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ATRA San Antonio : 2025 Session Descriptions

du 18 au 20 October 2025

The Menger Hotel, San Antonio, TX

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2025 ATRA Annual Conference – Session Descriptions

October 18–20, 2025 | San Antonio, TX

The following is the Session Descriptions for the 2025 ATRA Annual Conference in San Antonio, TX. All sessions, times, and presenter information have been confirmed, though final adjustments may occur due to unforeseen circumstances onsite.

For a visual Calendar view, please visit: Schedule at a Glance

For information on our Bonus Day at Morgan's Sports on Friday October 17th, please visit: ATRA San Antonio Bonus Day: Morgan's Sports

Continuing Education (CEUs):
NCTRC approval is currently pending. Please check back for updates prior to the conference.
Note: Poster presentations may be eligible for CEUs in 2025. Final determinations will be reflected once CEU approvals are finalized.

For questions related to specialty certification areas, please refer to the PDF version of the program for designation icons and CEU-eligible sessions.

Code of Conduct:
All attendees, speakers, exhibitors, and guests are expected to uphold the ATRA Conference Code of Conduct.
To review the Code, view it here.

Note on Non-ATRA Activities:

Please note that any events or activities not listed in the official ATRA San Antonio program are independently organized and not affiliated or sponsored by ATRA. ATRA is not responsible for independently coordinated events, meetups or activities not articulated in this program. Individuals interested in non-ATRA sponsored activities should contact their respective organizations directly for details.

 

Framing the future: Advancing recreational therapies scope of practice

dimanche 19 octobre 2025 à 14:30–15:30 CDT
Ballroom ABC
Session Description

As the recreational therapy profession evolves, ATRA created a scope of practice that is both broad and comprehensive to serve as a guide to our current practice, education, and advocacy. This session presents the results of ATRA’s scope of practice subcommittee to write a scope of practice that defines our current professional identity, support licensure and reimbursement, and aligns with current standards.

This scope of practice was composed through a comprehensive review of national and international (Australia and Canada) recreational therapy scopes of practice documents, current state licensure laws and Medicaid waivers, ATRA Standards of Practices, NCTRC Job Analyses and legal paper, the Delphi study (Part 1 and 2), and accreditation standards (CARTE and COAPRT). A diverse working group of ATRA members practicing across various populations and settings contributed to content review and development. Before finalization, key stakeholders, including ATRA, NCTRC, and state licensure boards reviewed the revised scope to ensure accuracy, alignment, and utility.

Attendees will learn about the development process, key updates, and practical ways to utilize ATRA’s scope of practice.

Learning Outcomes

Describe the 1 justification for creating this scope of practice, including current limitations and the need for modernization considering evolving professional roles and service settings.

Identify 2 comprehensive sources and stakeholder engagement process used to inform the development of the revised scope of practice, including national and international documents, certification standards, licensure laws, and accreditation guidelines.

Discuss 2 applications of the proposed components of the updated scope of practice and explain how they will impact professional identity, education, licensure, and interdisciplinary collaboration within the profession of recreational therapy.

Practice Area: Select ALL that Apply

All

Target Audience
Students
New Graduates/New Professionals
Educators/Researchers
Mid-Career Professionals
Seasoned Professionals

Primary Presenter

[photo]
Dr Brent Wolfe, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Biographical Information

To be added at a later date.

Co-Presenter/panelists

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Dr Derek Whaley, The University of North Carolina at Wilmington
Biographical Information

Dr. Derek Whaley is an assistant professor of Recreational Therapy at The University of North Carolina Wilmington. As a CTRS Derek practiced recreational therapy, primarily in behavioral health with youth and adults, for 10 years in a number of different states (i.e., North Carolina, Montana, Wyoming, Alaska, and Michigan). Derek has specialty in presenting on interactive topics including adventure therapy and adaptive sports topics. Additionally, Derek has been educating recreational therapy students for over 6 years at three institutions.

[photo]
Dr Kaitlin Mueller, Slippery Rock University
Biographical Information

Dr. Kaitlin Mueller is an assistant professor of Recreational Therapy at Slippery Rock University. She worked as a recreational therapist in sub-acute rehabilitation and geripsych before obtaining her advanced practice RT degrees to become a professor. She has been educating recreational therapy students for over 7 years at three different institutions. She is passionate about mentoring the next generation of students into the profession while rejuvenating seasoned practitioners with new tools to serve their clients!

[photo]
Dr Allie Thomas, Texas State University
Biographical Information

Dr. Allie Thomas is an assistant professor of Recreation Studies at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX where she has been educating RT students for over 15 years. Additionally, she has extensive expertise in providing numerous adaptive sports experiences for individuals with disabilities, including Veterans and members of the Armed Forces. She has spoken at numerous conferences throughout her career, both as a presenter and keynote speaker.

Chargement en cours …