AWARE has a new therapeutic recreation program director, and you won’t find anyone more passionate than Beth Eastman.
Just what is therapeutic recreation? It’s a process that uses recreation and leisure time to improve psychological and physical health along with overall well-being. Creative arts, games, sports, exercise and skill enhancement activities (i.e., motor, sensory, behavior) are all part of the program.
Beth steps into the role having previously served as a service administrator for AWARE’s youth mental health residential services, but much of her background is in therapeutic recreation. She has a bachelor’s degree in the field along with being a certified therapeutic recreation specialist. Before joining the AWARE team, many of her previous jobs were also in this line of work.
The program is new to AWARE, but the premise behind it is not. It takes a strength-based approach and focuses on individual goals, aspirations and dreams. Once the big picture is established, things like mobility, balance, exercise and symptom management, among many others, become tools to help individuals make progress toward their goals.
To get the program off the ground, Beth has been meeting with each of AWARE’s service lines to get a better understanding of how therapeutic recreation can be woven into our existing care systems. Soon, she hopes to be able to work out a referral process to begin serving clients.
Be sure to stay tuned for more in 2023!
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