Recreation therapy (RT) internship (16-week requirement)
The recreation therapists provide five hours of programming, seven days a week on a daily basis on the inpatient psychiatric unit. Their scheduled hours are 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with two evenings a month for animal-assisted therapy for inpatients. Recreation therapy is also provided five hours a day in the partial hospitalization program, Monday through Friday. Those scheduled hours are from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Patients are assessed and provided treatment to improve socialization, leisure functioning and community reintegration. Based on the specific needs of the patients, the following programs are developed and implemented:
- Arts and crafts
- Physical fitness/education
- Team building
- Leisure education
- Yoga
- Relaxation group/techniques
- Problem solving – learning and use of coping skills/tools
- Animal assisted therapy – two times per month
- Nutrition/cooking
- Dance and music activities
- Family RT group – once a week in the partial hospitalization program
- Wellness groups
- Games and socialization activities
- Other programs as deemed therapeutic to meet the needs of the patients
The facilities that are available for recreation therapy to assist in creating a therapeutic learning environment are:
- A rooftop garden with play area
- Two extensive art/activity rooms
- A carpeted room for sensory stimulation, yoga and free time
- A kitchen
- A multi-purpose room that can be used with or without tables or chairs
- The Brown Family Life Center, primarily used by children in the partial hospitalization program who have earned the privilege of attending the shows and special activities
- A large off-unit, multi-purpose activity room utilized mainly for pet therapy in the partial hospitalization program