Event Schedule

8:00 am - 9:00 am Registration

9:00 am - 9:10 am Welcome

9:10 am - 10:00 am

Keynote Presentation

“Reignite Your Fire

with Crystal Watson

10:00 am - 10:30 am Networking and Energizer Break

Compliments of the Manitoba Fitness Council

10:30 am - 12:00pm

Workshop Session 1

The Importance of Total Communication

in Intervention

Tools for Great Answers - Leisure Education insights

Is it Recreation or is it Therapeutic

Recreation?

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Lunch

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Workshop Session 2

Therapeutic

Recreation and

Dementia

Empathy: The Key to Storytelling

Promoting

Community and Creative

Expression

2:00 pm- 2:30 pm Networking and Energizer Break

Compliments of the Manitoba Fitness Council

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Workshop Session 3

Music & Relaxation Seated Tai Chi Virtual Reality

Therapy

3:30 pm - 4:00 pm Closing Remarks & Evaluation

Canad Inns Destination Centre Polo Park 1405 St. Matthews Avenue, Winnipeg

The 2018 Therapeutic Professional Development Day is being held at Canad Inns Destination Centre Polo Park (Winnipeg). The hotel is easily accessible and spacious for an invigorating conference experience.

Group Reservation Code: 385390 Cut off date: September 15, 2019

Registration Fees (per person)

RCM Member $110 + GST Non-Member $135 + GST Student $65 + GST Non-Member Group Rate $110 + GST To access group rate, you must register three or more people in one registration form from the same organization. See registration page for more details.

T-Shirt* $15 + GST *Must register by September 13th to order a shirt

Lunch and refreshments during the day are included in the registration fee

Location:

Canad Inns Destination Centre Polo Park 1405 St Matthews Ave

Winnipeg, MB R3G 3P7

Parking is free in the hotel parking lot

Registration deadline September 20, 2019

Visit

www.recconnections.com to register!

Not a member? Sign up online to receive discounts

on RCM events including the 2020 Annual Provincial Recreation

Conference in March!

Have you ever tried to get yourself

motivated to get some work done, only to

find yourself spinning your wheels? It’s

easy to feel motivated and driven when

you’re planning and dreaming, but staying

driven and motivated when you’re doing

the actual work needed can be difficult.

It’s time to ignite a fresh fire within, to

reignite the passion for the great work you

do! Come reignite your fire by joining

Therapeutic Recreation professionals from

across the province in a one day

conference to refresh your passion and

find purpose in your daily work!

About Recreation

Connections Manitoba

Recreation Connections Manitoba is a

provincial not-for-profit organization

committed to enhancing the well-being of

individuals, communities and places in

Manitoba. It exists to collectively share the

passion and spirit of recreation with its

central role in building healthy active

communities.

Reignite Your Fire Registration Information

This annual event brings together

delegates and speakers from the

Therapeutic Recreation sector to discuss

and share current and innovative topics,

unique partnerships and practises.

Delegates at this event represent:

• Long term care facilities and hospitals

• Recreation departments

• Municipalities

• Adult day programs

• College and University students

Therapeutic

Recreation Professional

Development Day

Workshop Descriptions

Keynote Presentation

Reigniting the Fire Crystal Watson, Ph. D (c), CTRS

Let's face it! The full potential for the TR profession in Canada has yet to be reached. Challenges pop up that make it seem like moving TR forward is not possible and at times can make professionals feel like they are not valued. From clinical to community-based settings, many opportunities exist for TR professionals to increase the breadth and depth of their practice. There is no better time than now to highlight the importance of recreation to improving the health of the public. Crystal will present ways to increase the credibility and visibility of the profession and individual practice in a fun, meaningful and exciting way that will inspire and reignite your fire for the profession.

Crystal has spent the last 20 plus years in the recreation field working with individuals from various backgrounds. She attended Saint Mary's University for her psychology undergrad degree, before heading to Dalhousie for her Bachelor degree in therapeutic recreation, followed by a Master’s degree in Leisure Studies. She practiced as a Recreation Therapist for 10 years in transitional care, rehabilitation, neurosurgery and in junior high schools. Prior to her current role as Executive Director for Recreation Nova Scotia, she was at the lead faculty at Nova Scotia Community College teaching the Therapeutic Recreation Diploma Program. She is currently enrolled in doctoral studies at Dalhousie pursuing her research interest in understanding the play experiences of African Nova Scotian girls.

1A - The Importance of Total Communication in Intervention Leigh Ann McLennan

Total Communication is a philosophy of intervention of “Doing With Not For”. The Total Communication approach allows for multiple modalities of language and communication, and ensures that the client is the agent by providing them the information to anticipate which leads to motivation while providing appropriate communication and confirmation unique to the client’s learning style. This presentation will offer three hands-on activities when providing intervention for activities of daily living or recreational programming for individuals who have hearing and vision impairments.

1B - Tools for Great Answers - Leisure

Education Insights

Moni Loewen & Chelsey Neufeld

Asking someone 'what activity would you like to do' or 'what are you interested in' can be really difficult to answer for many. Life is constantly changing. Just when we think we have things figured out, we are thrown into new challenges - stages of life, aging, injury, retirement, moving to a new place, mental and physical health challenges, hospital or personal care home requirements. How do we learn about people's core values and needs and support those through recreation? ROC Eastman has developed some incredible games and tools to have insightful conversations with the families we support. We will share these with you and how they can be used with any demographic.

1C - Is it Recreation or is it Therapeutic Recreation? Crystal Watson

Therapeutic Recreation professionals have been torn for too long between the idea of delivering TR and/or delivering recreation programs. This never-ending debate often becomes the barrier to delivering quality services. The purpose of this session is to discuss that there is a place for both in the important work that we do for clients. This session will clarify the terminology, discuss the need for both in practice, and how to best articulate their relevance to leadership and the teams that we work with.

Workshop Descriptions

2A - Therapeutic Recreation and Dementia:

Building on the Strengths

Angie Arshad

This presentation will provide an overview

on various types of dementias and common

symptoms associated with them. The

presentation will focus on using a person

centred approach to build on the strengths

of people living with dementia while

engaging in recreation activities. In addition,

strategies for providing recreation for

individuals living with dementia will be

discussed.

2B - Storytelling

Carl Seier

Stories are extremely powerful. With

stories, we can take an event in someone’s

life that seems insignificant or even tragic

and turn it into something that speaks to

people and helps give their situation

meaning. The purpose of this session is

to explore the different ways we as

professionals can facilitate storytelling. We

will explore how empathy can be used to

connect with people, embrace diversity and

show that we are all not that different. We

will focus on cognitive and affective

empathy and how this can be used to draw

out a story in a TR setting.

2C - Promoting Community and Creative Expression In Care Homes and Hospitals Jillian Bagan

Art therapy is another form of communication in counselling where the art materials become a tool to encourage someone to make something about their experience, which can lead them to more understanding about what they are going through. Additionally, ‘Art Hives' are places where people can come together to share ideas and make art in the form of an open creative community studio with art materials provided free of charge. This workshop will provide tools that TR specialists can use with their residents to feel that they are still part of a larger community, while getting inspired by watching others create.

3A - Music & Relaxation

Heitha Forsyth

A presentation and demonstration on the

therapeutic use of music to engage residents

and foster relaxation in long-term care by

focussing on the responsible and effective

use of music with both individuals and

groups. Active and receptive techniques will

be discussed, including singing, movement,

listening, and the use of music for transitions

and agitative behaviours.

3B - Seated Tai Chi

Bonnie Hopps

Seated Tai chi is suitable for people with

arthritis as well as those who are not able to

stand for long period of time. This session

will take you through a master class so that

you experience these exercises programs for

yourself and show how they can be modified

for seated or standing participants.

3C - Virtual Reality Therapy

Khal Shariff

DoVille is an immersive world created for

older adults from the ground up with a focus

on fun, immersion, and ease of use. The

Project Whitecard team, will guide workshop

participants as a group who will wear

portable VR headsets and explore various

exercises and virtual reality video that

together make up a new program for older

adults called DoVille. This workshop is a

step-by-step guide to accessing new and

surprisingly low-maintenance VR technology

for care-receivers with the hope that it will

improve their lives.

Registration deadline September 20, 2019

Speaker Biographies

Angie Arshad

Angie Arshad is an education coordinator at the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba. Along with being a

graduate of the Bachelors of Recreation Management and Community Development degree, Angie

has completed the “Option in Aging” specialization through the University of Manitoba. Angie’s

past experience includes working within the field of therapeutic recreation in a personal care home

and adult day program setting, and in the community with Active Aging in Manitoba, the 55+

Games and Minds in Motion. Angie currently works in the education department, planning and

facilitating dementia education for professionals, students and community groups. In her free time,

she can be found weight training, playing basketball, doing goat yoga or trying new cooking reci-

pes.

Bonnie Hopps

Bonnie Hopps is a world renown fitness instructor as well as an international presenter for the

Aquatic Therapy and Rehab Institute. Bonnie has been teaching special needs populations, and

training instructors dealing with Multiple Sclerosis, Breast Cancer, Arthritis and Fibromyalgia over

the past 35 years.

Carl Seier

Carl Seier is a father to two incredible grown up daughters, a Winnipeg Real Estate agent, a runner

and someone passionate about Winnipeg. He was inspired to start “My Team Triumph Manitoba”

in 2013 after seeing a fellow marathoner pushing a wheelchair in a race. The initiative is an athletic

ride-along program for people with disabilities who would normally not be able to experience

endurance sports. In addition, the began “Stranger Connection Winnipeg” in an effort to connect

with people and make them more empathic towards one another. The response to the project

which was borne out of a news story about racism has been surprising – People seem to resonate

with learning the lives of the strangers they pass along their day. Carl hopes to continue to share

the stories and conversations he has with strangers so we can connect as a community.

Chelsey Neufeld

Chelsey Neufeld is the Development Coordinator for ROC Eastman. Her involvement with the

organization began when she was completing her Bachelor of Recreation Management and

Community Development from the University of Manitoba. Since then she has directed her passion

to helping develop Leisure Quest, a leisure education program designed for low-income families.

Chelsey has studied the influence of our leisure education program on the lifestyles of our ROC

families and has had the opportunity to present about her research across Canada.

ENERGIZERS

Enjoy a fully balanced conference experience and participate in the

various Networking and Energizer Breaks planned throughout the day.

The Energizers promise to stretch your body and stimulate

conversations while getting you moving.

Speaker Biographies

Heitha Forsyth

Heitha Forsyth is a force to be reckoned with, with a voice to match. A graduate of the University

of Manitoba Jazz Studies program in 2008, she spent the past decade to cementing her place as a

sought after vocalist, at home in multiple styles. Recently she has been performing and touring

nationally as her roots/blues/soul alter-ego Sol James and featured as a vocalist on multiple

projects across Canada. Heitha has also been sharing art, expression and well-being as an Artist

in Healthcare at The Misericordia Health Centre for the past 6 years as well as multiple personal

care homes throughout the province. In 2019 she completed a second degree in Music Therapy at

The Canadian Mennonite University where she developed Manitoba's first therapeutic choir for

people living with Parkinson's through the Movement Disorder Clinic at Deer Lodge Centre.

Jillian Bagan

Jillian Bagan holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Manitoba and is a Concordia

University Art Therapy master’s graduate. She has been working in community and rehabilitations

centres in Montreal, including the Centre for Arts in Human Development as an art therapist, and

as a co-researcher for the ethno-drama “Nobody’s Perfect”, focusing on promoting personal

development and well-being for adults with intellectual disabilities. Jillian served as the secretary

vice president for the Creative Art Therapist Student Association, student representative for

EngAGE and is one of the founding members of the Queer Creative Art Therapists organization.

Khal Shariff

Khal Shariff, founder and CEO of Project Whitecard Inc. is an award winning creative & technical

talent with over 15 years of development experience. He is a TEDx speaker and a recipient of

awards from the MacArthur Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation for his work as

primary investigator, education, with the University of California, Irvine and NASA. Recently, Khal

received Telefilm’s highest investment to create DoVille, a portable VR headset and virtual

vacation environment with wellness efficacy for older adults. Khal produced the VR experience

chooseyourreality.ca for MPI which trains people in the dangers of impaired & distracted driving.

Leigh Ann McLennan

Leigh Ann has worked as a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist for over 34 years with adults with

intellectual challenges. She has worked with other professionals, agencies, care homes and

schools to provide adaptive techniques for individuals to be actively engaged in a variety of activi-

ties and give experiences for them to express themselves.

Moni Loewen

Moni Loewen is the Executive Director for ROC Eastman. A life-long resident of the Eastman

region, Moni holds a Bachelor’s degree in Recreation Studies from the University of Manitoba and

has worked in the recreation field for more than 17 years. She has extensive knowledge and

experience in both the private and public sectors and enjoys developing partnerships between the

two. She is a member of the Chrysalis Fund, a philanthropic women’s giving circle that promotes

growth and positive change in youths and a board member of the homeless shelter, Today House.

Recreation Connections Manitoba

103-145 Pacific Avenue

Winnipeg, MB R3B 2Z6

Ph: (204) 925-5747

F: (204) 925-5703

Email: reconnections.events@sportmanitoba.ca

www.recconnections.com

For more information

on membership and benefits

visit www.recconnections.com