Therapeutic Recreation Services

Therapeutic Recreation at the Children’s Treatment Centre of Chatham-Kent provides supported recreation and leisure opportunities for children and youth with identified needs and barriers to successful participation in community programs.  Programming is offered both at the centre and in the community, designed to enhance a child/youth’s physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development. 

Therapeutic Recreation Services are provided to children and youth from age 4 up to 19 years of age, and young adults between the ages of 19 and 21 if they are still attending high school, living in Chatham-Kent, with physical, communication, and/or developmental disabilities. 

Who We Are:

The Therapeutic Recreation team is made up of a Recreation Therapist and Program Assistant.

Our recreation therapists are required to have a degree in Therapeutic Recreation or Recreation and Leisure Studies with a therapeutic recreation focus or relevant university degree with a post-graduate diploma in Therapeutic Recreation.

What We Provide:

  • Group programs focusing on recreation, sport-skill development, and social skills
  • Adapted recreation equipment loans
  • Support available to community partners and schools, to help create more inclusive services and to develop strategies in areas of program adaptations, accessibility and participation.
  • Linkage to community-based recreation and leisure opportunities
  • Leisure awareness and education
  • Assistance with accessing recreation-specific funding

    How to Refer:

    All recreational programs are only available to children/ youth who are active clients on the recreation caseload. Please speak with your child/ youth’s therapy team if you are interested in being referred or contact the Centre, 519-354-0520. Following a referral, an initial assessment is scheduled with the parent/caregiver to identify their child’s needs, abilities, interests, and to set goals for intervention/programming.

    Once your child has completed their assessment and on recreation caseload, you will be able to register online for available recreation programs. Our recreation therapist works to remove barriers for clients to encourage full participation, however, some participant criteria exists and varies depending on the program or activity (e.g. age, interest, ability to follow instruction, family identified goals).