“Board” means the State Board of Creative Arts and Activities Therapies established in section 4 of P.L.2019, c.273 (C. 45:8B-71).

“Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist” (CTRS) means any individual certified by the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification.

“Recreational therapist” means any person licensed to practice recreational therapy pursuant to provisions of this act.

“Recreational therapy” means a systematic process utilizing recreation, leisure, and play interventions for the treatment and maintenance of functional abilities and the promotion of health and wellness for individuals with disabilities or those affected by an illness in order to accomplish any of the following:

(1) restoring or remediating an individual’s participation levels in recreation and leisure activities that may be limited due to an impairment in physical, social, cognitive, or emotional abilities;

(2) reducing or eliminating limitations or restrictions to participation in recreation, leisure, and play activities; or

(3) using recreational modalities in designed intervention strategies to maximize physical, social, cognitive, or emotional abilities to promote participation in recreation and leisure activities.

“Recreational therapy services” means those services provided for the purpose of accomplishing recreational therapy goals including:

(1) conducting an individualized assessment for the purpose of collecting systematic, comprehensive, and accurate data necessary to determine the course of action and subsequent individualized treatment plan;

(2) planning and developing an individualized recreational therapy treatment plan that identifies an individual’s goals, objectives, and potential treatment intervention strategies for play, recreation, leisure, and related community activities;

(3) implementing an individualized recreational therapy treatment plan that is consistent with the overall treatment plan;

(4) systematically evaluating and comparing the individual’s response to the individualized recreational therapy treatment plan and making modifications as appropriate;

(5) developing a discharge plan in collaboration with the individual and the individual’s family, treatment team, and other identified support networks where appropriate;

(6) identifying and training in the use of adaptive play, recreation, and leisure equipment;

(7) identifying, providing, and educating individuals to use play, recreation, leisure, and community resources that support a healthy, active, and engaged life;

(8) providing leisure education and counseling to address issues that hinder health and engagement in play, recreation, leisure, and related community activities;

(9) providing community integration, reintegration, inclusion, and transitioning services to maximize health and participation in play, recreation, leisure, and related community activities;

(10) addressing functional skill recovery, development, or maintenance related to health and participation in play, recreation, leisure, and community activities and utilizing play, recreation, and leisure activities as modalities to advance health and functioning;

(11) assisting individuals in constructing a healthy leisure lifestyle that supports continued recovery, health promotion, and quality of life;

(12) providing play, recreation, and leisure opportunities for individuals with illness, disability, or challenges for therapeutic purposes; or

(13) consulting with groups, programs, organizations, or communities to improve physical, social, and programmatic accessibility in recreational and leisure activities.

“Related community activities” means those activities necessary for individuals to participate in recreation and leisure at home and in the community.

L.2019, c.467, s.3.