Download The Role of Recreation Therapy in Mental Health Treatment

The Role of Recreation
Therapy in Mental Health
Treatment
Dr. Karen Bibbins, CTRS
Eastern Michigan University
3/21/16
Treatments in Recreation Therapy
 Within a behavioral health setting Recreation Therapy
uses a therapeutic approach that allows patients with
various mental health diagnoses to engage in actions,
movements, and activities to face problems and
concerns and improve their quality of life.
Leisure Education
 Improve social skills
 Build better relationships
 Identify what types of leisure they are interested in
 Find community resources for participation
 Improve leisure skills
 Use leisure based activities to explore patterns of
behavior and teach healthy coping skills
Types of Treatment
 Rock Climbing
 Meditation
 Therapeutic Outings
 Cardio Strength Exercise
 Yoga
 Equine Assisted Therapy
 Animal Assisted Therapy
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
 Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a
cognitive behavioral treatment that was
originally developed to treat chronically
suicidal individuals diagnosed with borderline
personality disorder (BPD) and it is now
recognized as the gold standard in
psychological treatment for this population. In
addition, research has shown that it is
effective in treating a wide range of other
disorders such as substance dependence,
depression, post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD), and eating disorders
(www.behavioraltech.org).
Skills Taught in DBT
 DBT includes four sets of behavioral skills.
 Mindfulness: the practice of being fully
aware and present in this one moment
 Distress Tolerance: how to tolerate pain
in difficult situations, not change it
 Interpersonal Effectiveness: how to
ask for what you want and say no while
maintaining self-respect and relationships
with others
 Emotion Regulation: how to change
emotions that you want to change
Recreation Therapy and DBT
 Many concepts reinforced in Recreational Therapy align
with treatments like DBT.
 The skills of mindfulness, regular participation in
pleasant events and building mastery are all core
components of both DBT and Recreational Therapy
Clinical Diagnosis Ages 6-12
 PTSD
 Depression
 ADHD
 Mood Disorder NOS
 Suicidal Ideation (Thoughts)
 Anxiety
 Eating Disorders
 Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
 Hx. Of Trauma-physical or sexual
 Self Injurious Behavior
Expressive Therapy
Interventions for Children
Ages 6-12
 Art Therapy
 Music Therapy
 Dance & Movement Therapy
 Recreation Therapy
 Play Therapy
 Creative Writing
 Psycho-education
 Daily gym and outdoor
Specific Activities
Ages 6-12
 Anger Management
 Feelings in a Jar
 Temper Tamers
 The Un-Game
 Chill Skills
 Mad Libs
 Life Skills
Most Common Clinical
Diagnosis
Ages-13-17
 Major Depressive
Disorder (MDD)
 DMDD
 Anxiety
 SI
 Eating Disorder
 Hx. of Suicide Attempts
 OCD
 Substance Abuse
 PTSD
 Family Conflicts
 SI
 Hx. of Smoking
 Substance Abuse
 Panic Disorder
 ODD
 Self-Injurious Behaviors
 Bi-polar
Specific Activities
Ages-13-17
 Anger Management
 Self-Esteem
 Life Skills
 The Un Game for Teenagers
 Physical Activities
 Cyber Dilemmas for Teens
 Leisure Education
 Coping Skills
 Communication skills
 Daily Gym and outdoors time
Most Common Clinical
Diagnosis for Adolescent Boys
Sex-Offenders
 Impulse Control
 Hx. of Physical and Sexual Abuse
 PTSD
 Substance Abuse
 MDD
 Anxiety Disorder
 Conduct Disorder
 Autism Spectrum Disorder
Recreation Therapy Treatment for
Adolescent Sex Offenders
 Recreation Therapy uses activity-based interventions
that include an onsite low-element ropes course to
improve each child’s physical, mental, emotional, and
social functioning.
 Daily activity therapy groups are designed to improve
physical abilities including muscle strength, balance,
coordination, flexibility, physical stamina and agility as
well as to provide opportunities that build self-esteem and
confidence.
 Source: New Hope Carolinas Psychiatric Residential
Treatment Facility
Recreation Therapy Treatment
 It encourages youth to: set challenging
goals to do their best, express feelings,
improve stress tolerance, learn new
approaches for problem solving,
develop new leisure interests, and learn
how to use leisure in positive and
constructive ways.
 Other benefits include helping youth
gain greater self-reliance,
 increasing interpersonal skills by
encouraging youth to join in activities
that nurture social relationships.
Co-occurring Disorders
Treatments
 Adults with both mental illness and
substance abuse symptoms.
 Meditation
 Physical exercise
 Psycho-education
 CBT
 Life skills
 What specific interventions do you think
would work well with this population?
Severe and Persistent Mental
Illness (SPMI)
 Schizophrenia
 Schizo-affective disorder
 Bi-polar disorder
 Psychosis
 Suicidal Behaviors
 What do you think some of the functioning levels would
be for this population? What specific interventions in
recreation therapy would be beneficial?
SPMI Functioning Levels
 Grossly Psychotic
 Poor reality orientation
 Confused
 Inability to Focus
 Non-directable
 Poor ADL’s
 Poor insight
 Poor impulse control
 Disruptive
In Conclusion…
 Leisure involvement can provide a sense of purpose and
meaning in one’s life, as well as strengthening individual
identity or one’s sense of who they are.
 Recreational Therapist motivate and guide someone
experiencing mental health difficulties to leisure that
provides the specific benefits suited to their needs.
Resources
 Rectherapyideas.blogspot.co
m
 www.free-mandala.com
 www.doodle-art-alley.com
 Pinterest.com
 Making choices: Life skills
for adolescents
 Leisure Education: A Manual
of Activities and Resources
 www.freespirit.com
 National Institutes of Health
(NIH)
 Department of Health &
Human Services (DHHS)
 www.therapistaid.com
 American Counseling
Association
 theteencompass.org
 The RecKing Yard of Games
& Activities
 Life Skills
 ChildworkChildplay.com
 Brightspotgames.com
 Leisure Education II: More
Activities
 Leisure Education III: More
Goals
 Leisure Education IV:
Activities for Individuals
with Substance Addictions
 Norma Stumbo