East Carolina University. Tomorrow starts here.®
 
The College of Health and Human Performance
Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies


Rotating RCLS Banner Images


 


RT CAREER EXPLORATION PRACTICUM HOURS:

What are the Career Exploration Hours and requirements?

How do I get started?

What forms do I need to complete?

Who do I contact if I have questions?

What are the Career Exploration Hours and requirements?

Since January 2009, the RT Department has required students to complete a 60-hour shadowing experience. These hours are to be completed prior to enrollment in 4000 level coursework in the RT program. The Career Exploration Hours are designed to be split among four settings, each hosting the student for a minimum of 15 hours in each setting, that emphasizes a major employment area of the RT profession. For all hours, the student is to be involved in observation of and assistance with service delivery and interaction with participants. Students are not to be providing direct service provision but becoming aware of what skills and duties a recreational therapist might need. The point of this requirement is to make students aware of the many settings and skills incorporated in the field of recreational therapy!

Students must be supervised under the supervision of a currently Licensed Recreational Therapist (LRT) or Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) in all of the following settings EXCEPT for the flexible setting:

  1. 15 hours Rehabilitation setting

  2. 15 hours Long Term Care/Nursing Home setting

  3. 15 hours Behavioral Health/Mental health/Substance Abuse setting

  4. 15 hours Flexible setting: this setting may be completed in any program providing recreation or allied health services to persons with special needs. While supervision by an LRT or CTRS is not required, the student may elect to complete these 15 hours in a recreational therapy program under the supervision of an LRT or CTRS (e.g. if they wish to continue observation in one of the above settings).

Students are responsible for verifying the licenses of supervisors at the A, B, and C settings are current. To do this, students may access the websites below:

Career Exploration Hours will have an impact on your application to the RT program! Part of a student's admission score will include how many Career Exploration Hours have been completed. Therefore, it is vitally important that students complete and document their completion of hours. The #1 thing the RT Department is looking for in this area is that students applying to the RT program have completed all or at the very least a portion of their hours.

How do I get started?

  1. Register with the Volunteer and Service Learning Center (VSLC) so you are covered by their liability insurance.  Only hours completed in the flexible setting are appropriate for submission to the VSLC.
  2. Identify places to shadow. Begin this process early! Some locations will require students to complete volunteer training in advance. When students plan for completing their Career Exploration Hours they are well aware of all the requirements each agency will have for them. It is also recommend students complete their hours in their home communities during weekends, breaks and/or summer. Local options in Greenville are overloaded with requests from ECU students and it would be much easier for students to complete these hours at home
    1. Visit the RT Internship Resources website: http://www.ecu.edu/cs-hhp/rcls/rt-internship-resources.cfm (view the related links for possible agencies).
      • NCTRA internships - select search database (for students), select list all
      • Recreation Therapy internships - see resources drop down menu, select internship, log in (username/password listed), select list all
    3. Call or visit locations in your community. Below are some examples of agencies within each setting:
      • Rehabilitation - Carolina Medical Center (Charlotte), Wake Medical Center (Raleigh), Bryn Marr Hospital (Jacksonville), Moses Cone Rehabilitation Center (Greensboro), Heritage Hospital, Vidant (Greenville)
      • Long Term Care/Nursing Home - Sunrise Assisted Living (Raleigh), Fountains of Albemarle (Tarboro), Wilmed (Wilson)
      • Behavioral Health/Mental Health/Substance Abuse - SOAR (Balsam, NC), Capitol Biofeedback (Raleigh), Central Regional Hospital (Raleigh), Walter B Jones (Greenville), Cherry Hill (Greensboro)
      • Flexible Hours - Special Olympics, Victory Junction Camp, Senior Programs (not run by CTRS), Cypress Glen Retirement Center (Greenville), Greenville Recreation and Parks, Support Team for Active Recreation, Vidant (Greenville)
  4. Ask RT staff at the agency if they would be willing to host you. Remember that students are NOT to be providing direct service hours but assisting and observing to gain a sense of services provided in the setting!
  5. Be familiar with the skills you will need to learn/observe (see RT Competency Sheet in documentation paperwork below) BEFORE you begin an experience to ensure you meet the requirements.
  6. At each setting, when you begin your hours, have the supervisor read the letter in documentation paperwork below. Keep track of the hours and complete ALL required documentation paperwork as detailed below in 'What forms for I need to complete?'.

What forms do I need to complete?

There are specific forms to be completed for each setting. Having only a VSLC timesheet is an unacceptable form of documentation for your Career Exploration Hours.  Students need to complete the following:
  • Career Exploration Hours Packet 1 - documentation paperwork for settings A, B and C.
  • Career Exploration Hours Packet 2 - documentation paperwork for flexible setting.
  • Below is an explanation of who is responsible for completing the paperwork in each of the above packets:
    • Page 1 = to be given to supervisor; explains purpose of hours and what you will be doing.
    • Page 2 + 3 = to be filled out by supervisor.
    • Page 4 = to be completed by you and signed by supervisor.

Students must hold on to all originals of these forms and keep track of your completed hours! These documents will be requested for when applying to the RT program and added to your official advising folder once accepted.

Who do I contact if I have questions?
If you have any questions regarding the Career Exploration Hours, please contact your RT academic advisor or faculty mentor.