Standards for practice outline what the profession expects of its members and act topromote, guide and direct professional Diversional and Recreational Therapy practice. Our standards provide a framework for developing competencies and describe the responsibilities for which members of the profession are accountable. Standards also guide Diversional and Recreational Therapists on the knowledge, skills, judgement, and attitudes needed to practice safely.
Standard One
The Diversional and Recreational Therapists understand Māori health inequalities and pay particular attention to the health needs, cultural beliefs, practices, and lifestyles of the individuals in the community.
Outcomes are not limited to
- Ensure the delivery of Culturally safe Diversional and Recreational Therapy services
- Acknowledge clients/family / whānau / hapū / iwi/community expectations of
delivery of Diversional and Recreational Therapy in health care
- Work in partnership with Tangata Whenua to ensure mātauranga (Māori ways of knowing), beliefs and values are upheld within the practice context
- Work in partnership with Tangata Whenua in the development and implementation of Diversional and Recreational Therapy practice standards and quality improvement activities
- Acknowledge and respond actively to the client’s holistic needs and ensure to incorporate them in Diversional and Recreational Therapy Care Plans
- Integrate Māori models of health into everyday practice
- Aim for equitable provision of Diversional and Recreational Therapy services and outcomes for people and ensure you communicate in a suitable form, language and manner that people understand
Standard Two
The Diversional and Recreational Therapists understand Pasifika health inequalities and pay particular attention to the health needs, cultural beliefs, practices, and lifestyles of the individuals in the community.
Outcomes are not limited to
- Ensure the delivery of Culturally safe Diversional and Recreational Therapy services
- Acknowledge clients/family/community expectations of delivery of Diversional and Recreational Therapy in healthcare.
- Work in partnership with Pasifika people to ensure Pasifika ways of knowing, beliefs and values are upheld within the practice context.
- Work in partnership with Pasifika people in the development and implementation of Diversional and Recreational Therapy practice standards and quality improvement activities
- Acknowledge and respond actively to the client’s holistic needs and ensure to incorporate them into Diversional and Recreational Therapy Care Plans
- Integrate Pasifika models of health into everyday practice
- Aim for equitable provision of Diversional and Recreational Therapy services and outcomes for people and ensure you communicate in a suitable form, language and manner that people understand
Standard Three
Respect the cultural needs and values of all clients
- Practise in a way that respects the client’s identity and right to hold personal beliefs, values, and goals.
- Assist clients to gain appropriate support and representation from those who understand the client’s first-language culture, needs and preferences.
- Consult with members of cultural and other groups as requested and approved by the client
- Reflect on and address your own practice and values that impact Diversional and Recreational Therapy about the health consumer’s age, ethnicity, culture, beliefs, gender, sexual orientation and/or disability.
- Work in partnership with clients, their family or significant other to achieve positive health outcomes and improve quality of life and wellbeing
- Ensure Diversional and Recreational Therapy is culturally appropriate and is underpinned by the recognition that we work with a diverse population
- Use expertise and attend to the differing ways in which diverse people experience health, well-being, illness, disability, the environment, and other people in all interactions from the beginning of the partnership
- Aim for equitable provision of Diversional and Recreational Therapy services and outcomes for people and ensure you communicate in a suitable form, language and manner that people understand
Standard Four
Diversional and Recreational Therapists are responsible and professionally accountable for their practice
Outcomes are not limited to
- Safe, ethical, and effective delivery of Diversional and Recreational Therapy with responses to diverse health issues and careful consideration of the cultural, spiritual, and individual needs of clients
- Demonstrate leadership in everyday practice
- Role model professional values, beliefs, and attributes
- Clients’ rights and confidentiality are respected and acknowledged
- The changing needs of the client are reviewed, addressed, and documented
- Provide documentation that meets legal requirements, is consistent, effective,
timely, accurate, and appropriate
- Demonstrate evidence of application of evidence-based research in practice
- Ensure the vision and values of Diversional and Recreational Therapy are enhanced and promoted
- Help maintain a high profile of the profession that is positively integrated into the wider community
- Work within the scope of practice, based on current Diversional and Recreational Therapy knowledge, professional judgement, experience, and competence, within their area of
practice and job description
- Participate in continuous quality improvement
- Act (includes advocacy) to promote the provision of safe, appropriate, and ethical care and support to clients
- Solution focus, practice in resolving conflict, and develops innovative solutions to practice issues
- Promotes the profession and the role of the Diversional and Recreational Therapist
Standard Five
Diversional and Recreational Therapists are responsible for people’s safety and well-being including themselves.
Outcomes are not limited to
- The Diversional and Recreational Therapist encourages choice, promotes, and respects decision-making, and respects the client’s decisions to participate in specific therapeutic recreation.
- Acknowledge a client’s right to participate in therapeutic recreation that may involve a degree of risk of which the client, family/whanau or EPOA (if applicable) is fully informed and take steps to manage the risk.
- Follows objective and systematic processes for continuously improving client safety and for identifying opportunities to improve Diversional and Recreational therapy and client outcomes.
- Respect a client’s right to live with dignity.
- Advocate for clients, the workplace, and the profession
- Reports concerns promptly.
- Take an active approach to self-care.
Standard Six
The Diversional and Recreational Therapist must always practice within the Scope of Practice. A Diversional and Recreational Therapist working as a competent member of a team must ensure to be part of a multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary team approach to achieve positive outcomes for the client.
Outcomes are not limited to
- Receives and responds, consistent with standards, regulatory requirements and policies applicable for the setting, to requests, including individual referrals (internal or external) by nurses, GPs, or other health care professionals, for therapeutic recreation assessment and treatment; and conducts an individualized assessment to collect systematic, comprehensive and accurate data necessary to determine a course of action and subsequent individualized Diversional and Recreational Therapy Care plan
- Plans and develops an individualized treatment plan that identifies goals and evidence-based treatment intervention strategies
- Implements an individualized or group plan, using evidence-based practice, to enhance wellbeing, and improve quality of life. Implementation of the plan is consistent with the overall or interdisciplinary client treatment program
- Systematically re-assesses, evaluates, and compares the client’s progress relative to the care plan. The plan is revised based on changes in the interventions, diagnosis, and client responses.
- Develops a discharge plan in collaboration with the client, family, significant others and other multidisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary team members to discharge the client or to continue the therapeutic therapy plan and aftercare, as needed (this applies to DRThs working in public hospitals)
- Adhere to the Code of Ethics in providing client care and support that are professional
- Engages in routine, systematic program evaluation and research to determine the appropriateness and effectiveness of Diversional and Recreational Therapy services.
- Diversional and Recreational Therapy practice develops within the context of a flexible relationship with the client, in collaboration with whānau, relevant health professionals, team members, and relevant social/religious or other community services.
- The Diversional and Recreational Therapist develops a person-centred approach to the client’s needs.
- Clients, whānau/ family, and community gain positive outcomes and client life enrichment from Diversional and Recreational Therapists’ professional expertise and holistic approach.
Standard Seven
Diversional and Recreational Therapists are committed to maintaining competence through ongoing professional development.
Outcomes are not limited to
- Meet the defined qualifications, demonstrate competency, maintain appropriate credentials (e.g., Annual License to practise), and have opportunities for competency development
- Takes professional responsibility and invests time, effort, and other resources into maintaining and expanding knowledge and skills required for competent practice and ongoing professional development
- Provides evidence of ongoing education appropriate to Diversional and Recreational Therapy role
- Actively seeks to participate in research relevant to Diversional and Recreational Therapy
- Demonstrate an ongoing commitment to culturally safe practice.
- Uses reflection to critically analyze their practice, identify any gaps in knowledge and take steps to address these
- Lead and participate in the regular evaluation of Diversional and Recreational Therapy practice
- Engage in peer reviews as part of ongoing professional development of self and colleagues
- Develops a professional development resource manual which keeps up to date
- Competent in the use of new and evolving Information technology and communication
- Actively participate and engage in education, mentorship, coaching and /or preceptorship with colleagues, other staff, volunteers and /or students, members of the public, others
- Actively seek opportunities for continued improvement.
- Participate in the review, recommendations, development and /or implementation of standards of Diversional and Recreational Therapy
- Actively participate with NZSDRT Inc.
Standard Eight
The Diversional and Recreational Therapist manages resources efficiently and effectively to meet client’s needs.
Outcomes are not limited to
- Support and care are provided effectively and efficiently, which reflects the reasonable and appropriate use of resources.
- Resources are provided at an appropriate time, quantity, and quality to meet the client’s needs
- Participate in resource decision-making processes.
- Negotiate to obtain the necessary resources to support the Diversional and Recreational Therapy practice.
- Responsible for maintaining knowledge and maintenance of resources
- Ensures therapeutic recreation is included in policy and procedure manuals when working for an organisation
- Utilizes environmentally friendly resources wherever possible
- Engages in a responsible Diversional and Recreational Therapy sustainable environment approach
Standard Nine
The Diversional and Recreational Therapist will demonstrate high levels of human awareness and social justice through advocacy and confidentiality
Outcomes are not limited to
- Competent to evaluate possible solutions to reduce inequities for clients
- Builds good relationships with people who can make decisions or offer help.
- Empower clients/ whanau to speak up by themselves
- Provides guidance or support to the person to access specific advocacy services available.
- Takes proper care of information about clients
- Has a clear way of supporting clients who cannot say what they want, by making sure their rights and interests are protected,
- Treats people fairly, meaning the Diversional and Recreational Therapist is doing the right thing for the client, meeting the individual need.
- Meets practice requirements determined by the current NZSDRT Inc. Code of Ethics
- Connects with their local Marae/Iwi and access appropriate assistance as required
Standard Ten
The Diversional and Recreational Therapist will meet obligations under current and relevant legislation applicable to the practice and the setting in which she/he/they work
Work practices must meet the obligations required as applicable, but not limited to:
- Accident Compensation Act 2001
- Children’s Act 2014
- Consumer Guarantees Act 1993
- Consumers’ Rights Regulations 1996
- End of Life Choice Act 2019
- Fair Trading Act 1986
- Health (Retention of Health Information) Regulations 1996
- Health Act 1956
- Health and Disability Commissioner (Code of Health and Disability Services)
- Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994
- Health and Disability Services (Safety) Act 2001
- Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
- Health Information Privacy Code 2020
- Human Rights Act 1993
- Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Amendment Act 1992
- New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000
- Nga Paerewa Health and Disability Services Standards (NZS 8134:2021)
- NZSDRT Inc. Code of Ethics
- NZSDRT Inc. Constitution
- NZSDRT Inc. Membership Booklet
- NZSDRT Inc. Registration Booklet
- NZSDRT Inc. Standards of Practice
- AHANZ
- Oranga Tamariki Act 1989
- Privacy Act 2020
- Public Health Response Act 2020
- Te Tiriti o Waitangi 1840 (Treaty of Waitangi)
- The Declaration of Rights by the International Federation of Ageing
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- The United Nations Principles for the Older Person
- United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People
- United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
Standards of Practice
Updated: 2023