Therapeutic Recreation Intern

Therapeutic Recreation Internship Opportunity
Richcroft | Day Services Department
Position: Therapeutic Recreation Intern Internship Length: 14 Weeks Department: Day Services Location: Richcroft Inc. 53 Loveton Circle, Suite 205, Sparks MD 21152 Schedule: To be determined based on internship requirements and program needs
About Richcroft
Richcroft is a Non-Profit committed to supporting adults with disabilities in living meaningful, active, and fulfilling lives. Our Day Services Department provides opportunities for individuals to build independence, develop skills, participate in their communities, form meaningful relationships, and engage in activities based on their interests and personal goals.
We are seeking a motivated Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy student who is interested in gaining hands-on experience working with adults with disabilities in a dynamic Day Services environment.
Internship Overview
Richcroft offers a 14-week, hands-on Therapeutic Recreation internship designed to provide students with meaningful experience applying classroom knowledge within a real-world human services setting.
The intern will work alongside Day Services leadership and staff to develop, implement, evaluate, and improve recreational programming for the individuals we support. This internship provides opportunities to experience the many facets of recreational therapy, including program development, implementation, documentation, staff education, policy development, community integration, and person-centered planning.
The internship is designed to help prepare competent entry-level recreational therapists in the three primary learning domains:
• Cognitive (Knowledge): Applying therapeutic recreation principles, assessment concepts, intervention strategies, documentation practices, and professional standards.
• Psychomotor (Skills): Developing and implementing programs, facilitating activities, completing assessments and documentation, training staff, and utilizing therapeutic recreation techniques.
• Affective (Behavior): Developing professional communication, ethical practice, leadership, cultural humility, advocacy, teamwork, and a person-centered approach to service delivery.
What You Will Do
The Therapeutic Recreation Intern will have opportunities to:
🎯🎯 Develop & Implement Programming
• Create meaningful recreational and leisure programs based on individual interests, abilities, and goals.
• Develop activity calendars and structured programming for Day Services.
• Facilitate individual and group recreational activities.
• Incorporate opportunities for socialization, skill development, physical activity, creativity, community participation, and leisure exploration.
• Modify activities to meet varying cognitive, physical, behavioral, and communication needs.
• Evaluate programs and make recommendations for improvement.
🧠🧠 Apply Therapeutic Recreation Skills
• Observe and identify individual strengths, interests, preferences, and support needs.
• Apply therapeutic recreation concepts in a Day Services setting.
• Assist with person-centered planning and goal development.
• Explore strategies for increasing active engagement and independence.
• Gain experience supporting individuals with a variety of disabilities and support needs.
👥👥 Staff Training & Development
• Assist in developing and delivering staff trainings.
• Create educational materials and resources for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs).
• Provide training on activity facilitation, active engagement, recreational programming, and supporting meaningful participation.
• Learn how effective staff support can impact an individual’s recreational experience and quality of life.
📋📋 Policy & Program Development
The intern will have the opportunity to contribute to organizational projects, including:
• Developing and reviewing Day Services policies and procedures.
• Creating program guidelines and activity protocols.
• Developing tools and resources to support consistent programming.
• Reviewing current practices and making recommendations for improvement.
• Assisting with the development of standardized approaches to recreational programming.
🌎🌎 Community Integration
• Help identify and develop meaningful community-based recreational opportunities.
• Assist with planning community outings and experiences.
• Explore opportunities for individuals to participate in inclusive community activities.
• Support individuals in developing and maintaining meaningful social and recreational connections.
Learning Opportunities
This internship is designed to provide a student with more than observation hours. You will have the opportunity to actively participate in the development and implementation of programs and projects that directly impact the individuals we support.
Students may have opportunities to:
• Develop and lead recreational programs.
• Create new programming from concept through implementation.
• Design activity resources and materials.
• Participate in staff education and training.
• Develop policies and procedures.
• Assist with program evaluation.
• Collaborate with Direct Support Professionals, Program Managers, and Day Services leadership.
• Gain experience with documentation and professional communication.
• Develop leadership and presentation skills.
• Build a professional portfolio of completed projects and programming.
• Learn how Therapeutic Recreation principles are applied within a disability services organization.
Ideal Candidate
We are looking for a student who is:
• Currently enrolled in a Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy program.
• Interested in working with adults with disabilities.
• Creative, enthusiastic, and willing to take initiative.
• Comfortable working independently while also collaborating with a team.
• Interested in developing and leading recreational programming.
• Interested in learning about program development, staff training, and organizational policy.
• Professional, dependable, and eager to learn.
• Committed to providing person-centered, meaningful experiences.
Professional Development
This internship provides an opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, and professional behaviors necessary for entry-level practice in Therapeutic Recreation.
Successful completion of the required Recreational Therapy coursework and 14-week internship can result in student eligibility to pursue the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) examination, subject to NCTRC’s current eligibility requirements.
The experience gained at Richcroft can also provide a strong foundation for students pursuing entry-level employment in Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy and related human services fields.
Why Intern at Richcroft?
At Richcroft, you won’t simply be observing from the sidelines.
You will be part of the team.
This internship provides students with the opportunity to take classroom concepts and turn them into real programs, real training, real resources, and real experiences for the people we support.
If you are looking for an internship where you can create, lead, teach, problem-solve, and make a meaningful difference, Richcroft’s Day Services Department would love to hear from you.
Interested in learning more?
Students interested in this internship opportunity are encouraged to contact the Director of Meaningful Day Services, Rachel Kollasch, CTRS to discuss internship requirements, learning objectives, scheduling, and placement opportunities.
Rachel Kollasch, CTRS Rachelk@richcroft.org
Office: 410.316.9574
Fax: 443.589.8708
Richcroft – Meaningful Day Services Department Supporting individuals to live meaningful, active, and connected lives.