Our internship provides students with thorough hands-on experience in Recreation Therapy.
Interns work under the close direction of a North Carolina licensed recreational therapist (LRT) and a certified therapeutic recreation specialist (CTRS). As the schedule permits, interns may have the opportunity to become oriented with other areas where Recreation Therapy services are delivered.
Interns are required to do:
- Case study presentations
- Related readings
- Administrative readings
- Meetings with the clinical director of recreation therapy, covering administrative topics
- Special projects
- Other duties outlined by their clinical intern supervisor
Each intern will work a minimum of 40 hours a week and may be asked to work a flex schedule.
Why Wake Forest?
Therapists and staff from the Recreation Therapy team are regarded as experts in their field and have been leaders in state and national professional organizations. Our programs have received state and national recognition, and we receive intern applications from students across the country and Canada.
Recreation Therapy student Interns, Jenna and Orangellys, fully masked to provide one to one and group sessions with their supervisor Suzanne.
Education and Internship Goals
Our program goals include:
- Gain knowledge of the multifaceted role of a recreation therapist in a clinical setting.
- Put academic training into practice under the supervision of a licensed recreation therapist.
- Enable the student to develop skills needed in working with patients, families and staff, including:
- Communication
- Leadership
- Assessment
- Programming
- Evaluation
- Become familiar with the administrative duties of a recreation therapy clinical director.
- Become familiar with the hospital's overall philosophies and functions.
- Gain insight into their suitability and desire to become employed in the field of recreation therapy.
All interested applicants must apply by the dates below. All applicants will be contacted following the application
deadline. Potential interns will be contacted for an on-site interview.
- January - April: Apply by October 1
- May - July: Apply by February 1
- August – December: Apply by May 1
Available Internships
Internships on all units meet the requirements for state licensure and national certification. Though all internships have the same basic requirements, they serve different populations.
14 or 15 weeks, 40 hours per week
- 1 week, orientation
- 13 or 14 weeks, clinical practice
Requirements
- Daily schedules
- Weekly productivity sheets
- Weekly summaries14 weekly one-page written reports on Burn/Trauma/Medical Surgical Unit readings
- Two special projects (due week 7 and week 11)
- One case study and oral presentation
- Weekly meetings with recreation therapy intern supervisor
- CPR certification
- Meet all university requirements
- Mid-term and final evaluation
- Orientation with other recreation therapy units (rehabilitation, hematology/oncology and adult Psychiatry)
14 weeks, 40 hours per week
- 1 week, orientation
- 13 weeks, clinical practice
Requirements
- Daily schedules
- Weekly productivity sheets
- Complete patient evaluations and develop treatment goals
- Document daily group participation and weekly progress notes
- Daily active participation in Treatment Team Meetings
- Weekly written reports summarizing articles that are unit-specific (14 total)
- Three special projects (one patient-related per unit and one department-specific)
- Weekly meetings with recreation therapy internship supervisor
- Weekly meetings for Recreation Therapy Psychiatry staff
- Active participation in weekly outings
- Assume leadership role as primary therapist in planning and leading groups
- Monthly productivity reports
- Two case studies (one per unit)
- Required oral presentation
- Observations with other Recreation Therapy units and other unit team members
- Two videotaped assessments (one for each unit)
- CPR certification (required)
- Non-violent crisis intervention certification (required, obtained during internship)
- Meet all university requirements
- Mid-term and final evaluation
- Complete internship evaluation
14 weeks, 40 hours per week
- 1 week, orientation
- 11 weeks, clinical practice
Requirements
- Daily schedules
- Weekly productivity sheets
- Complete patient evaluations and develop treatment goals
- Document daily group participation and weekly progress notes
- Active participation in treatment team meetings
- Weekly written reports summarizing articles that are unit-specific (6-7 total)
- Two special projects (one patient-related per unit and one department-specific)
- Bi-weekly meetings with recreation therapy internship supervisor
- Active participation in weekly outings
- Assume leadership role as primary therapist in planning and leading groups
- Monthly Reports of Productivity
- One case study
- Required oral presentation
- Observations with other Recreation Therapy units and Psychiatry unit team members
- Two videotaped assessments
- CPR certification required and maintained throughout internship
- Non-violent crisis intervention certification (required, obtained during internship)
- Meet all university requirements
- Mid-term and final evaluation
- Complete internship evaluation
14 weeks, 40 hours per week
- 1 week, orientation
13 weeks, clinical practice
Requirements
- Daily schedules
- Weekly productivity sheets
- Weekly summaries
- 12 weekly one-page written reports on oncology readings
- Two special projects (due weeks 8 and 11)
- Plan final month including newsletter
- Plan and lead group activities during final 4 weeks
- One case study
- Two oral presentations
- Interviews with Oncology team members
- Orientation with other recreation therapy units (rehabilitation, burn/plastics/renal and psychiatry)
- CPR certification
- Meet all university requirements
- Final evaluation
- Mid-term and final evaluation
14 weeks, 40 hours per week
- 2 weeks, orientation
- 12 weeks, clinical experience/practice
Requirements
- General knowledge of diagnoses specific to the rehabilitation setting i.e. SCI, CVA, ABI
- Daily schedules
- Weekly productivity sheets
- Written goals and objectives of the internship
- Monthly recreation therapy reports
- Complete assessments, develop treatment goals/care plans and discharge planning
- Document daily recreation therapy services and weekly progress notes on the care plan
- Active participation in groups and community re-entry outings
- Active participation in treatment team meetings
- Opportunity to view educational videos on functional independent measure (FIM)
- Eight written reports summarizing journal articles that are diagnosis- and/or practice-specific
- Two special projects (one clinical and one non-clinical)
- One case study
- Three oral presentations at recreation therapy staff meetings
- One activity analysis (relevant to rehabilitation)
- One video assessment
- Observations with members of the rehabilitation team
- Observation in other recreation therapy programs area and aquatics
- Meetings with clinical director of recreation therapy
- Weekly meetings with recreation therapy internship supervisor
- CPR certification (required)
- First aid (preferred)
- Non-violent crisis intervention certification (preferred)
- Meet all university requirements
- Mid-term and final evaluation
- Agency evaluation