National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification
Protecting and Promoting Since 1981
Exercise Your Right To Vote
NCTRC to Conduct Annual Certificant’s MeetingThe NCTRC Annual Meeting of Certificants is a valuable opportunity for NCTRC to share information regarding current strategic initiatives, Board of Directors, Standing Committees, and Staff, as well as updates to the certification standards. This year, we will also spend a few minutes highlighting our current Board Chair (Melissa Davis), and two past Chairs (Andrea Waters and Melissa Zahl) who will talk about their professional path and how it led them to the NCTRC Board of Directors. To support meeting access for a larger number of individuals, the NCTRC Annual Meeting of Certificants will be held
using a virtual format this year. The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 19, 2020 at 5:30pm EST. Information on how to join/attend the meeting will be sent to all certificants prior to November 19. We hope to see you there, but if you are not able to attend, you can review a post of the meeting on the NCTRC website. As always, please contact NCTRC with any questions or suggestions you may have about the CTRS® credentialing program.
It's Time for the NCTRC Board of Directors ElectionNCTRC will be conducting the 2020 Board of Directors Election online from November 1 to November 30, 2020. There are two (2) open positions to be filled via this year's election. It only takes a few minutes for you to vote in this election, and voting is so simple.On November 1st, you will receive an email with a link to the ballot. Review information about each of the candidates. Once you have selected your two (2) candidates, complete the ballot and click on submit. All e-ballots are tabulated anonymously by a third-party vendor selected by NCTRC.
All decisions related to the NCTRC Certification Standards are made by the Board of Directors, so it is critically important that you participate in the upcoming election. The Nominations and
Elections Committee has done a fantastic job of pulling together a strong ballot for you, so please cast your vote this November. The 2020 NCTRC Election Candidates are:Sandra E. Heath, PhD(c), CTRS, Texas Trevor C. Miller, CTRS, Oregon Shelley Smith, CTRS, Nova Scotia, Canada Jillian Ward, CTRS, North Carolina
Please take the time to exercise your right to vote!If you have any questions about the election process, please contact NCTRC at (845) 639-1439.
NCTRC Internship WebinarNCTRC hosted a webinar session to review information regarding Internship Interruptions due to Covid-19. If you were unable to tune in to the webinar, you can listen to the recording here.
NCTRC Recertification TutorialNCTRC hosted a tutorial focusing on the online recertification process, if you were unable to tune into the tutorial, you can listen to the recording here.
NCTRC Exam UpdatesNew Test Administration Company: Beginning with the registration for the November 2020 exam window, candidates will use the new test administration company, PSI. When making an appointment for the exam, instead of going to the Prometric website to schedule the exam appointment, the candidate will now be directed to the PSI website for scheduling activities. Note: There are no changes to the exam format or content. Extended Testing Windows: Beginning with the November 2020 exam, the testing window will be extended to one month to increase test center access and the opportunity for candidates to
test at a convenient time and location. The new testing windows are as follow: - November 2–30, 2020
- January 1–31, 2021
- March 1–31, 2021
- May 1–31, 2021
- July 1–31, 2021
- September 1–30, 2021
- November 1–30, 2021
NCTRC Recertification DeadlineIf your five-year expiration date is December 31, 2020, you should begin reviewing the rules and standards governing NCTRC Recertification. A complete copy of the NCTRC Recertification Standards can be viewed on the NCTRC website. Please submit your recertification application and fee via MY NCTRC Login no later than
December 31, 2020. Please be aware that the Recertification review process can take from 4–6 weeks for NCTRC to complete. If you are required to be certified for your employment, submit your application prior to the deadline. Important NCTRC Recertification reminders: - Please do not submit Continuing Education documents with your application. If your application is randomly selected for audit, you will be sent an email requesting that you submit your original, official documents to NCTRC via MY NCTRC Login.
- A verification form is required if your 480-hour TR work requirement has been met with either part time or volunteer work.
- All continuing education hours must be related to one of the NCTRC Job Analysis Knowledge Codes (FKW – Foundational Knowledge, ASP – Assessment Process, DOC – Documentation, IMP – Implementation, ADM – Administration of TR/RT Service, ADV – Advancement of the Profession) and need to total 50 hours completed over the five-year
period.
Continuing Education: The Opportunities are Endless- Supervision: This standard allows for up to three (3) CE credit earning internship supervisory experiences per recertification cycle. Each internship supervisory experience will be awarded five (5) CE credit hours for a maximum award of 15 credit hours per recertification cycle. For additional information, please review the Internship Supervision
for Continuing Education form. NCTRC recently added that a certificant may earn two (2) CE credit hours for each Equivalency Path applicant that is supervised, for a maximum of six (6) credits per recertification cycle. Please review the Supervision of Equivalency Path for Continuing Education form.
- Hospital/Agency Education: Many work-related educational sessions or in-services may be acceptable for recertification. (Please note: topics such as Infection Control, CPR, First Aid and Life Saving are not accepted.)
- Academic Coursework: Coursework can be
audited (8 hours per academic credit) or taken for credit (15 hours per academic credit). Academic courses may be taken in person, online, or through correspondence.
- Teleconferences/Audio Seminars: A growing number of continuing education providers sponsor teleconferences.
- Home Study Programs: Several organizations provide continuing education via professional journal review and home study courses. Like many online programs, educational material can be purchased for completion over an extended time period.
- Internet: A simple search for “continuing education” will provide many opportunities for consideration. Many of the internet/online-based
continuing education programs can be purchased for a reasonable fee.
- Conferences: Therapeutic Recreation, Recreation, or CE sessions in related disciplines are accepted if the content relates to the NCTRC Job Analysis Knowledge Areas.
Remember that NCTRC offers a Continuing Education Pre-Approval Process. This voluntary process is designed to assist CTRSs in obtaining approval of pending or completed continuing education prior to the submission of a recertification application. It allows for official confirmation of continuing education to CTRSs who are not certain if specific continuing education opportunities meet NCTRC recertification requirements. This process is available to all current CTRSs and can be utilized at any time during the five-year
certification cycle.
NCTRC is Out and About (Virtually)At the present time NCTRC cannot attend in-person conference/workshops, but the credentialing staff is always available for virtual workshops and webinars. Please contact the office at 845-639-1439 or nctrc@nctrc.org if you would like NCTRC to present a webinar for your staff or virtual conference.
Recertify and Reinvest in Yourself.NCTRC knows how hard you worked to obtain the CTRS® credential. Continue your professional journey by renewing your CTRS® certification.
Go further with an NCTRC Scholarship.An NCTRC Scholarship recognizes the achievements of those who seek to advance their knowledge and professional competency to improve the quality of recreational therapy services.
NCTRC is now on Facebook. We are excited to open this new avenue of contact between you and the organization.
Thank you for your continued support of NCTRC and the CTRS® credential!
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