Minneapolis VA Health Care System
Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders (SCI/D)
Recreation Therapy within the Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders (SCI/D) unit program offers both inpatients and outpatients the opportunity to enhance their rehabilitation and leisure lifestyle through involvement in one-on-one sessions, group activities and community outings.
Recreation Therapy (RT) uses a variety of recreation, leisure approaches and activities appropriate for the needs and interests of the SCI/D population. Some of these activities include:
- Community integration programming and connecting patients with their local and national leisure resources.
- Teaching Veterans new leisure skills (e.g., leather craft, fly fishing, creative arts, horticulture, wheelchair sports, Wii games, how to play cribbage or other games)
- Group activity to promote social interaction and peer to peer support.
- Providing adaptive techniques, strategies and equipment to fully engage in leisure pursuits.
Recreation Therapy actively participates in weekly interdisciplinary team meetings to discuss patient care and progress. RT frequently collaborates programming within the treatment team in the SCI/D center as well as with other Veteran populations being served by Recreation Therapy in the Minneapolis VA Health Care System.