Occupational Therapy and Recreational Therapy

Matt Gold, C.T.R.S., Director

Over the last year, the Department of Occupational Therapy and Recreation Therapy-Research Division has provided treatment to the patients of the Schizophrenia Research Unit, the General Clinical Research Unit, and the Children’s Day Unit. Patricia Smith, Senior Recreation Therapist and Ilana Picker, O.T.R./L., Senior Occupational Therapist maintained services on the GCRU and Johanna Willemin, C.T.R.S., Senior Recreation Therapist continued to provide service to the SRU. Pedro Gonzalez, C.T.R.S., Senior Recreation Therapist joined the department, dividing his time between the two in-patient research units, including service on the weekend. Lori Zozzaro, O.T.R./L., Senior Occupational Therapist, continued her assignment on both the SRU and CDU. Melissa Menders, CTRS, Recreation Therapist split her time between the two in-patient research units, including service on Sundays. Several students of both disciplines were trained during the year, including several occupational therapy clerkship students, an occupational therapy fieldwork student from Touro College and recreation therapy fieldwork students from Ithaca College and SUNY at Cortland. Department members also supervised volunteers assigned to the three research units. These volunteers implemented patient groups such as Art Therapy, Movement Group, Creative Writing, Work Skills and Computers Skills. Eve Vagg, one of the Institute’s photographers, continued to volunteer her time to co-lead with department members several Photography Groups. Department members are still finding new ways to take advantage of the resources in the new building. Ms. Willemin coordinated planting efforts in the Patients’ Garden. Ms. Menders, Mr. Gonzalez and Ms. Smith provided supervised exercise sessions in the exercise area in the gym. Ms. Picker used the Crafts Room for a Paper Making workshop. Ms. Smith, Ms. Menders, Ms. Zozzaro and Ms. Picker all provided individual and small group instruction on the computers in the Patient and Family Library and Resource Center. Patients learned word processing skills or used the internet to access information about vocational, social and living arrangements for discharge, or to access their e-mail. All department members regularly brought patients to the library to look for resources on mental health topics and/or leisure reading. The department sponsored several special events, including trips to Yankee Stadium, the U.S. Open Tennis Center and the Continental Airlines Arena for sporting events. Several concerts presented by musicians sponsored by the American Theater Wing were also held here.

Recreation Therapy is the provision of treatment, leisure education and recreational services, to help persons with psychiatric illness to restore and rehabilitate functioning, to improve health and well-being, and to develop, maintain and express their most independent leisure lifestyle. Occupational Therapy utilizes selected educational, vocational and rehabilitative activities to help individuals reach the highest functional level possible in their life roles, become self-reliant, and build a balanced lifestyle of work and leisure. Department members’ responsibilities include assessing patients’ levels of functioning, planning and implementing a variety of activities, charting patients’ progress, participating in team meetings, maintaining their own level of professional preparedness, and contributing to the education and training of the many students, volunteers and new practitioners that come to the Institute. The major focus of these treatment modalities was activity groups, but individual attention in the form of educational, vocational and leisure counseling was also provided. The program on the General Clinical Research Unit continued to offer activities designed for the two major diagnostic groups. Goal Setting, Self-Esteem Group, Cooking Group, Lunch/Shopping Group, Creative Writing, Movement Through Music, Travel Group, Coffee Klatch, Leisure Education and individual exercise planning was offered to patients with eating disorders. Patients with depression attended Goal Setting, Easy Eating, Supervised Exercise, Wellness Group, Computer Skills, Art and Creativity, Art Therapy, and Work Skills Group. On the Schizophrenia Research Unit, groups included Start-Up and Stretch, News and Views, Crafts, Easy Eating, Baking, TGIF, Computer Skills, and Stress Management. Groups on the Children’s Day Unit included Movement Group, Task Group, Photography and Team Building.

Mr. Gold continued his active professional involvement by serving as President of the New York State Therapeutic Recreation Association, and continued his role with the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification, the field’s national certifying body, serving on the Standards Review Committee. He presented at several major conferences during this period, including at NYSTRA’s Multi-Day Conference and at the annual Presbyterian Hospital Therapeutic Recreation Week Lecture. Topics included “Patient Satisfaction: A Key Component of Program Evaluation” and “Utilizing Principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Within Recreation Therapy.” Mr. Gold also continued teaching Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation, as one of the Institute’s American Heart Association C.P.R. instructors.