How Recreation(al) Therapy/Therapeutic Recreation Academic Programs Structure the NCTRC-Eligible Internship into their Curricula

Recreational Therapy/Therapeutic Recreation (RT) academic programs provide opportunities for students to further develop competencies through the NCTRC- eligible internship prior to graduation. The NCTRC- eligible internship experience is the third focus of the American Therapeutic Recreation Association’s Academic Action Task Force study to understand the landscape of RT academic program fieldwork experiences in the United States and Canada. Out of a total of 95 RT academic programs, 54 programs responded to an online questionnaire about the fieldwork opportunities provided to students. This brief report discusses the results of the NCTRC-eligible internship experiences in three areas: Pre-Internship Preparation, Program Eligibility Factors, and the NCTRC- eligible Internship Experience. Results indicated that most programs provide some level of support in finding, applying to, and securing internship sites; require students to have the majority of the coursework completed, a minimum program GPA of 2.0, completion of a 12-credit internship; and, evaluate learning outcomes through mid- and final evaluation reports. Areas of variability remain, such as site supervisor requirements and course requirements. Recommendations are made for further inquiry related to NCTRC-eligible internship fieldwork education.