Staff Spotlight
Melissa, Kiara, Cyndi, Emily and Jenny, Recreation Therapists
Up next, we are proud to highlight the group of Recreation Therapists on Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)’s Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Teams.
About Recreation Therapy at ACT
Meet Melissa, Kiara, Cyndi, Emily, Jenny (and Tina the dog!) from left to right.
“We deliver recreation services to community members with complex mental health and substance use issues,” they tell us. “ACT teams use a transdisciplinary model of care, so we also have the title of case managers, working collectively amongst a team (of amazing) nurses, occupational therapists, social workers, vocational counsellors, care coordinators, and peer support workers.”
The team says that an important part of the recreation therapy role in advocating for their clients and supporting their social, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs to promote overall health and well-being.
Not surprisingly, there’s no such thing as an average day on ACT (except for morning coffee and meetings!). “We are an assertive team, meaning we don’t give up easily! We do the legwork to meet the client where they reside or where they are hanging out in the community and respond to situations as they happen in addition to our plans for the day.
The team says that any given day can consist of a mixture of 1:1 outreach visits, connecting clients to community resources, collaborative care planning, ongoing assessment of mental health status and leisure needs, advocacy, liaising between community stakeholders, planning and facilitating group programming, and of course, promoting their client’s engagement in leisure.
Helping clients in the community
What does the team here enjoy most? “There’s never a dull moment!”, they say. “We enjoy building rapport with clients through recreation and leisure and we feel so fortunate to be a part of our client’s journeys.”
Supporting clients to find meaningful social connections and vocational pursuits beyond substance use is a very rewarding aspect of their practice. Furthermore, working on a transdisciplinary team is an ongoing learning opportunity that not only helps the team to grow as clinicians in their own practice but also allows them to promote the value of recreation amongst other healthcare professionals.
This group of healthcare professionals is passionate about working in the communities VCH serves, and the flexibility that comes with this line of work. “Working in mental health in the Recreation Therapy field is a perfect opportunity to promote health and wellness through leisure, build genuine relationships, and feel more connected to our Vancouver community,” they say. “VCH also supports Recreation Therapy and is committed to the standardized practice and supporting opportunities for professional growth.”
The team says it is a rewarding experience gradually gain clients’ trust as they engage in leisure. They share a recently great moment in celebrating a client’s success in feeling comfortable enough to leave the house and attend a social group (bowling). “It was so amazing that the whole ACT team came together to play a game!”
Another touching moment occurred on an ACT Camping Backcountry Camping Trip where they hiked all of their gear and food together out to a beautiful site beside a lake with mountains in the background. “Around our flashlight “fire” singalong/dance party in the evening, a client turned to us and said, “Man, you guys (ACT team) take the roughest guys off the street and you turn ‘em around!”.
They recognize the bittersweet moments when clients are discharged from ACT. “We are sad to see them go, but so happy to see them well and flourishing.”
Supportive leadership at the forefront
The recreation therapists at ACT tell us that they “absolutely” feel supported in their roles. “Our amazing leadership team makes time for recreation therapy; we regularly have conversations about how to further incorporate recreation into ACT’s service delivery and are given adequate funding and the time needed to facilitate groups.”
As an evidence-based profession, this group is always learning from its community and clients. “If an approach doesn’t appear to be working – whether it is a 1:1 client care or team service delivery – there are a variety of resources to consult to make improvements.”
Fun fact: The team all have secret hobbies! Have a little fun guessing who does what: Vogueing and waacking, roller skating, learning cheesy love songs on the piano, singing in the Tragically Hip choir, taxidermy, and being a star frugal thrifter!
Join our team
Explore the current career opportunities for Recreation Therapists at Vancouver Coastal Health.