The National Ability Center

Recreational Therapy Program

Intervention Protocol
Title
- Stress Management through Meditation
General Statement of Purpose
- Program will help reduce the stress in the lives of clients through teaching meditation and
stress management. Clients will learn skills to help manage or avoid their individual
triggers.
Description of Program
- Clients will meet with Recreational Therapist three times per week for 45-minute
meetings in a small group setting. Stress management skills, meditation, yoga, and
positive feedback will be used as strategies throughout the sessions.
Client Problems That May Be Addressed
- Difficulty regulating emotions.
- Difficulty maintaining stable interpersonal relationships.
- Dissociative symptoms.
- Sensitivity to perceived threats, especially those related to traumatic event.
- Violent outbursts towards others.
- Anxiety/stress.
- Depression.
Referral Criteria
- Volunteer
- Referred by physician.
- Family
- VA
- Clients must be able to comply with directions by the Recreational Therapist and work in
a group setting.
- A danger to themselves or others
- Extreme disruptive responses
Staff Training and Certification
- Utah State Licensure as a TRS or MTRS
- National Certification (NCTRC) of CTRS
- Stress Management Consulting Certification as outlined by the American Institute of
Health Care Professionals
- CPR
 - Utah Driver’s License
Risk Management Considerations
- Awareness of clients’ various triggers of episodes are different
- Specialized contingency plans for each client specific to their needs
- Sharps
- Patient to staff ratio
- Equipment
Outcomes Expected
- Clients will engage in 45-minute sessions 3 times per week for the duration of the
program.
- Clients will achieve a fundamental understanding of what causes their individual stress
and no less than 3 coping mechanisms upon discharge.
- Clients will make new friends and learn new social skills through yoga sessions.
- Clients will learn to recognized and verbalized emotions that trigger violent responses.
- Clients will learn stress management techniques to reduce violent responses.
- Clients will learn how to better view themselves and others through communication with
the TRS and positive feedback.
Program Evaluation
- Gathering of formative evaluation at the end of the week
o Observation of participation from clients
o Observation of improvements from clients
o Documentation of areas of growth
o Documentation of areas that need work
- Gathering of summative evaluation at the end of the program
o Comparison of client to self of progress made
o Review of documents compiled over the course of the program
o A written sheet of new skills learned during the duration of the program
J. Jeppson TRS, CTRS (student) 10/18/16