Aaron Pierre

PID: 3448766
LEI4711

Recreation Therapy Treatment Program

Rational and Purpose of Treatment Program:
Treatment for social anxiety disorder can take place via many different modalities.
However, the one that I feel would be the most effective would be a program that focused on the
treatment of social anxiety disorder through the use of exercises meant to induce a behavioral
change in the clients. These exercises will focus on helping individuals better manage and deal
with the stress and anxiety that they experience during social interactions. These exercises would
consist of activities that show the participants how to interact with others in a healthy and
productive manner in order to help them overcome their social anxiety disorders. Social anxiety
disorder is a condition that is defined by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America
(ADAA) as the extreme fear of being judged or scrutinized by others in social or performance
situations. This disorder affects over 15 million American adults according to the National
Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The treatment program would work by putting the
individuals in situations in which they are united with others by a common goal that the group
must achieve. By doing this, the individuals would be put in a situation where they focused more
on their task than their perceived weaknesses. At the end of these exercises, they would see the
impact of working together as well as how to engage in positive and productive social
interactions.
Staff Requirements/Competence:
In order for this program to be effective and run efficiently, the professionals that will be
responsible for implementation must be highly competent and adequately certified. To start off,
each professional that will take part in running the program must be a certified therapeutic

Aaron Pierre
PID: 3448766
LEI4711

recreation specialist (CTRS). This certification will have been earned through passage of the
National Council of Therapeutic Recreation Certification Exam. In addition to this, the
professional must also be experienced in interacting with and treating individuals with social
anxiety disorders.
Entrance Criteria / Diagnosis and systems to be treated:
This program is one that will be available to individuals from the ages 13-65. However,
these individuals can only qualify and be admitted into this program if they have been
professionally diagnosed as having social anxiety disorder. It is the symptoms of this disorder
such as fear of social events, feeling of being judged or scrutinized, and the inability or reduced
to interact with others socially that will be treated through this program.
Exit Criteria:
The criteria in order to be successfully released from this program would be the presence
of substantial improvement in behaviors of the client in social situations. The goal of this
program is to allow the client to be as self-sufficient and high functioning in society as well as
social situations as possible. This degree of functioning will be measured by a norm-referenced
measuring tool. For example, the progress and readiness to exit the program would be based on
factor such as how well the client could function in school socially and if that level is adequate in
relation to the general population of a student that is the same age as the client. Another example
is how well the client would be able to function in a work environment and if they could work in
a team and how well they handled constructive as well as negative criticism. Once tests like
these are passed, the client would have graduated from the program and fulfilled the exit criteria.
Safety Conditions: Client and Environmental Risk

Aaron Pierre
PID: 3448766
LEI4711

Client Risk:
In terms of the risk that is accompanied by taking part of this program, most of the danger
lies in participants possibly reacting negatively to certain social conditions or interactions. For
example, in the event that a participant feels that they did not perform to their own expectations
or wishes, they could possibly have a negative reaction which could adversely affect other
participants by making them more averse to social interaction or more anxious when they must
complete the same task. Another risk is the risk that comes with completing some of the physical
tasks that are a part of this program. For example, there is an activity called a communication
relay in which the participants would be put into teams. Once person would be a runner and be
tasked with grabbing a card which they would bring back to the group. Once they brought it back
their group members would have to act out what is on the card and the runner would have to
solve the card. During this activity, the runner could be injured going to pick up the card or the
group members could injure themselves acting out the contents of the card. These risks although
minor are risks that could be associated with this program.
Environmental Risk:
All of the activities would take place in doors. Therefore, the only environmental risk that
the CTRS would have to worry about would be the safety of the activity area. For example, the
floors must be dry and there would have to be adequate space to operate in. However, due to the
fact that hard floors would often be the setting for these activities, the risk of injury from falling
would always be present.
Facility and Equipment Required:
Facility Required:

Aaron Pierre
PID: 3448766
LEI4711

For this program, either a clinical or community setting would be sufficient. However, the
facility would have to have adequate space in order to ensure that the activities can be safely
done. For example, an open activities room or even a field would suffice.
Equipment Required:
For activities such as Communication relay, we would only need index cards, writing
materials, and a basket. Other activities that require physical movement would require
recreational items such as balls of varying size and hardness. Other equipment that would be
needed would be things such as hula hoops, Frisbees, jump ropes, and other recreational
equipment.
Outcome Criteria:
The goal for individuals who go through this program is to be able to be in social and
performance situations without irrational or overdue fear. This criteria is to be measured against
how the average person would react in certain situations. If the participant can score close to the
average person, that will be an indication that this person would be able to be in social situations.
Another outcome criterion would be the ability to form and keep positive social relationship.
This outcome would hopefully be demonstrated by forming friendships with the other
participants. Finally, the last outcome would be the ability to positively interact with others in
social situations such as at work, school, or just everyday situations.

Aaron Pierre
PID: 3448766
LEI4711

Session 1
Session Name: Social Anxiety Reduction Program (Communication Relay)
Session Description: This program will use cooperative physical tasks, leisure education, and
behavior modification to reduce anxiety in social situations as well as to form better social
habits.
Session Objective: Increased social skills, cooperation skills and ability to engage in positive and
productive social interactions.
Session Life Skills: Positive social interaction, communication skills, and social anxiety coping
skills
Session Time: 1 to 2 hours
Session Materials: index cards and writing materials
Session Process: Write objects or actions on cards. Teams will be formed and one person will be
designated the runner. The runner will run, get a card and show it to the team without looking
at it. The team will act out what is on the card and the runner will have to guess. This will
continue until everyone has gotten a chance to be a runner.
Session Content: This session will teach the participants how to communicate non-verbally,
cooperate with others, and understand others while working together to complete a single task.
Through this, the clients will see the importance and benefit of social interaction and how it can
be done in a non-intimidating way.

References:
Social Phobia (Social Anxiety Disorder). (n.d.). Retrieved November 15, 2015, from
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/social-phobia-social-anxiety-disorder/index.shtml

Aaron Pierre
PID: 3448766
LEI4711

Social Anxiety Disorder | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. (2015, June
1). Retrieved November 15, 2015, from http://www.adaa.org/social-anxiety-disorder