RECREATION THERAPY LICENSURE FOR CA

The state of California needs to protect its consumers by requiring Recreation Therapists to become licensed. Reports of evidence of harm are the result of unqualified individuals with their lack of critical knowledge and skills providing inappropriate interventions and creating unsafe environments.

Licensing recreation therapists will be cost effective to the state of California. Recreation Therapy aligns with the health and wellness field. Examples of recreation therapists improving health and reducing costs include:

· Decreases medical complications and costly secondary disabilities after the onset of a disability

· Reduces the need for extended inpatient hospitalization

· Decreases the need for costlier residential and behavioral supports

· Promotion of the development of critical social skills that are transferable to many vocational and avocational settings

· Decreases falls which can save a facility up to $70,000 per year by hiring a qualified recreation therapist¹

· Reduces pharmacologic approaches with savings of $30,000 to $50,000 per year per facility²

· Increases value of service by being able to precept Recreation Therapy students who are required to complete a practicum internship supervised by a certified recreation therapist (interns add more opportunities to provide psychosocial interventions and meaningful one- on-one interventions)

Additional costs-effective strategies include:

· States that have licensure (Utah, OK, NC, and NH) have a cost neutral process

· Recreation Therapists in the state recommend that California duplicate this process

· Both National and State certification boards are in place to administer exams and monitor CEUs

(1) Buettner L Research Monograph: Preventing falls in nursing home residents with dementia, Hattiesburg, MS: ATRA Publication, 2001.

(2) Buettner L, Fitzsimmons S, Atav S. (2006). Predicting outcomes: Therapeutic recreational for behaviors in dementia. Therapeutic Recreational Journal 2006; 40:3

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