VA Announces National Recreation Therapy Week

July 13 -19 National Recreation Therapy Week 

This week (July 13-19) is National Recreation Therapy Week. During the week, the importance of recreational therapy services will be highlighted at health fairs, festivals, workshops, and information booths. VA Recreation Therapy Service is a direct-care interdisciplinary service that improves and enriches the bio-psycho-social functioning of patients through therapeutic activities.

The service strives to help patients gain independence in life activities based upon their needs and goals. This is the goal of VA recreation therapists, specialists and assistants working a four-step process of assessment, planning, intervention/activity implementation, and evaluation. Recreational therapy encompasses state of the art clinical care, education, technology, and research.

Recreation therapists use a number of active treatment programs, such as, therapeutic riding, fly fishing and adaptive kayaking, to enhance functional outcomes, improve cognition/memory, facilitate decision-making and improve social skills of OEF/OIF, Vietnam Era, and veterans of all wars.

Positive outcomes now are being achieved with veterans treated while using computerized gaming technology, such as, the Nintendo Wii System. Please take a moment to thank your local Recreation Therapists for their contributions to the health of our Nation’s veterans.