Back to the top Employment Recreational therapists held about 31,000 jobs in 1994. Others were in residential facilities, community mental health centers, adult day care programs, correctional facilities, community programs for people with disabilities, and substance abuse centers. Some therapists were self-employed, generally contracting with nursing homes or community agencies to develop and oversee programs. The National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification certifies therapeutic recreation specialists. Specialists must have a bachelor's degree and pass a certification exam.
Some employers require individuals to be certified.
There are about 150 programs that prepare recreational therapists. Most offer bachelor's degrees, although some offer associate, master's, or doctoral degrees. In addition to therapeutic recreation courses in clinical practice and helping skills, program design, management, and professional issues, students study human anatomy, physiology, abnormal psychology, medical and psychiatric terminology, characteristics of illnesses and disabilities, and the concepts of mainstreaming and normalization. Courses cover professional ethics, assessment and referral procedures, and the use of adaptive and medical equipment. Recreational therapists should be comfortable working with disabled people and be patient, tactful, and persuasive.