TRail Mix: Therapeutics and the Outdoors Lizz Bapp, CTRS Kariayn Smith, CTRS Hallie Boisseau, Outdoor Coordinator
Getting Started • Who’s your audience? • Age • Ability level • Goals • Socialization • Physical • Self esteem • Cognitive
Getting Started • Location • Resources • Staffing • Adaptive Equipment • Audience • Minimum Eligibility
Minimum Eligibility • Minimum Eligibility for Participation: • Segregated programs, specifically designed to serve persons with disabilities, offer an alternative to the inclusive approach mandated by the ADA. These program choices are designed to meet the needs of large groups of persons with disabilities within an environment that allows for socialization, leisure skill development and community integration. • Most programs have minimum eligibility requirements for participation. Typically, these are thought of as age and prerequisite skill requirements. Requirements are put in place to assure participants are grouped together in programs in an appropriate fashion for the safety and benefit of all. County of Henrico, Virginia Minimum Eligibility policy
Minimum Eligibility • Therapeutic Recreation offers programs that are segregated in order to meet the needs and demands of participants with disabilities who prefer to participate with others who also have disabilities. Minimum eligibility requirements for participation are applicable in these programs for the safety and benefit of all the participants. Typically, individual discussion with the participant and/or family leads to appropriate programmatic choices. Increasingly, we have seen a shift in attitude when registering the participant. The parameters and limitations of the program have not been taken into consideration by the participant or family. It is therefore necessary to specify the program’s minimum eligibility requirements so that everyone is aware of and compliant with them. County of Henrico, Virginia Minimum Eligibility Policy
Minimum eligibility requirements may include but are not limited to: Safety issues Ability to stay with the group Endurance issues Issues of aggressive/threatening behavior Self abuse issues Personal care/hygiene, bowel and bladder issues Medical issues County of Henrico, Virginia Minimum Eligibility Policy
Outdoor Programming in Henrico • Great Outdoors • Outdoor Cooking, Hiking, Nature Crafts • Therapeutic Recreation Camp • Canoeing, Rock Climbing • Sunday Funday • Fishing, Canoeing, Tree Climbing
Great Outdoors • A 3 hour outdoor program that takes place once in the Spring and once in the Fall. • The program focuses on experiencing nature through exploring the outdoors, collecting natural materials for crafts and using alternative methods for cooking.
Great Outdoors • Target Audience • Adults, age 16+ with developmental disabilities • Goals • Increase physical activity level • Exposure to new experiences such as outdoor cooking • Socialization • Increased independence in activities of daily living
Great Outdoors • Location • Local parks • Dorey Park- shelters, picnic tables, accessible walking trails, lake, bathrooms • Resources • Two staff- One CTRS, one Outdoor Coordinator • Adaptive Equipment- walking sticks, adaptive craft supplies (hand over hand scissors, Styrofoam balls for paintbrush adaptations) • Audience- already established program
Great Outdoors: Minimum Eligibility • Must maintain own personal care and hygeine with staff supervision if necessary • Must abide by program rules, regulations, policies and procedures • Able to interact with others in a respectful manner • Respect personal space of others • Demonstrate basic social skills • Must be able to tolerate structure of group activities and/or community outings • Remain with the group • Must be able to maintain self control. (ex. No violent, abusive, or aggressive behavior)
Therapeutic Recreation Camp • Two 4-week sessions of day camp • Camp Excel: children ages 6-17 with ADD, ADHD, Mild MR, Asperger’s • Camps Pamunkey & Mattaponi: ages 6+ with developmental and/or multiple disabilities
Therapeutic Recreation Camp • Goals • Community integration • Self-esteem • Social skills • Increase physical activity • Exposure to new adapted outdoor activities
Therapeutic Recreation Camp • Location • Based out of a local school with trips utilizing local parks, lakes and the YMCA • Resources • CTRS on site • 1:2 staff to camper ratio • Specialists including Outdoor Coordinator, Rock Wall Adventure Center Coordinator and Lifeguard • Belay certification for staff • Adaptive Equipment: paddles, canoe seats, Gerber belay system, additional climbers, anchors
Therapeutic Recreation: Minimum Eligibility • Camp Excel: • Must maintain own personal care and hygeine with staff supervision if necessary • Must abide by program rules, regulations, policies and procedures • Able to interact with others in a respectful manner • Respect personal space of others • Demonstrate basic social skills • Must be able to tolerate structure of group activities and/or community outings • Remain with the group • Must be able to maintain self control. (abide by County of Henrico Public Schools Code of Conduct) • Must tolerate a moderate level of physical activity for the duration of the activity or program • Must be independently mobile
Therapeutic Recreation: Minimum Eligibility • Camps Pamunkey & Mattaponi • Must maintain own personal care and hygiene with staff supervision if necessary • Must abide by program rules, regulations, policies and procedures • Respect personal space of others • Demonstrate basic social skills • Must be able to tolerate structure of group activities and/or community outings • Must be able to maintain self control. (abide by County of Henrico Public Schools Code of Conduct)
Sunday Funday • A 2-hour program designed to integrate adolescents with special needs in outdoor activities with their peers from an inclusive approach • Two groups, ages 10-12 and 13-16 • Adolescents with ADD, ADHD, Mild MR, Asperger’s and their typically developing peers
Sunday Funday • Goals • Socialization • Disability awareness • Exposure to new activities • Self-esteem • Increase physical activity
Sunday Funday • Location • Local parks • Parks- shelters, picnic tables, accessible walking trails, lake, bathrooms • Armour House and Gardens- use of greenhouse • Resources • Two staff- One CTRS, one Outdoor Coordinator • Adaptive Equipment- paddle, canoe seats, fishing rods, raised flower beds
Sunday Funday:Minimum Eligibility • Must maintain own personal care and hygiene with staff supervision if necessary • Must abide by program rules, regulations, policies and procedures • Able to interact with others in a respectful manner • Respect personal space of others • Demonstrate basic social skills • Must be able to tolerate structure of group activities and/or community outings • Remain with the group • Must be able to maintain self control. (abide by County of Henrico Public Schools Code of Conduct) • Must tolerate a moderate level of physical activity for the duration of the activity or program • Must be independently mobile
