I am a retired Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) from the IVH. I chose to become nationally certified to demonstrate to my employers and clients that I served that I adhered to quality standards. I want to show you how important a TRS is to a veteran in each unit.

A veteran arrived at IVH in my unit. He was scared, angry, refused to talk and to participate in any of the recreational activities on or off the unit. As this veteran adjusted to his surroundingas I as his TRS stopped by day after day and he would yell at me to leave him alone. I would always tell him who I was and wanted to talk to him about his interests. After about 6 months he slowly started to talk to me as I stood in the doorway and we began to build a relationship.

One day as I was playing the piano on the unit before lunch, someone wheeled up beside me. As I looked, my heart melted. There was this veteran who had come out of his room to sit beside me! Shortly after that he began to go out to eat with us after much encouragement.

When working with each veteran our competencies and skills address the assessed needs of each individual so we can maintain their physical, cognitive, social, emotional and spiritual functioning to fulfill their participation in life.

That is why I want to express the importance of hiring and maintaining professional TRS’s on each unit at the Iowa Veterans Home.