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Careers and Internships

Internships Sites

Interested in becoming an approved senior internship site? Current CTRSs please complete and submit Site Information Form and NCTRC Job Task Checklist forms (see below). TR faculty will review your application and contact you about approval as soon as possible. Academic Affiliation Agreements will need to be completed for all approved agencies before a student can begin the internship. Links to the two forms are provided below:

Related Skills

  • Possess strong interpersonal, communication, and other people skills
  • Strong leadership skills
  • Possess therapeutic program planning skills
  • Ability to manage pressure well
  • Possess the understanding of human behavior
  • Good conflict resolving skills
  • Empathy for others
  • Appreciation for diversity
  • Interest in social change
  • Good listener and motivator
  • Demonstrate proficiency in organizational skills
  • Skilled in work in teams and with individuals of various ages, abilities, and backgrounds
  • Writes and speaks proficiently
  • Attention to detail and accuracy
  • Good multitasking capabilities
  • Creative thinking ability

Being Successful in the Field

Internships

Therapeutic Recreation students gain valuable experience in the field their senior year. Listed below are the names of just a few of the places our students have completed senior internships:

  • Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
  • VA Illiana Health Care System (Danville, IL)
  • Fox Valley Special Recreation Association (Aurora, IL)
  • Cunningham Children's Home (Urbana, IL)
  • DuPage Care Center (Wheaton, IL)
  • UnityPoint Health-Methodist (Peoria, IL)
  • St. Louis VA Medical Center-Jefferson Barracks (St. Louis, MO)
  • Northwest Special Recreation Association (Rolling Meadows, IL)
  • Shirley Ryan Ability Lab (Chicago, IL)
  • Rocky Mountain MS Center(Westminster, CO)

Prior to the start of the senior internship, students are required to provide proof of certification in First Aid and CPR/AED Adult and Pediatrics and 400 documented hours of field experience.

Students graduating from the therapeutic recreation sequence who meet the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) requirements are eligible to take the examination to become a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist.

Related Fields

Recreation Therapists work in these and many other environments:

  • Special recreation associations
  • Substance abuse facilities
  • Hospitals
  • Mental health centers
  • Long term care facilities
  • Physical medicine and rehabilitation
  • Veterans Administration
  • Corrections
  • Schools
  • Outdoor Adventure Therapy Centers
  • Adapted Sport Training Facilities
  • Camps

Recreation Therapists also work alongside the following professions:

  • Occupational Therapy
  • Physical Therapy
  • Child Life
  • Nursing
  • Kinesiotherapy
  • Music therapy
  • Art therapy
  • Speech Language Pathology/Audiology
  • Athletic Training
  • Psychiatry
  • Nutrition
  • Special Education

Professional organizations in therapeutic recreation

Career Industry Liaison

Name Office Email Phone
Nick Radcliffe  223 Bone Student Center  nrradcl@ilstu.edu  (309) 438-2200 

Internship Coordinator

Name Office Email Phone
Rachel Smith, CTRS  McCormick Hall 169  trinterns@ilstu.edu  (309) 438-8368