National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification
Protecting and Promoting Since 1981
Happy New Year from NCTRC!
NCTRC Seeking Item WritersThe item writing process requires the involvement of knowledgeable Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists who represent the diversity of service settings and populations served by the CTRS. NCTRC is seeking individuals who are willing to share their knowledge by writing items representing the entry-level knowledge needed by recreational therapists for competent practice. Prior experience/expertise with writing exam questions is not needed as training will be provided to all individuals who are selected to participate in this process. Individuals who are selected for involvement in the item writing process will be able to earn up to 10 hours of continuing education
credit (1 hour for each approved item) for their work. The selection criteria for the 2019 Item Writing Committee are as follows: - Minimum of (3) three years employment providing RT/TR Services
- Possess a valid email address and access to email
- Actively certified as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS)
If you are interested in participating in the item writing process, please fill out the Item Writing Application and email to nmolloy@nctrc.org. Applications should be submitted to NCTRC no later than February 22, 2019. Item writers will be notified via email if they have been selected for inclusion in this project.
A mandatory Item writing training will take place via conference call on March 1, 2019 from 12pm–2pm EST, with the item writing to be completed and submitted no later than April 5, 2019. Each of the selected item writers will be required to submit a minimum of 10 items related to assigned exam content areas.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Noelle Molloy at nmolloy@nctrc.org.
CTRSs to Celebrate Therapeutic Recreation Month: February 2019The purpose of Therapeutic Recreation Month is to increase the awareness of the therapeutic recreation profession and the incredibly important role that recreational therapists play in promoting health and well being.
NCTRC offers an array of promotional materials for use at your agency during TR Month or any other time, to help promote the CTRS credential and recreational therapy services. All NCTRC promotional materials can be downloaded in PDF format from the NCTRC website or you can contact NCTRC if you would like multiple copies of a specific brochure. We are happy to send you up to 50 of each brochure for free.
During TR Month, CTRSs and their agencies will host a series of lectures and presentations, career days, adaptive sport events, workshops, receptions, information booths, and open houses. Proclamations, press releases, articles and public service announcements are also great ways to enhance the awareness of the CTRS credential during Therapeutic Recreation Month. The American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA) and the Canadian Therapeutic Recreation Association (CTRA) offer promotional items at their respective websites to enhance
the TR Month celebration.
Are You a Retiring CTRS?NCTRC would like to recognize your support of the CTRS credential and years of service to the TR profession upon your decision to not renew your CTRS credential due to retirement. To receive a certificate of recognition, please email us at nctrc@nctrc.org noting your decision to not renew your credential due to retirement, and be sure to include the address where you would like the certificate delivered. NCTRC would like to thank you for your service and wish you the best of luck in your retirement years.
Internship ThanksNCTRC extends its sincere appreciation to CTRSs who serve as internship supervisors. The internship supervisor plays an extremely important role in the development of new TR professionals and potential CTRSs. The academic internship is an incredibly important element in the professional preparation process and we deeply appreciate your involvement.
NCTRC has several resources that may be of assistance to students during their internship and application for certification. If you would like to receive a copy of a marketing packet specifically related to the internship experience, please contact NCTRC by phone or email and we will gladly send one to you. Additionally, these resources and other items of interest pertaining to the NCTRC credentialing program are available directly from the NCTRC website.
Just a reminder that as an agency CTRS internship supervisor, you can receive continuing education credit towards your recertification. For additional information, please review the Internship Supervision for Continuing Education Form.
Annual Maintenance ReminderNCTRC will notify CTRSs of their pending renewal date by email. Certificants can complete the CTRS renewal process on-line by using MY NCTRC LOGIN via our online secure application portal. After logging into your dashboard profile, please click on the “Annual Maintenance Renewal” link. If that link is not available, please contact NCTRC for assistance.
NCTRC Annual Board MeetingThe NCTRC Board of Directors will conduct the NCTRC Annual Meeting on April 15–17, 2019 in New City, NY. Newly elected Board Members and recently appointed Standing Committee members will begin their three-year terms commencing with the annual meeting.
NCTRC Certification Standards ChangeThe NCTRC Board of Directors continually monitors data related to recreational therapy practice, healthcare trends, the applicants’ academic preparation and professional experience, and modifies the NCTRC Certification Standards accordingly. In doing so, the Board ensures the NCTRC Certification Standards remain relevant with current professional practice and in compliance with the National Commission of Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the accrediting organization of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE). As a result of the Board’s efforts, there are several changes related to the NCTRC Certification Standards and Interpretive Guidelines. These
changes go into effect January 1, 2022. For a listing of the standards changes, please go to page 33 of the NCTRC Certification Standards.
NCTRC is Creating PartnershipsNCTRC continues to monitor the scope and breadth of settings where individuals who hold the CTRS credential practice. In an attempt to explore common ground, we have participated in conversations with organizations that represent allied professions who may share the same space and focus on promoting health and well-being. The discussions have focused on ways to support certificants, protect the consumers, and develop common language that supports the mission of all parties at the table. Some of these conversations have been with the leadership of Association of Child Life Professionals, Adaptive Sports USA, BlazeSports, National Certification Council for Activity
Professionals, Diversional and Recreation Therapy Australia, and the New Zealand Society of Diversional and Recreational Therapy.
Website RefreshNCTRC is in the final steps of a website refresh project that focuses on increasing the accessibility of the entire website. A translation tool will also be added to allow individuals to view web pages in English, French, German, Italian, or Spanish.
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.
CTRS® Credential VerificationVisit our CTRS® Verification Search Portal to verify information about active Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists.
NCTRC NewsVisit our website for all the latest news and updates relating to NCTRC and the CTRS® credential.
Thank you for your continued support of NCTRC and the CTRS® credential!
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