospital setting, and easy-going. willing to grow and learn. I informed them that they will make mistakes (as well all have). 

·         What do you like most about your job?

Seeing kids grow and change and become successful. Of course, I let them know there are a lot of work place stressors to be prepared for that as well.

·         

Where do you get new updates and information?

My answer: being a member of our professional association (ATRA) and reading.

Does a Master's degree help? 

I may have been the only CTRS with a master’s degree on the panel. I’m not sure. I don’t recall any members strongly advocating for getting a master’s degree. I argued that many of our professional colleagues in social worker, physical therapy, mental health counselling, occupational therapy are the process or have already moved their entry-level as having a Master’s degree.

Based on my understanding, the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) had created the specialty certification certificates to help increase the number of CTRS with a graduate level degree. 

How do you get a new intervention at your facility?

 My answer: if you’re working at a facility that does not offer an activity-based treatment intervention, then you could ask someone who is trained and experienced to come and give a presentation. That individual could help provide resources and connections to help your facility to open up a program.

 Feel free to Ask Danny questions and he’ll post them at his blog for others to read as well. 

TR with students by Maggie Whaley

Maggie Whaley provided a session titled: Conversation Café’: Exploring therapeutic recreation with students on Saturday, April 2^nd, 2016 at the Great Lakes Recreational Therapy Student Conference.

Maggie is great. She donates her own time to serve at the Student Chair of the American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA). That is really great of you. Also: it is evident that being a member of ATRA also means that she is donating money to our profession/ professional association as evidenced by paying her annual membership dues.

She had the members break down in small groups of three or four.

Groups received a large sheet of paper (like a giant stick-it –note) with instruction to draw/ write/ create answers to several questions:

Regarding how people with various abilities are perceived.

What RT can do to advocate.

It appears that there are many wonderful ideas coming from this.

I feel confident that some neat promotional efforts are going to be the result of the student committee.

Those students will be tomorrow’s leaders of ATRA and our profession.

ATRA has a blog (including a student blog).

I, Danny P. have viewed the student blog a few times and posted feedback and comments.

Get involved. Join ATRA. Participate. Give back. 

Importance of ATRA with Dr. McCormick, GLRTSC

Where do you get your insights and updates about our profession?

My answer: Our professional association!

Dr. Bryan McCormick (professor) at Indianan presented on the importance of professional associations at the Great Lake Recreational Therapy Student Conference (GL RT SC)on Sat. April 2, 2016.

Dr. McCormick is well known in the field. He has served on the board of directors for ATRA. He is also the author of nearly 50 peer-reviewed publications and 11 book chapters.

Dr. McCormick was my professor when I had attended Indianan University.

I’ve been a member of the American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA) since either 2000 or 2001. I may have joined in 1999. Regardless, I wanted to share some of the information about it.

Here are a few of my personal notes taken during Dr. McCormick’s session:

We NEED strong local and national associations.

Our collective efforts are stronger over any one of our individual efforts alone.

ATRA has two main purposes:

1.)    Advocate
2.)    Enhance outcomes for the public/ clients we serve

All members of ATRA are part of the association.
Danny’s comment: as a member, I think it is a really cool club.

The majority of the work done for the association is done by volunteers/ members of the association.

Peter Thomas is the association’s legislative counselor. Danny P. comments: Mr. Thomas is a great guy. I’ve met him a few times before. His story: car accident as a child. He lost both legs. Received recreational therapy at the hospital (I think in Denver). He is an advocate for Rec therapy today.

When did ATRA start? 

Way back in 1984, 50 individuals founded the association with their own money. Dr. McCormick didn’t say how much they donated during this session, but I [Danny P.] believe recalling that each one of those individuals donated $1,000 of their own money to start the association.  Nobody asked them to do this. They took the initiative and did it.

Here are four areas that ATRA covers:

a.)    Credentialing
The number one reason to license a profession is to protect the public.
Danny P. comments: A person without a license (the layperson) who is not trained and experienced is most likely a good person. He or she wants to help as well. This person has very good intentions. However, because of their lack of training they could cause serious harm to a person with serious illness or disability.

b.)    Evolving healthcare
U.S. is # 1 in cost. It is expensive. Norway is second in expense.
However, despite these costs, the U.S. is ranked 11^th in being effective.
The least costly setting is in the community. It consists of keeping people healthy in the first place. It is preventative healthy. Prevention is a lot cheaper than treatment.

Three levels: it is a lot like a triangle.

Top very small part of the triangle is: prevention
Secondary – middle part of triangle: reduce the consequences of the problem.
Primary: treating illness.

Evidenced-based practice is that there is scientific research that gives proof that an intervention/ treatment/ activity really brings about outcomes. Dr. McCormick said it takes 16 years to go from discovery (that it works) to being implemented in practice.

c.)     Affordable Care Act (ACA)  - Obama Care
The future is uncertain. Many politicians claim they will repeal it. However, there are many aspects of it that has been implemented that would be hard to change.
The individual mandate may be repealed.

d.)    Public Policy and Advocacy

ATRA has very low numbers. Only 11% of Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists (CTRS) are members of ATRA. That is not even 1/3.

• The physical therapy association has an annual budget of 26 million
• The occupational therapy association has a budget of 9.5 million a year.
• ATRA doesn’t even have a million. It has a .25 million annual budget.

Barriers: people claim it is the cost.

The physical therapy association has higher membership dues. Of course, many people claim, sure they make more. However, the cost based on salary is still more expensive for PT to be a member compared to the cost of a RT being a member of ATRA.

What does it cost?

Dr. McCormick shared the example of someone brining two happy meals in and saying the cost of ATRA is two-happy meals a month. It is affordable.

Dr. McCormick shared that membership is different from being a customer.
A customer wants to get the most out of it for the cheapest price.

Membership is different. Like the JFK quote: ask now what you country can do for you but what you can do for your country. Membership is really about taking the personal responsibility to stand up for your profession and the people who receive recreational therapy services (in the U.S.) by making a membership donation to a very good cause: ATRA.

Danny's comments:

There are two ways you can help advocate for our profession.

# 1. Money: donate your money to ATRA. I’d like to argue that membership is given to anyone who makes the membership donation.  No other person is going to advocate for RT like you can. Your boss/ supervisor, co-workers, or anyone else is not going to do it. It is up to you to promote ATRA.

# 2. Time donate your own time to serve ATRA. I don’t want to sound ageist. I hope I am being politically correct in saying this. ATRA as a whole has a lot of aging members. There are people who are ready to retire and move on in life. The association needs more active/ younger blood. I’d argue that if you (the person reading this blog) wanted any position in ATRA that you could get it. Run for any position and get elected. So what if you don’t get elected the first year. There are many more years. You’ll get your turn too.

Transparency: You might be asking, "Danny, why are you not a board member?" As you already know, I run and operate, DannyPettry, LLC, which could be a conflict of interest if I was on the board. However, I do volunteer my time to present at conferences, to assist with projects and other activities. I also make my annual membership donation to ATRA.

JOIN ATRA!

Note: I danny pettry, am not an official spokesperson for ATRA. I am simply one member who encourages more to join our cause. http://www.atra-online.com/

Shout-outs: Jared Allsop and Randy Wyble!

Thank you: shout outs!

I wanted to say thanks so much to Jared Allsop (Indiana University) and Randy Wyble (Grand Valley State University) for putting together the Great Lakes Recreational Therapy Student Conference. IT was such a great program. I heard there were over 100 students and I must say that each one I had spoken too was very passionate and caring.