CTRS case studies
CTRS · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS®) credential is issued by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification® (NCTRC®), which describes itself as the largest credentialing organization for the profession of Therapeutic Recreation and presents the CTRS as "the most recognized credential in the profession of recreational therapy." It is aimed at practitioners in therapeutic recreation and recreational therapy who want a recognized professional designation rather than a purely institutional job title. NCTRC states that individuals seeking certification "must meet specific educational and professional experience requirements, in addition to passing the NCTRC Certification Exam." Passing the exam is therefore one component of eligibility, not the whole of it; coursework and supervised experience are reviewed separately, so candidates should confirm professional eligibility before registering for a test appointment. The CTRS case studies are 5 cases and about 3,932 words.
1The Survey-Week Documentation Request
You are the only CTRS at a 120-bed skilled nursing facility. It is Monday; state surveyors arrive Wednesday.
755 words, about 4 min2Choosing an Assessment for a Client Who Cannot Complete the Standard Packet
An 81-year-old woman was admitted three days ago after ORIF of a right hip fracture. She has moderate-to-severe dementia, follows one-step commands inconsistently, and speaks in short phrases, sometimes in Spanish, which is her first language; you do not speak Spanish.
740 words, about 4 min3One Staff, Twelve Adolescents, and a Client on Precautions
You run a 45-minute evening recreation group on a 16-bed adolescent behavioral health unit. Twelve clients aged 13 to 17 are scheduled, and you have one mental health technician.
766 words, about 4 min4Escalation in the Middle of a Community Outing
You take six adults with acquired brain injury - four with TBI, two post-stroke - to a community bowling alley with one rehabilitation technician. Client M is 34, eight months post-TBI, with impulsivity and documented noise sensitivity; he has had two episodes of verbal aggression in the past month, both in loud environments.
851 words, about 4 min5Twelve Weeks of Data That Show Nothing
Your client is 62, one year post-stroke, with moderate expressive aphasia. The goal written twelve weeks ago: 'Client will participate in three community leisure activities of choice per month, measured by self-report activity log and CTRS observation, within 12 weeks.' You have delivered twelve weekly 1:1 clinic sessions.
820 words, about 4 min