A Message from the NCTRC Chair
Dr. Angela Wozencroft, Ph.D., CTRS, NCTRC Board of Directors
With the excitement of fall being just around the corner, it seemed like the perfect time to introduce myself as I embark on my new adventure as the NCTRC Board Chair and update you on some of the work being done by NCTRC. First, it is incredibly important that I thank you for selecting me to serve on the NCTRC board. I have been thoroughly enjoying my experience as your Chair thus far.
As you may recall, I am originally from Brampton, Ontario, Canada but now live in Tennessee and am an Associate Professor in Recreational Therapy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. I have been working in the profession for 15 years. I started my work in Recreational Therapy in adult day programs for seniors with physical and cognitive impairments. After falling in love with adventure education, I began working with at-risk youth, which led me to my current service work in therapeutic camping for youth and adults with multiple disabilities. A line of research that I am passionate about is compassion fatigue in Recreational Therapists. This research falls nicely in line with the increased importance of self-care that is on everyone’s mind these days in response to COVID-19. I certainly hope that each of you are taking some time to care for yourselves
considering our ever-changing world right now.
At NCTRC, the Credentialing Specialists, office members, and Executive Director continue to work diligently with passion and dedication for the mission of NCTRC. NCTRC serves just under 19,000 individuals on the NCTRC CTRS® Registry and the staff are finding unique and effective ways to meet our certificants’ needs despite the challenges faced by the COVID-19 pandemic.
You may have noticed some changes to the testing procedures. There has been switch to a month-long testing window from the previous two week offering. Both the practice test and the exam are now offered in English, Spanish for Latin Americas, and Canadian French. Also, test takers have the option to use live remote proctoring for the exam instead of having to go to an
in-person testing center.
NCTRC has launched its own Facebook page. I highly encourage you to check it out for “Fun Fact Fridays” and other current information being shared. NCTRC’s website also hosts a webinar tab where you can access online tutorials on topics related to completing the Professional Eligibility application, the annual maintenance process, and Recertification. You can also find the most recent 2019 NCTRC Professional Profile brochures as well as the
Diversity and Inclusion Data under the Publications and Forms tab. Additional information will be shared in the coming months related to salary specifics so stay tuned.
Don’t forget about NCTRC’s two corporate social responsibility initiatives: Scholarship Program and Hardship Fee Waiver Program. Both programs seek to provide financial assistance to qualified applicants and certificants. The criteria and application details can be found on the NCTRC website under the Financial Assistance tab.
There have also been some changes to the certification standards and the interpretive guidelines. As a reminder, there are now two paths to certification: Academic Path and Equivalency Path. Both paths require the same TR and supportive coursework but differ on the Professional Experience
component. Regarding the Internship Certification Standard, the word, consecutive, was removed from the requirement of a minimum of 560-hour, 14 consecutive week internship experience. Should you have any questions or concerns related to these changes, please feel free to reach out to the NCTRC office for assistance.
As you can see, the folks at NCTRC have been very busy behind the scenes yet still find time to support international, national, regional, and state conferences. The Credentialing Specialists have been actively providing Webinars across the United States, Canada, and Australia over the spring and summer months. They recently completed a virtual certificant’s meeting at the Canadian Therapeutic Recreation Association conference in June and plan to host another one later this fall for all certificants. It is exciting to
hear of the ATRA/NCTRC co-chaired committee projects as well as the work to continually support the International TR Coalition and the Joint Taskforce for Licensure. We are excited about the collaborations and international connections being made with NCTRC.
In closing, it is such an honor for me to be a member of the NCTRC Board of Directors and an even greater honor to serve as the Chair. Thank you for your continued dedication to the field of Recreational Therapy and for valuing the CTRS® credential. While the world continues to change rapidly around us in ways that greatly influence how we serve our populations, be sure to take time to care for yourself so you can continue to be your best for others.
Dr. Angela Wozencroft, Ph.D., CTRS
Chair, NCTRC Board of Directors