Evaluation of a leisure education program for law enforcement officers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5055/ajrt.0290Keywords:
employee wellness, law enforcement officers, leisure education, parks, recreational therapy, stress managementAbstract
Leisure education (LE) is frequently provided in recreational therapy (RT) practice and can be offered to a diverse clientele. This study aimed to evaluate a new LE program for law enforcement officers that was developed based on the leisure education content model (LECM) and incorporated leisure experiences in parks to address stress and well-being. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to evaluate (a) the extent to which the program met its stated objectives, (b) the program’s alignment with the four key elements of the LECM, and (c) the perceived value of the program to participants. Participants (N = 10) were offered a series of six LE sessions at their place of employment and supplemented sessions with independent experiences in parks. Findings indicate 89.25 percent agreement that session learning objectives were met, 78.22 percent agreement that session content aligned with the LECM components, and 93.55 percent agreement that sessions had value to the participants. Suggestions for program improvement and implications for the profession are discussed, including possibilities to expand RT services to new populations.
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