Recreational Therapy Week
RT Week 12-18th Feb 2024
Theme - ‘Choice, Connection, Community’
Diversional & Recreation Therapy Week, first introduced in 1995, was developed to provide our members with an outlet to promote, foster and advance the development of the Recreational Therapy profession and the state DT Associations (now ARTA nationally). Recreational Therapy Week aims to encourage you to educate your work peers and the wider community about who Recreational Therapists and Recreational Therapy Assistants are and what we do.
In 2022, RT Week was moved to the third week in February to coincide with Therapeutic Recreation Month in the United States and Canada. Through this global alignment the ARTA hope to create a greater national and international presence and improve the future of the Recreational Therapy profession.
This year’s theme reflects the foundation and core values of the Recreational Therapy profession in Australia
Choice – a powerful and important component of every interaction, approach and intervention. Recreational Therapists ensure each individual is empowered to have their voice heard, understood, and supported
Connection – supporting individuals to explore, reconnect or maintain opportunities for recreation based on desired needs and abilities.
Community – facilitating and curating a sense of meaningful community, unique to each individual
Many of us will relate to and interpret each of these components in a variety of ways and have examples from our own experience. Recreational Therapists blend choice, connection and community which contribute to individuals building more independent, happier, healthier lives.
Celebrate and Educate!
How you choose to share your passion for Recreational Therapy is completely up to you. You may decide to use the material made available through ARTA or develop your own Recreational Therapy Week program. The important part is that we are showcasing the important work that we do.
During the week, the ARTA provide free training sessions accessible on our Online Training page. Please be sure to utilise this amazing opportunity for both yourself and your coworkers.
So let us all join together and do our part in promoting, fostering and advancing both our profession and our association well into the future.
Kayla Garside, Board Member
A few ideas to get us noticed out there!
- Print out the poster for RT Week 2024 in beautiful bright colour and get it up on the wall. (If you don't have a printer available to you - contact the office, we will print on our printer and send out at cost).
- Print out the Choice, Connection, Community logo and put it up on the wall
- Add the RT Week 2024 Choice, Connection, Community logo to your email signature
- Put together an entry for the ARTA Award for Excellence (Members only)
- Use the Powerpoint presentation developed by the ARTA Board to show to other staff members
- Use our online training platform to access a number of free education to show in your workplace
- Create a RT Week button for all the rec staff during a craft activity – and wear them with pride!
- Consider organising an Information Afternoon Tea (let the office know to get extra support maybe even a Board member to attend if they can)
- Get a copy of the ARTA Mission Statement Poster and get it up on the wall
