Careers
Related Skills
- Possess strong interpersonal, communication, and other people skills
- Strong leadership skills
- Possess therapeutic program planning skills
- Ability to manage pressure well
- Possess the understanding of human behavior
- Good conflict resolving skills
- Empathy for others
- Appreciation for diversity
- Interest in social change
- Good listener and motivator
- Demonstrate proficiency in organizational skills
- Skilled in work in teams and with individuals of various ages, abilities, and backgrounds
- Writes and speaks proficiently
- Attention to detail and accuracy
- Good multitasking capabilities
- Creative thinking ability
Being Successful in the Field
Internships
Therapeutic Recreation students gain valuable experience in the field their senior year. Listed below are the names of just a few of the places our students have completed senior internships:
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
- VA Illiana Health Care System (Danville, IL)
- Fox Valley Special Recreation Association (Aurora, IL)
- Cunningham Children's Home (Urbana, IL)
- DuPage Care Center (Wheaton, IL)
- UnityPoint Health-Methodist (Peoria, IL)
- St. Louis VA Medical Center-Jefferson Barracks (St. Louis, MO)
- Northwest Special Recreation Association (Rolling Meadows, IL)
- Shirley Ryan Ability Lab (Chicago, IL)
- Rocky Mountain MS Center(Westminster, CO)
Prior to the start of the senior internship, students are required to provide proof of certification in First Aid and CPR/AED Adult and Pediatrics and 400 documented hours of field experience.
Students graduating from the therapeutic recreation sequence who meet the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) requirements are eligible to take the examination to become a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist.
Related Fields
Recreation Therapists work in these and many other environments:
- Special recreation associations
- Substance abuse facilities
- Hospitals
- Mental health centers
- Long term care facilities
- Physical medicine and rehabilitation
- Veterans Administration
- Corrections
- Schools
- Outdoor Adventure Therapy Centers
- Adapted Sport Training Facilities
- Camps
Recreation Therapists also work alongside the following professions:
- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Child Life
- Nursing
- Kinesiotherapy
- Music therapy
- Art therapy
- Speech Language Pathology/Audiology
- Athletic Training
- Psychiatry
- Nutrition
- Special Education
Professional organizations in therapeutic recreation
- American Therapeutic Recreation Association
- Illinois Recreation Therapy Association
- National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification
Career Industry Liaison
| Name | Office | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Radcliffe | 223 Bone Student Center | nrradcl@ilstu.edu | (309) 438-2200 |
Internship Coordinator
| Name | Office | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rachel Smith, CTRS | McCormick Hall 169 | trinterns@ilstu.edu | (309) 438-8368 |
Internship Sites
Interested in becoming an approved senior internship site? Current CTRSs please complete and submit Site Information Form and NCTRC Job Task Checklist forms (see below). TR faculty will review your application and contact you about approval as soon as possible. Academic Affiliation Agreements will need to be completed for all approved agencies before a student can begin the internship. Links to the two forms are provided below: