Growth of telehealth recreation and creative arts therapies during COVID-19

Authors

  • Taylor Hooker, MS, CTRS, NBC-HWC https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1267-1090
  • Danielle Orr, MSG, CTRS, CDP
  • John Mikula, MA
  • Katie Blunk, CTRS-ASR, CARSS II, CASC
  • Stefan Ellington, MA, CTRS, RYT-200, CARSS I, AIT

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5055/ajrt.0280

Keywords:

veterans, telehealth, creative arts therapy, coronavirus disease 2019, recreation therapy

Abstract

This article highlights the programing response to coronavirus disease 2019 by an interdisciplinary group of Recreation and Creative Arts Therapists within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It provides a qualitative description of the history of telehealth within the VA and the process, challenges, and opportunities faced in adapting their practices to remote delivery. This article aims to add perspective to the programmatic discussion surrounding telehealth and its implications for clinicians in the field.

Author Biographies

Taylor Hooker, MS, CTRS, NBC-HWC

Department of Recreation Therapy, Washington DC VA Medical Center, Washington, DC

Danielle Orr, MSG, CTRS, CDP

Department of Recreation Therapy, Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, Gainesville, Florida

John Mikula, MA

Department of Recreation Therapy, Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, Gainesville, Florida

Katie Blunk, CTRS-ASR, CARSS II, CASC

Department of Recreation Therapy, Lake City VA Medical Center, Lake City, Florida

Stefan Ellington, MA, CTRS, RYT-200, CARSS I, AIT

Department of Recreation Therapy, Lake City VA Medical Center, Lake City, Florida

References

Story KM, Flanagan ME, Brown HA, et al.: Veterans hospital administration telehealth utilization for recreation and creative arts therapies: A brief report. Telemed J e-Health. 2021; 28: 752-757. DOI: 10.1089/tmj.2021.0363.

WebMD: Coronavirus: What happens when you get infected? Updated. Available at https://www.webmd.com/lung/coronavirus-covid-19-affects-body#1. Accessed January 12, 2021.

Levy CE, Spooner H, Lee JB, et al.: Telehealth-based creative arts therapy: Transforming mental health and rehabilitation care for rural veterans. Arts Psychother. 2018; 57: 20-26. DOI: 10.1016/j.aip.2017.08.010.

Henry Ford Health Staff: Exercise may be a helpful defense against severe COVID-19. Available at https://www.henryford.com/blog/2021/05/exercise-may-be-helpful-defense-againstsevere-covid#:~:text=another%20Immune%2DBoosting%20Bonus%20of,create%20a%20stronger%20immune%20response. Accessed November 1, 2022.

Kandola A: How do coronaviruses affect the human body. Medical News Today. Updated on January 28, 2022. Available at https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/coronavirus-effects-on-body. Accessed March 10, 2022.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Long COVID or post-COVID conditions. Updated September 16, 2021. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/long-term-effects/index.html. Accessed March 10, 2022.

Steinman MA, Perry L, Perissinotto CM: Meeting the care needs of older adults isolated at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Am Med Assoc. 2020; 180(6): 819-820. DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2020.1661.

Downloads

Published

03/11/2024

How to Cite

Hooker, T., Orr, D., Mikula, J., Blunk, K., & Ellington, S. (2024). Growth of telehealth recreation and creative arts therapies during COVID-19. American Journal of Recreation Therapy, 23(1), 35–40. https://doi.org/10.5055/ajrt.0280

Issue

Vol. 23 No. 1 (2024): Winter

Section

Articles

License

Copyright 2000-2023, Weston Medical Publishing, LLC 
All Rights Reserved