This individual has been an incredible director of the recreation therapy program at her facility. She is constantly striving to improve the program and profession by making sure best practices are followed, supporting students through internships,, and advocating with administration. She is constantly asking as a director what she can do to support the team so they are able to make a positive impact in the lives of the youth they serve.. She has dealt with tremendous issues at the facility this year and has been consistently challenged to make changes and adapt to unfamiliar situations. She has been a super hero for the department. She has helped the department through transitions and taken the time to listen to concerns. She has advocated for RT as professionals and as practitioners. She has helped the department survive the uncertainties and continues to be positive and proactive. She is a great example of what a recreational therapist should be. She seeks to consistently maintain a RT program that is based on the APIED process. She is always fighting for the Rec therapists that she oversees and really cares about the residents she works with! She runs an excellent department. She does an incredible job ensuring the interns out of her program are competent and ready to engage in the field.

This individual recently retired after 40+ years of working with patients with mental illnesses. Over the course of his lifetime, he has worked closely with patients to prepare them to utilize leisure to return to a functioning life in the community. He has a way of connecting with patients in a way that truly is touching to see. He sees them as people and has deeper relationships than most staff ever truly develop with their clientele. This recreation therapist has adapted to workplace policy and procedure changes over the years while working at the same facility throughout his time as a TRS. He continually showed dedication to patient care and sought to continuously improve their quality of life. Now that he has retired, he truly will be missed by patients and staff alike at the Utah State Hospital.

This facility opened two years ago, and their Recreation Therapy program was built from ground zero. The program goes above and beyond requirements in every aspect. With the creation of high quality assessments, the program ensures that the needs and interests of each client are met. Their programs are created based on the needs of the clients and are evidence-based. The program utilizes the latest research in the field and the recreation therapy department has an office full of research binders to reference for the department. This new research is continually implemented into the client programs. The documentation system the recreation therapist created is also being utilized by other departments. The recreation therapist created and utilizes evaluations, tracking and reviewing the client stats quarterly to measure how clients are responding to their treatment plans and how to make improvements. The recreation therapist willingly shares knowledge and mentors students and welcomes interns. She has great rapport with her clients and with other professionals that she works with. She is a fierce advocate for Recreation Therapy and through her tutoring and insistence in following the TR process in her facility, her administrators have learned to understand and respect the importance of Recreation Therapy. The client programs have been highlighted on the news on several occasions and she advocates and educates the public on Recreation Therapy through her interviews. She is a valuable team member at her facility and is the one who schedules the IDT meetings. During the past year she also keeps her facility united through daily newsletters and frequent Zoom meetings. The calendar is always filled and there is a lot of variety, so residents don’t get tired or bored of recurring activities. In response to COVID restrictions, the program puts in extra effort to boost the spirits of the residents living at this facility.. For example, during a quarantine period every other day she would pass around a treat or a note of encouragement to each resident to boost their mood. A monthly packet that goes over everything that happened in the past month and what is in store for the current month is passed out to every resident. The recreation therapist has created a program of excellence.

This individual has been the Executive Director of Huntsman Mental Health Institute (formerly University Neuropsychiatric Institute) since 1991. During his time, he has both supported and actively promoted recreation therapy as a critical part of the interdisciplinary care for the patients at HMHI. Today, recreation therapy and the greater expressive therapy umbrella are responsible for hundreds of hours of programming across about fifteen units and multiple service lines. If it weren't for him and his support, recreation therapy would not be as celebrated and recognized at University of Utah Health. Ross Van Vranken, Executive Director