Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice Task Force: Recommendations from an Exploratory Study

While professionals within the recreational therapy/therapeutic recreation field have known that education about our profession and collaboration with other disciplines can maximize the outcomes of those we serve, Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (IPECP) research documents the importance of such practices. The purpose of this brief report is to summarize the history and progress of recreational therapy’s contribution to the advancement of IPECP; to report on the activities of other healthcare professional organizations to promote IPECP, and to provide recommendations for the American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA) and the RT/TR profession, as it relates to IPECP. The ATRA IPECP Task Force examined how other professions are utilizing IPECP and determined that, whether or not part of a formal Interprofessional Education (IPE) organization, there are a number of contributions that RT/TR and ATRA can make to advance IPECP, to improve the health of the populations we serve, reduce the cost of care, enhance the client experience, and improve client satisfaction. Recommendations suggest potential actions of ATRA, the profession, educators, and researchers to address interprofessional initiatives.