Recent News

NCTRC Certificants Meeting

Each year, NCTRC conducts its Annual Meeting for CTRSs at the professional conferences of the American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA) and the National Therapeutic Recreation Society (NTRS). The official meeting this year will be held in Reno, Nevada at the 2008 Annual ATRA Conference. The Annual Meeting will be held at the Peppermill Casino Resort on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 5:30pm. NCTRC will also sponsor a meeting for CTRSs at the NTRS Annual Conference in Baltimore, MD. The certificants meeting at the NTRS conference is scheduled for Thursday, October 16, 2008 at 5:30pm.

 

The NCTRC Annual Meeting of Certificants is a valuable opportunity for NCTRC to share information regarding current activities and introduce the Board of Directors, Committees, and Staff. NCTRC has several exciting projects underway that we look forward to sharing with you. We hope that you will attend the meeting at either conference site. If you are unable to attend, please contact NCTRC with any concerns or suggestions you may have about the CTRS credentialing program. 

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NCTRC New Application Process

The NCTRC Board of Directors approved a new application process on April 14, 2007. The new application process permits students to apply for eligibility and possibly complete the NCTRC exam earlier in the academic process. This new application process allows students to apply for eligibility and if eligible, register and complete the NCTRC exam prior to field placement and degree completion, thereby expediting the testing process and shortening the wait time that many applicants currently experience. However, students can still elect to register and complete the NCTRC exam upon completion of all academic requirements. For some students this may be the more prudent option. NCTRC supports the premise that the decision to exercise the new application option should be done in consultation with the academic advisor. Please contact NCTRC at 845-639-1439 or nctrc@nctrc.org with any questions or concerns regarding this new application process. Please see New Application for further information about this process.

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New Pre-Application Coursework Review

The Pre-Application Coursework Review Process can be used when applicants submit completed coursework verified on an official transcript to NCTRC to determine whether or not they meet current certification coursework requirements before submitting a formal application. This process will allow for early confirmation of coursework to individuals who are not certain if coursework previously completed will count towards NCTRC Eligibility. If you are interested in more information, please see the Pre-Application Coursework Review Form.

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NCTRC 2007 Job Analysis Report

The NCTRC 2007 Job Analysis Report is now available for review. A printed copy of the report is also available by contacting NCTRC ( NCTRC@nctrc.org ).

The report contains the summary findings of the NCTRC Job Analysis (JA) Study conducted in 2006. A total of 4,667 CTRSs completed the JA survey with 58 Job Tasks and 73 Knowledge Areas being identified as important to competent practice in therapeutic recreation / recreation therapy. The findings of the JA study are used in the development of the NCTRC Certification Exam and serve as the basis of continuing education for Recertification.

 

The integration of the study findings to NCTRC certification guidelines will be as follows:

 

NCTRC Recertification: November 2007 Cycle

NCTRC Certification Exam: May 2008 Exam

Due to the compatible alignment of the results of the 2007 JA findings to the current NCTRC Recertification guidelines, NCTRC plans to accept recertification applications based on either set of guidelines. NCTRC will send detailed information and modified forms to all individuals scheduled for recertification during the upcoming November 2007 cycle. The NCTRC Recertification Folder will also be modified to reflect the changes associated with the 2007 JA study findings. The new recertification folders will be sent to all CTRSs upon annual renewal of their CTRS credential.

 

The NCTRC Certification Exam will also be slightly modified as a result of the 2007 JA study. Although the overall content of the exam has not been substantially altered, both the organizational format and content weighting of the exam have been re-structured. Applicants intending to sit for the NCTRC Certification Exam in May 2008 (and beyond), should review the revised test specifications and content outline prior to submitting an exam application. A revised NCTRC Exam Content Outline will be available to help prepare candidates for the new exam format.

 

Please contact NCTRC directly if you have any questions or concerns regarding the NCTRC 2007 JA Report or the timetable for implementation.

NCTRC Phone: (845) 639-1439

NCTRC e-mail: NCTRC@nctrc.org

 

Thank you for your support of the NCTRC certification program.

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NCTRC Certification Standards: Changes, Updates and Effective Dates
The NCTRC Certification Standards serve as the official guidelines for test eligibility status and govern all requirements pertaining to certification and recertification. It is the policy of the NCTRC Board of Directors to post notice of all standard changes well in advance to effective dates.

The NCTRC Board of Directors has approved the following changes to the Certification Standards.

1. Field Placement Requirement - Supervisor must possess the CTRS Credential for one year prior to supervising interns:

Effective Date: January 1, 2010

The full-time, on-site agency supervisor must be currently NCTRC CTRS certified and must possess the CTRS credential for one year prior to supervising an internship student.

2. Supportive Coursework Information - Anatomy and Physiology Requirement:

Effective Date: January 1, 2012

The content area of anatomy and physiology is required for professional certification because knowledge of human anatomy (bones, muscles, and body systems) and physiology (how those systems work and interface) is deemed essential to an educational foundation in therapeutic recreation. Across the continuum from inpatient care to independent enjoyment of recreation, from knowledge of pathology to the benefits of health promotion, the CTRS who facilitates the therapeutic recreation process in any way draws from knowledge of the human body. NCTRC believes that this foundation was best laid through the requirement of a course in anatomy and physiology. Typical course titles accepted by NCTRC include “Anatomy and Physiology” or “Human Anatomy and Physiology”, “Kinesiology” may be accepted as the physiology requirement if the applicant also completes a course in anatomy. If a single course is used to meet this requirement (ie: Human Anatomy and/or Human Physiology), then the course must address anatomy and physiology in equal parts (at least 50% of the course respectively). A course that is intended to serve as an entry-level Human Biology course does not meet the NCTRC Anatomy and Physiology requirement.

3. Content Coursework Information - Increase in Therapeutic Recreation Content Course Requirement:

Effective Date: January 1, 2013

Academic Path

“A minimum of 18 semester or 24 quarter credit hours of therapeutic recreation and general recreation content coursework with no less than a minimum of 15 semester or 20 quarter credit hours in therapeutic recreation content. A minimum of 5 courses in therapeutic recreation is required and each course must be a minimum of 3 credit hours; AND…”

 

Equivalency Path A & B

“A minimum of 18 semester or 24 quarter credit hours of therapeutic recreation and general recreation content coursework with no less than a minimum of 15 semester or 20 quarter credit hours in therapeutic recreation content. A minimum of 5 courses in therapeutic recreation is required and each course must be a minimum of 3 credit hours; AND…”

4. Content Coursework Information - Content Specific Therapeutic Recreation Coursework Requirement:

Effective Date: January 1, 2013

Content specific Therapeutic Recreation coursework will be required as part of the NCTRC professional eligibility requirements. The specific course content will include the following areas: a/ Assessment; b/ TR Process; and c/ Advancement of the Profession. It is recommended that each content area be addressed by a specific TR course and that at a minimum at least 50% of the course be devoted to the designated content material.

5. Field Placement Standards Information - Increase in the Number of Internship Weeks and Hours: Effective January 1, 2013 

Academic Path

A minimum 560-hour, fourteen (14) consecutive week field placement experience in therapeutic recreation services that uses the therapeutic recreation process as defined by the current NCTRC Job Analysis.

 

6.  Field Placement Standards information - Academic Field Placement Supervisor must possess the CTRS Credential:

Effective January 1, 2013

The Academic Field Placement Supervisor must be an active CTRS at the start of the field placement experience and is required to sign the final Field Placement Verification Form signifying that the candidate completed all stated components of the NCTRC field placement requirements.

 

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NCTRC Military Reserve Status

The NCTRC Board of Directors approved at its April 2003 meeting a Military Reserve Certification Status for those CTRSs currently on active duty in the Armed Forces. NCTRC recognizes the efforts of the men and women serving in the Armed Forces and is committed to assisting them to maintain their CTRS or Professional Eligibility status.

During the period of Reserve Status, the qualified individual is not required to complete the NCTRC annual maintenance or recertification application, pay annual renewal fees, or complete the NCTRC exam if test eligible. A qualified individual can remain on NCTRC Reserve Status as long as he/she is on active duty within a United States military service, not to exceed a period of two years. NCTRC Reserve Status will cease as of the date of your official military discharge from active duty.

If you wish to apply for Military Reserve Certification Status or have any questions regarding the information outlined above, please contact NCTRC.

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