Issues in continuing professional competence of therapeutic recreators

Entry level knowledge and skills of professionals become outdated with technological advances and the accumulation of practical skills. Participation in programs offering continuing education units (CEU's) has been the most widely accepted way to combat the obsolescence problem and to document life-long learning. However, research has yet to establish improved service delivery as a result of practitioner involvement in such training programs. Credentialing requires reliable and valid measurement of competence over one's professional life. Therapeutic recreators have yet to present a definitive "scope of practice" or to determine the "half-life" of those competencies believed fundamental to practice. The field of therapeutic recreation is void of research on quality assurance alternatives. Thus, there appear to be unresolved issues regarding therapeutic recreators' needs to maintain their professional competence throughout their careers.