The TRO Board of Directors has not let the winter blues get them down. They have demonstrated a commitment to continuing to move our profession forward. I would like to share some highlights of their efforts here:
Strategic Plan – We are putting the finishing touches on our three-year Strategic Plan, and look forward to announcing it at the TRO Conference in May.
Advocacy Work – planting the seeds with various stakeholders continues to be a focus for the Board of Directors. Over the past three months, meetings and presentations were held with the following organizations:
- The meeting with the South West LHIN occurred prior to the change of health care announcement by the provincial government. At the time, the meeting had a focus on creating a foundation of knowledge of Therapeutic Recreation, demonstrating where TR is presently being practiced within this LHIN catchment, and identifying the benefits and alignment TR has with the SW LHIN’s key priorities. The recommendations from this meeting identified various opportunities for TR to be used a solution; specifically with the senior aging friendly movement, hospital wait times, and long-term care wait times.
- The Ontario Association of Residents Council (OARC) is already a key stakeholder in the Ministry of Health. Creating a relationship with OARC has been identified as a priority, as many TR professionals work within long-term care and play a vital role in the lived resident experience. We are excited for future opportunities to work together.
- Lastly, a meeting was held to better understand the Social Prescription Pilot facilitated by the Alliance for Healthier Communities that was featured in the Toronto Star in 2018. Throughout this conversation, it became evident the significant role TR plays within this area, as the intention of social prescription echoes the TR profession. We learned that there are no TR professionals within the social prescription pilot, as this pilot has been executed with existing interdisciplinary teams. In turn, this identifies the need for continued advocacy work both at a provincial and local level.
The TRO Board has made a commitment to continuous quality improvement, which requires us to take the time to review and evaluate.
Review of TRO’s By-laws – Given the changing external environment, it was time for the by-laws to be reviewed with a critical eye to ensure they aligned with the present practice of the Board of Directors and vision of TRO. This is presently being reviewed.
Review of Registration Designation – We encourage you to sign up for the TRO conference session on Thursday, May 30 to learn about the recommendations that came from the Registration Designation Evaluation (register here).
Review of Membership Services – We are conducting a review of the TRO awards program, as well as the impact and roles of TRO Regional Ambassadors.
Last but not least, the Board would like to acknowledge the various education opportunities that have been or are being organized to serve the membership interest in professional growth.
We are looking forward to celebrating our 20th Anniversary in Niagara Falls at the 2019 TRO Conference. It will be a time to reminisce and reflect on what TRO has accomplished and where TRO is going for the next 20 years.
Kind Regards,
Katherine Plested, R/TRO
TRO President