NCTRC Internship Guidelines: Ensuring a Quality Experience

Presented by:

Robin McNeal, CTRS Director of Credentialing, NCTRC

Learning Objectives

• To understand NCTRC’s Internship Standards • To apply the areas of the NCTRC National Job Analysis

Study to the internships experience • To understand how the internship experience is reviewed

when applying for NCTRC certification • To understand the process of maintaining NCTRC

certification through renewal and recertification • To review the exam preparation options available

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.

NCTRC Internship Standards

• Highly structured experience • Extensive Involvement of Agency Supervisor • Active CTRS Supervisors • Shared responsibility between the academic unit and the selected

agency • Minimum number of hours and weeks must be accomplished at one

agency site over a consecutive period of time • Must receive academic credit for the internship as verified by the

official transcript • Internship must be completed after the majority of required therapeutic

recreation coursework is completed as verified on the official transcript

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

• Supervisor must be employed at least 30 hours per week by the agency

• Must possess CTRS for at least one year prior to supervising interns

• At least 50% of the job duties within TR services • Supervisor should be working directly with the student • All documentation completed by the primary supervisor

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

Internship Experience and the Job Analysis

• An acceptable internship must be based on the therapeutic recreation process as defined by the knowledge and tasks outlined in the NCTRC Job Analysis Study

• The student should gain exposure to opportunities to develop skills for competency in the TR process

Internship Supervisor’s Responsibilities

• Submit Annual Maintenance which includes • Completed Application • Fees

• Submit Recertification which includes

• Completed Application • Fees • Audit Materials

Recertification Options

• Option 1 • 50 hours of Continuing Education • 480 hours of Professional TR Work Experience

• Option 2

• Reexamination in the NCTRC exam prior to your recertification due date

Internship Supervision for CEUS

• CTRS can supervise 2 interns per 5-year recertification cycle

• 5 CE credit hours per student supervised for a maximum of 10 CEU per 5-year cycle

• Competency based evaluation will need to be submitted

Application Deadlines and the Review Process

• Visit www.nctrc.org for application submission windows, deadlines, and testing windows

• Requires 4-6 weeks to review your application • You will receive results via written notification • If eligible and submitted exam registration, you will receive an

authorization to test (ATT) letter prior to the exam

Preparing for the Exam

• Acadmic Education is your most important preparation • Review Exam Content Outline • Review Exam Reference List • Practice Exam

Exam Content Outline

Content Areas No. Items per Testlet

Percent of Exam

Foundational Knowledge 3 20%

Assessment 3 19%

Documentation 3 18%

Implementation 4 26%

Administration of TR/RT Service

1 10%

Advancement of the Profession

1 7%

Total 15 100%

Summary

• Create a valuable internship experience for both your professional growth and the student

• Follow the NCTRC Internship Standards when providing internship supervision

• Request internship information from NCTRC • Maintain your CTRS certification • Continue to be a valued member of this profession and promote the

credential

Thank you!

NCTRC 7 Elmwood Dr

New City, NY 10956

845 639 1439 845 639 1471

nctrc.org