Valuing Diversity: Therapeutic Recreation and Mental Health

Curriculum Guideline

Effective Date:
Course
Discontinued
No
Course Code
THRT 2307
Descriptive
Valuing Diversity: Therapeutic Recreation and Mental Health
Department
Therapeutic Recreation
Faculty
Applied Community Studies
Credits
3.00
Start Date
End Term
201920
PLAR
Yes
Semester Length
Flexible delivery ranging from 1 to 15 weeks
Max Class Size
30
Contact Hours
60 credits
Method(s) Of Instruction
Lecture
Tutorial
Learning Activities
  • Lecture / Discussion
  • Group work
  • Skill development, knowledge of materials and safe practice
  • Student leadership: creative arts
  • Media presentations
Course Description
This course examines the most frequently occurring mental health issues, which occur through out the lifespan. Specific mental illnesses will be examined from a variety of perspectives, including: developmental, ecological and socio-cultural. Students will demonstrate recreation, therapeutic recreation and health promotion interventions designed to meet the needs of mental health consumers.
Course Content

 The following global ideas guide the design and delivery of this course:

Attitudes Toward Mental Illness

  • Historical treatment of individuals with mental illness
  • Current societal attitudes and approaches to mental illness
  • Current professional approaches to mental illness
  • Mental health services and  associations

Current Paradigms and Classification of Psychopathology

  • Biological Paradigm
  • Psychoanalytic Paradigm
  • Social Learning Paradigm
  • Cognitive Paradigm
  • Humanistic Paradigm

Assessment

  • Reliability and validity of assessment instruments
  • Interviewing and relationship building
  • Observation and documentation
  • Systems Perspective
  • Cultural Diversity

Description, Etiology and Treatment of Mental Health Disorders

  • Diagnostic system of the American Psychiatric Association
  • Developmental, ecological and socio-cultural perspectives
  • Children with Behavioural Disorders
  • Children with Mood and Anxiety Disorders
  • Concurrent Disorders
  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Mood Disorders
  • Substance Use Disorders
  • Schizophrenia and other Psychotic Disorders

Leisure and Recreation

  • Benefits of activities and experiences
  • Analyzes, selects and adapts creative arts  as a therapeutic intervention
  • Analyzes, selects and adapts recreation activities as a therapeutic intervention
  • Leadership and technical proficiency in creative arts and recreation activities
  • Analyzes leisure and recreation in community based rehabilitation models: reintegration through recreation, clubhouse programs, assertive community treatment teams (ACTT), crisis response systems (CRS)
Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  1. describe attitudes toward mental illness and treatment
  2. describe the paradigms of psychopathology
  3. describe the diagnostic system of classifying mental health disorders 
  4. describe the developmental, ecological and socio-cultural perspectives 
  5. discuss  the role and techniques of  recreation professionals in assessment of mental health issues 
  6. discuss selected mental health disorders in childhood, adolescence and adulthood
  7. discuss the benefits of leisure and recreation for individuals with mental health disorders
  8. apply creative arts in the treatment of individuals with mental health disorders
Means of Assessment

This course will conform to ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ policy regarding the number and weighting of evaluations.

An evaluation schedule is presented at the beginning of the course.  Typical means of evaluation will include a combination of written assignments, presentations and testing.

This is a graded course

Textbook Materials

A list of recommended textbooks and materials is provided for students at the beginning of each semester.

Resources include:

  • selected readings from a variety of therapeutic recreation practice text books
  • selected audio-visual and computer resources
  • selected readings from books and journals
Prerequisites
Which Prerequisite