“Helps me reframe some of my ways of thinking”: professional and personal learnings of activity instructors immersed in a therapeutic recreation mental health camp

Activity instructors play a pivotal role in ensuring participants benefit from therapeutic recreation programs that are designed to restore, remediate, and rehabilitate a person’s level of functioning. Therapeutic recreation is recognised as a positive means of enhancing the lives of people living with mental health issues. The aim of this research paper was to present findings from a qualitative study that explored the experiences of activity instructors who facilitated activities during a mental health therapeutic recreation program, called Recovery Camp. A phenomenological approach was utilised for this qualitative study as activity instructor’s experiences were the phenomenon of interest. Five activity instructors, recruited through purposive sampling, who had experience working at a mental health program were interviewed. Semi-structured interviews, each analysed using van Kaam’s Psychophenomenological approach yielded comprehensive data. Analysis resulted in four structural themes; Feeling of Belonging, Greater Awareness and Understanding, Finding the Answers Together and Through Recovery Camp, I’ve Learnt and one core theme; Recovery Camp Makes An Impact, providing the overall essence of meaning, Positive Change. This study demonstrates how activity instructors learn professionally and personally from being involved in an immersive therapeutic recreation experience for people with a mental illness. Research participants reported their knowledge and skills in the field of therapeutic recreation and mental health increased. Leading to the research participants asserting that Recovery Camp, as a therapeutic recreation program impacted them in a significant way.