Community Reintegration Program enhanced the quality of life for persons with physical disabilities by providing transitional therapeutic recreation services that enabled recently hospitalized and other individuals with disabilities to attain independent functioning in their home communities. Therapeutic Recreation Specialists utilized a leisure education program that explored personal interests, activity adaptations, community resources, and recreation’s role in community living. The CRP program is being continued within North Carolina by Independent Living offices in the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

Funding Source: US Dept. of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration
 

Leisure Education in Teacher Preparationdeveloped training materials for pre and in-service therapeutic recreation specialists, and regular and special education teachers. Based on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the training materials explore the purposes and processes of recreation as a related service for children and youth with disabilities in special education. The video, Learning to Play, Playing to Learn: Recreation as a Related Service, introduces the concept of recreation as a related service from the perspective of parents, recreation specialists, and federal legislation. The video is appropriate for use with parent and other advocacy groups. 

Funding Source: Office of Special Education Programs
 

Reintegration Through Recreationdeveloped, implemented, and evaluated a community-based recreation therapy service model designed to enhance the rehabilitation and community living of persons with serious mental illness. The RTR model utilizes recreation interests, experiences, and activities as purposeful interventions to treat the effects of psychiatric disability. RTR emphasizes the enhancement of personal strengths and the development of natural community connections and life skills that support the individual’s ability to meet personally relevant goals.

Funding Source: US Dept. of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration

Leisure Is for Everyone, LIFE, is a training program for community recreation professionals that sensitizes them to the needs and abilities of persons with disabilities and provides them with the skills required to offer access to all programs and facilities.
 
 

Masters Level Professional Preparation of Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists for employment in Public School Systems was a training project that prepared students to work as Therapeutic Recreation Specialists in schools. Students were prepared to provide both direct and consultative services as allowed by PL 101-276. This project involved additions to the existing UNC therapeutic recreation curriculum to specifically address this overlooked area of professional preparation. The project included extensive hands on experiences in area schools.

Funding Source: Office of Special Education
 
 

Integrated Recreation in North Carolina continued previous successful efforts to promote systemic change to increase the availability of integrated recreational opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities. Intensive training on ADA compliance with an emphasis on programmatic access was provided to numerous units of state government within the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources. Follow-up technical assistance was offered to these agencies by trained consumer teams.

Funding Source: NC Council on Developmental Disabilities
 
 

School-Community Leisure Linkwas a research and demonstration project that investigated the utility of introducing a comprehensive leisure education program into a school-based special education program. Findings indicated that special education students who received school-based leisure education services increased their level of independent decision making, independent leisure planning, and independent recreation participation. Services that were begun by Therapeutic Recreation Specialists were continued by Special Education teachers.

Funding Source: US Dept. of Education, Rehabilitation Services Administration
 

Family Link in Leisure Educationwas a research project to understand and document the extent to which self-determination skills can be facilitated using a leisure education planning process with students with mental retardation. The intervention used a collaborative school and home-based leisure education program to facilitate self-determination skills in leisure.

Funding Source: Office of Special Education Programs

CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS

The Center operates numerous projects through contractual arrangements with a variety of agencies. Center staff provide assistance with program development, direct service, technical assistance, evalutaion or other forms of consultation for the contracting party.