This session will focus on the importance of program accreditation in higher education and emphasize the need for educational programs in recreational therapy to become accredited at the programmatic level. Implications for the profession will be emphasized in regards to three key focus areas: a.) a comparison of recreational therapy accreditation to other health care professions, b.) the relationship between program accreditation and public policy, and c.) ways accreditation benefits students and employers.

Learning Outcomes

1. Identify the 1 major difference between institutional and program accreditation
2. Describe the relationship between program accreditation and public policy
3. Identify 3 benefits of accreditation to students and employers
4. Identify 2 strategies for working with administration to gain support for program accreditation