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Carlton is the Director of Māori Health and Consumer at Te Tāhū Hauora (Health Quality and Safety Commission), board member of Collaborative Aotearoa, and the former Chief Clinical Officer Allied Health at Te Aka Whai Ora Māori Health Authority. With more than 20 years’ experience in the health sector, Irving was a critical care paramedic before moving into healthcare leadership and medical practice with the goal of creating better health support for Māori. He uses his skills in medicine and strategy to collaborate with others in the health sector who share his passion for promoting a thriving and equitable health system. Carlton also works as a Medical Workforce Pathway Group Member at the Ministry of Health, where he provides specialist knowledge for recommendations on short, medium, and long-term solutions to make the medical workforce sustainable. They use a Māori partnership approach to ensure equity, and Te Tiriti is at the centre of their work. He believes this unusual combination of experience gives him an interesting insight into Aotearoa’s health sector and models of care. He has recently completed a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Te Whare Wānanga o Otāgo – something he is very proud of, and together with his wife Jamie, they care for their young family of six children. He said that although balancing whānau, study, and mahi can be challenging, he is convinced that "if you know where it's going to lead you, you can endure the journey.

NZ Speech Language Therapist. Service Development Manager for the Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust in Canterbury. She is a Registered DRTh with a passion for enhancing the quality of life of people with brain injuries, using therapeutic recreation modalities for rehabilitation. She has worked in aged care in many settings and when this role was available, she immediately applies for it. She has been enjoying growing in this role and applying her unique skills on daily basis in partnership with her clients. Katie is the Service Development Manager at Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust (Canterbury). Katie has previously been a clinician (Speech Language Therapist) in the field of Traumatic Brain Injury assessment and rehabilitation for over 30 years, practicing in the UK and in New Zealand. As a clinician she has worked in hospitals, intensive residential rehabilitation, and community settings, with mild to severe traumatic brain injury clients. With a passion for interdisciplinary rehabilitation and research, Katie continues to drive meaningful research and education, that provides practical solutions to the invisible issues present for people with traumatic brain injury.

As we explore new horizons in recreation therapy, we must recognize that the leisure landscape is far more expansive than what initially meets the eye. What do the clients you serve want to do as part of their leisure lifestyle? Perhaps they want to remain active and play sports. Perhaps they prefer quieter pursuits such as reading or art. But beyond these familiar horizons lies a vast territory of interests that remains largely unexplored during traditional assessments. Chances are your clients are only revealing a small part of their leisure story. Perhaps their ideal evening involves activities they perceive as 👀stigmatized or non-traditional. While these activities may represent important parts of a person's leisure identity, perceived judgment may prevent disclosure. Alternatively, they may not recognize these activities as valid components of a healthy leisure lifestyle. 🙂 This session charts a course toward new assessment horizons that broaden conversations about leisure interests across diverse populations. We'll explore innovative approaches to help clients of all ages and backgrounds discover leisure 🌅horizons that authentically align with their personal values and goals, regardless of how unconventional they might seem. Join us as we venture beyond visible horizons to discover the full potential of client-centered leisure assessment and programming. 😉An UK-American Dr. Jason Page is an Assistant Professor at SUNY Cortland in the Recreation Parks and Leisure Department. His diverse career spans over 25 years working with at-risk youth, individuals with developmental disabilities, and people with mental health/substance use disorders. With a Ph.D. in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management from Clemson University (2021), Dr. Page's research focuses on aberrant recreation, leisure constraints, and social identity. As a USA 🇺🇸Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist, he has delivered numerous presentations at regional and national conferences on embracing diverse leisure interests across various settings. Dr. Page currently serves as President Elect of the New York State Therapeutic Recreation Association and as an Associate Editor for the Therapeutic Recreation Journal. His scholarly contributions include publications examining deviant leisure and how recreation contributes to identity development and recovery. At SUNY Cortland, he teaches courses in therapeutic recreation, diversity and inclusive recreation, evaluation and research, and specialized topics such as "Sex 🫂, Drugs💊, & Rock and Roll🎸" which explores deviant leisure through a therapeutic lens. He loves enjoying life, and sharing his knowledge.

Jess Jones, is the founder and CEO &; of Jess Jones Recreation Therapy Inc (JJRT). JJRT is London’s, Canada first community-based therapeutic recreation studio. She has studied extensively over the past two decades in a multitude of disciplines, leading to an educational career spanning the Ontario College of Art and Design, Fanshawe College, Canadore College, and most recently, Brock University. From fine arts to music touring to culinary management, her passions have allowed her to accumulate expertise she puts into use every day while administering therapeutic recreation to her clients. Throughout her journey, she has participated in diverse pursuits, encompassing music, painting, culinary arts, and volunteer work. Overcoming obstacles, including her daughter’s leukaemia battle, has reinforced her determination, and led her to discover her true calling in Therapeutic Recreation which led her to found JJRT in the middle of the Covid chaos. JJRS is a team of Recreation Therapists, Artists, Chefs, Storytellers, Creatives. They are business owners who guide individuals of all ages and abilities to live well through connection, creativity, and curiosity! Jess will be sharing her journey and how her passion is motivated by her mission to continue leading with connection, creativity, and curiosity. In her own words ‘I kick down doors so others can walk through them.’ Her mission is to empower individuals of all abilities to explore their creativity, nurture curiosity, and build meaningful connections through engaging and inclusive recreational activities. www.jessjonesrecreationtherapy.com/calendar

Kiesha is the Therapeutic Recreation Specialist at Laura Fergunson Brain Injury Trust

Therapeutic Recreation is a systematic process, which removes barriers for people living with disabilities, to encourage participation, increase recreational activity levels, nurture social connections, and promote inclusion in their communities. Therapeutic Recreation is a support that considers the interests, abilities, and needs of an individual in order to support them become an active member of their community. This approach includes identifying their unique needs, as well as hopeful outcomes of recreation therapy. 🧚‍♀️Samantha Hutchings is a NZ Registered Diversional and Recreational Therapists, and the current Vocational Manager for Totara Trust Horowhenua. Her role focuses on overseeing and coordinating all the recreational happenings across the two residential homes and the vocational centre. Everything from the development of the monthly calendars, implementing individualized care plans, the programming, and goals, to the booking of overnight holidays for all the residents, and assisting with online database input and communicating with families. 🌳In her own experience, when implementing Therapeutic Recreation with young adults living with disabilities, recreation therapy can look like artistic, cultural, and physical play and social approaches through meaningful activities in one-to-one or group settings. She and her team utilize the fun and inclusion that results from active participation and engaging tasks, and it uses them to aid in developing and achieving individualized goals. 🦋She finds the role extremely rewarding, and she believes that it is important for her resident’s quality of life to develop and achieve goals that are unique for them in particular around community integration, such as social skills, self-regulation, coping strategies, confidence, self-worth, role, and purpose. 😍Family is everything for her, and she is the proud mum of four children, three are currently at primary school and one at daycare, however she is also a cat lover and has adopted four cats. She is extremely happy that her family now has purchased their first home, something that allows them to spend more quality time together.

Laurie Hilsgen, is the founder and chief executive of Carers NZ, the secretariat of the Carers Alliance, who has been made an honorary companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2025 New Year royal honours list for services to family carers. She established Carers NZ in the early 1990’s by and for family carers, Carers NZ acts as the national peak body providing information, advice, learning and support for carers in our network. Today Carers NZ is a national not for profit supporting a network of approximately 1M+ individual family carers and supporting organisations. They do not charge a membership fee and fundraise to share support resources freely with family carers. The primary role of Carers NZ is to ensure awareness about carers, their role, and their needs within Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally. They participate in government reference and working groups, and promote the interests of family carers to decision-makers in health, education, employment, social services, housing, transport, and other important areas. Laurie’s passion has led Carers NZ to work closely with other carer peak bodies in Australia, Canada, Europe, Ireland, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Together they are building recognition for family carers among countries, and supporting new carer organisations as these emerge around the world.

Crissy Ponce, NZTRS. She is a NZ Registered Diversional and Recreational Therapist. Originally from the Philippines😍she is now living in Christchurch. She has a degree in hotel and hospitality management, National Certification in Diversional and Recreational Therapy, and studies in dementia care. 🙌She has experience in Rest Home and Dementia Care, and during her work she spent five years developing a deep understanding of what it truly means to be person-centred care DRT. A few years back she decided to look for a new challenge, and came across a newly role created in her area by the 👮‍♀️Department of Corrections Resident Activity Coordinator, now updated to Reintegration Officer. She believes this role has been developed for Therapeutic Recreation Specialists and DRThs need to start closely looking at these types of roles, as we can utilize therapeutic recreation skills to enhance wellbeing and support communities in a whole new level. 👉The role focuses on supporting individuals to transition back into society, fostering their rehabilitation and well-being. She supports people to return safely into the community, and does this through providing training and education (supporting people to get use to new technology and new ways of doing things), addressing holistic needs (cultural, social, physical, mental, emotional, spiritual) as part of a Multidisciplinary team👩‍💻, and supports people to plan for the future. 😇Although the role can be challenging due to the prejudice of people, towards the people she supports due to their conviction, she believes that supporting people to make positive life choices, and break the cycle of re-offending, is one of the most rewarding parts of her role. She also finds a lot of joy using therapeutic recreation daily to support people to reduce the likelihood of re-offending, meaning the person and the community are safer. 🫶Crissy is also committed to cultural safety, and currently studying a Diploma in Health and Wellbeing, and a Certificate in Te Reo Maori to continue to enhance her understanding of Kaupapa Māori, and to strengthen her connections with the people she supports. In her role, success is a person living independently, positively contributing to their family and community, while living a crime-free life. In her time off, she loves playing tennis 👟and walking tracks.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become one of the most transformative technologies of our time, revolutionizing industries and reshaping our daily lives. At its core, AI refers to the development of computer systems capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. These tasks include visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and language translation. As AI continues to advance and permeate various aspects of society, it raises important ethical and privacy concerns, however AI is poised to continue its rapid development and integration into various aspects of our lives, something we as Therapeutic Recreation Professionals need to pay attention. 😍The focus of the topic would be on the humans who make up DRT and how technology can aid us, not replace us. 😎Susan Purrington, Ph.D., USA-CTRS is an innovative educator and researcher in the field of therapeutic recreation. She is an Associate Teaching Professor at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona, owns a business (SuPurr Innovations, LLC), and is the Executive Director of welcomed here, a nonprofit devoted to making the world more inclusive for all. 🙌She created NAU's first "AI and the Future of Fun" course, and is passionate about helping faculty, students, and practitioners harness Generative AI tools for inclusive and practical applications in recreation therapy. Purrington has an extensive background in higher education, having previously held faculty/instructor positions at SUNY Cortland (Cortland, NY), Douglas College (British Columbia, Canada), Indiana University (Bloomington, IN), and California State University, Chico (Chico, CA). 👩‍💼🧑‍💻She has taught and developed a wide range of courses related to recreation, leisure studies, and therapeutic recreation, and launched a Graduate Certificate in Recreational Therapy at NAU. Her commitment to teaching excellence is evident through her continual professional development presenting and publishing in the field. She loves enhancing therapeutic recreation professionals practice, and in her leisure time she enjoys playing board games and doing puzzles.