Internship and Professional Experience Supervision

Presented by:

Robin McNeal, CTRS Director of Credentialing, NCTRC

Learning Objectives

• Describe at least three of NCTRC's Internship Standards. • Describe at least three guidelines needed to provide

supervision for work experience.

• Apply the ten Job Task areas of the NCTRC National Job Analysis Study to the development of internships and work experience program.

NCTRC’s Mission

… to protect the consumer of therapeutic recreation services by promoting the provision of quality therapeutic recreation services by NCTRC certificants.

Where do NCTRC Standards come from?

• The TR/RT Profession

• NCTRC Job Analysis Study • Accreditation Standards

• National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) of ICE

Job Analysis

“…delineates the important tasks and knowledge deemed necessary for competent practice.” (ICE)

2014 Job Task Areas

• Professional Relationships and Responsibilities • Assessment • Plan Interventions and/or Programs • Implement Interventions and/or Programs • Evaluate Outcomes of the Interventions and/or Programs • Document Intervention Services • Treatment Teams and/or Service Providers • Develop and Maintain Programs • Manage TR/RT Services • Awareness and Advocacy

NCTRC Internship Requirements

A minimum 560 hour, 14 consecutive week internship experience in TR services that uses the TR process as defined by the current NCTRC Job Analysis under the supervision of both academic and agency Internship supervisors who are certified by NCTRC.

Highly Structured

• One identified primary supervisor

• Based on the TR process as defined by the NCTRC Job Analysis

• The internship program should be well established at the agency

Extensive Involvement • The primary agency CTRS supervisor must be employed at least

30 hours a week at the sponsoring agency

• Job duties must be at least 50% in TR/RT

• Direct and immediate supervision (consistent basis, coordinates secondary supervision and completes evaluations)

• Active CTRS on the first day of internship and for one year prior to supervising

Active CTRS Supervisors

• Primary agency and academic supervisors must possess active CTRS status on the first day of the applicant’s experience

• Agency supervisor must possess the CTRS credential for one

year prior to supervising an internship student • Should provide student with a copy of credentials

Shared Responsibility

• Internship is part of the student’s academic degree

• Shared responsibility between faculty member and the agency supervisor to assure quality experience

• The Academic Internship Supervisor must be an active CTRS at the start of the Internship experience

Minimum Numbers of Hours and Weeks

• No less than 20 hours per week, no more than 45 hours per week • Must be completed for no less than 14 consecutive full weeks, a

minimum of 560 hours • The experience should be continuous and uninterrupted • Serious illness or personal emergency:

• No more than 2 consecutive weeks of interrupted internship work will be accepted

• Needs to submit documentation of illness/emergency • Needs to submit internship logs to show completion of 14 weeks,

560 hours • If the experience is interrupted for longer than this period, contact

NCTRC for Alternative Internship Guidelines

Alternative Internship Guidelines

• The agency closes without warning • The agency terminates the employment of the CTRS supervisor • The agency reduces the employment hours of the CTRS supervisor

to less than 30 hours • The CTRS supervisor resigns from the agency • The CTRS supervisor experiences an illness/disability that prevents

them from continuing working a minimum of 30 hours per week • Student contacts NCTRC for guidelines and forms to submit with

application • To be completed by student, academic supervisor, original

internship supervisor, and new internship supervisor

Experience at One Agency Site

• Total hours may not be split among different agencies • Students may work in different sites within same agency • Students may attend professional conferences and workshops

Academic Credit Awarded

• Internship must appear on student’s transcript • Internship should be completed during the same semester or

quarter that the student receives academic credit for the experience • Student must receive a passing grade for the experience as verified

by the transcript

Completed After Majority of TR/Recreation Coursework

• NCTRC requires 18 semester or 24 quarter credits of content coursework with a minimum of 15 semester or 20 quarter credits of TR coursework for eligibility

• No less than 12 semester or 16 quarter hours need to be completed

with a minimum of 9 semester or 12 quarter hours in TR content before the internship begins

NCTRC Work Experience Requirements

Work experience in therapeutic recreation cannot be substituted for the internship experience requirements under the academic path.

However, under both equivalency paths, full-time paid work experience is required instead of an academic internship experience.

NCTRC Work Experience Requirements

Equivalency Path A • Five (5) years of full-time paid work experience

is required.

• Applicants who possess a graduate degree in therapeutic recreation need a minimum of three (3) years of full-time paid experience in therapeutic recreation services.

• Part-time work experience will be pro-rated.

NCTRC Work Experience Requirements

Equivalency Path B

• One (1) year of full-time paid work experience under the supervision of a CTRS is required.

• Part-time work experience will be pro-rated.

NCTRC Work Experience Requirements

• Full-time work experience is defined as between 30 to

40 hours per week.

• Part-time work experience in a permanent employment position in therapeutic recreation practice will be accepted as long as it is between 20 to 29 hours per week.

• Seasonal, temporary, and/or consulting experience will not be accepted as full-time or permanent part-time work experience.

NCTRC Work Experience Equivalency Path B

• Required work experience in therapeutic recreation must occur in the 5 years

before application.

• Credit will not be given for administrative or consultant work, which does not include direct client services.

• One-year full-time experience is defined as a minimum of 1500 hours worked (excludes scheduled and unscheduled leave time) within a minimum of a full calendar year (52 weeks). The 1500 hour number is determined from calculating full-time as a minimum of 30 hours per week over 46 weeks. 46 weeks is determined by subtracting potential vacation, holiday and leave time from 52 weeks in a year.

NCTRC Work Experience Equivalency Path B

• The supervisor must hold an active CTRS credential

throughout the period of supervision and the supervisor may be either:

• Employed on-site with direct supervisory responsibility for the applicant (direct supervisory responsibilities refer to having primary responsibility for the applicant’s performance evaluation, clinical and/or managerial supervision); OR

• a preceptor or consultant to the agency and applicant.

NCTRC Work Experience Equivalency Path B

• The preceptor/consultant must provide on-site supervision of the applicant for

a minimum of one hour for every 10 hours of the applicant’s employment for a minimum of 150 hours within the calendar year of supervision.

• Supervision must include direct observation of practice as well as supervisory meetings. While onsite or direct supervision is strongly encouraged, NCTRC recognizes there may be applicants who are unable to receive onsite supervision with a CTRS. With current technology, there may be alternative effective models of supervision.

• The CTRS supervisor must complete a formal evaluation provided by NCTRC.

Internship, Work and the Job Analysis

• An acceptable experience must be based on the TR process as defined by the knowledge and skills of the current NCTRC Job Analysis Study

• The applicant should demonstrate exposure to ALL of the Job Task Areas of the NCTRC Job Analysis Study

• The applicant should demonstrate exposure to opportunities to

develop skills for competency in the TR process

2014 Job Task Areas

• Professional Relationships and Responsibilities • Assessment • Plan Interventions and/or Programs • Implement Interventions and/or Programs • Evaluate Outcomes of the Interventions and/or Programs • Document Intervention Services • Treatment Teams and/or Service Providers • Develop and Maintain Programs • Manage TR/RT Services • Awareness and Advocacy

Summary

• Follow the NCTRC Internship Standards and Work Experience Requirements when obtaining your practical experience.

• Utilize the NCTRC Job Analysis Job Task Areas while you are in your experience.

• Use this opportunity to prepare yourself for your future practice.

• Complete the Professional Eligibility process once you have

completed your education and experience.

Thank you!

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845 639 1439 845 639 1471

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