Course Description
This practicum provides students with the opportunity to integrate theory and philosophy with professional practice. Students will conduct assessments and, in concert with client, design, implement and evaluate individual and group program plans. Students will demonstrate activity analysis and adaptation in the leadership of small group activities. Students will establish effective working relations with field personnel as they work within agencies which offer therapeutic recreation and/or recreation health promotion services.
Course Content
Professionalism
- Self awareness and self evaluation skills
- Safe practice and safety awareness
- Effective working relationships with staff, volunteers and participants
- Effective client interaction skills
- Confidentiality in all communications concerning the agency
- Personal wellness and appropriate work habits
- Respond to the changing needs of the agency, balancing flexibility and organizational skills
- Adherence to agency policies and procedures
Knowledge of Agency
- Organizational structure, philosophy, goals
- Recreation department (equivalent) goals, philosophy, practitioner role
- Application of therapeutic recreation service models
- Recreation health promotion practices evident within the agency
Helping Relationships and Skills
- Client-centred, age appropriate approach to all interventions
- Helping relationships built upon humanistic values
- Basic communication and interview skills
- Problem management/opportunity development approach to helping
- Helping skills and discussions about healthy leisure lifestyles
Assessment and Individual Program Planning
- Describes the disabling condition(s) of the client
- Analyses the systems: family, agency, community, economic, environmental, political, etc. which may impact upon a client’s health and leisure well-being
- Observes and interviews the client to identify strengths and needs
- Prepares, with the client, an individual leisure lifestyle program plan
- Implements, monitors and evaluates the plan
Activity Analysis, Selection and Adaptation
- Activity analysis
- Activity selection and adaptation
- Program Planning and Leadership
- Breadth and depth in recreation activity skills
- Effective group leadership
- Activity analysis and adaptation skills
- Group assessment, awareness of group dynamics and needs
- Documents program with a program protocol and session plans
- Implements and evaluates the program.
Learning Activities
- Field practice and guidance
- Small and large group seminars
Means of Assessment
This course will conform to Douglas College policy regarding the number and weighting of evaluations. Typical means of evaluation would include a combination of:
- Demonstration of skills
- Self assessment
- Observations by site and college supervisor
- Completion of written assignments
- Participation in seminars
- Midpoint and final evaluation meetings with site supervisor and college supervisor.
This is a Mastery/Non-Mastery course.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- demonstrate professional skills in the practice of therapeutic recreation and recreation health promotion
- demonstrate knowledge of the agency and the delivery of recreation services
- apply systems theory in developing comprehensive, leisure related client assessments and individual program plans
- develop therapeutic relationships with individuals and groups based upon the values and skills of the profession
- demonstrate helping relationships and skills
- demonstrate awareness of group dynamics and leadership skills
- demonstrate recreation activity analysis and activity adaptation skills
- design, implement and evaluate recreation, therapeutic recreation and/or health promotion programs.