Foundations – Tools of the Trade

Explores the essential process of creating and delivering therapeutic activity programs for residents that focus on meeting individual needs and preferences. This involves gathering information about each resident’s habits and interests to develop meaningful opportunities for engagement. The unit emphasizes the importance of selecting appropriate “tools” or interventions to promote positive psychosocial outcomes, like improved mood and self-esteem. Since Unit 2 is a large unit, it is divided into 3 modules that consist of a total of 12 lessons. Through these three modules, students will learn how to plan, implement, and evaluate quality programs across the continuum of care, addressing key questions such as:

• How can the interests and preferences be gathered and applied to create meaningful opportunities for involvement?
• What constitutes quality programming?
• How is meaningful engagement defined?
• What are current programming expectations?
• How can individual goals be met within group settings?
• What communication techniques can be implemented to gain support from the team?