Meet Our Speakers
Wednesday, 9/9/2020
Is there an Echo in Here? Utilizing Smart Home Technology as a Leisure Based Modality
Amy Heeter Ed.M., CTRS, ClYL, CDP, - Inglis
Adapted Technology Specialist
Amy has a BS in Rehabilitation Counseling Services and a Masters in Therapeutic Recreation. Amy’s career focused on the development and administration of Therapeutic Recreation programs within underdeveloped and non-typical settings, bringing services to individuals with physical disAbilities, cognitive disAbilities, mental health diagnoses, and/or history of substance abuse. Amy is an Adapted Technology Specialist and has received awards for her work with mental health services in the Philadelphia area. Amy is currently involved in research to improve the usability of smart home technology for individuals with low speech intelligibility. Amy has been an active member of education committees and is currently serving as Past President of the New Jersey Eastern Pennsylvania Therapeutic Recreation Association.
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Friday, 9/11/2020
Foster Resilience Training: Trauma and its Impact
Michael Ritter, MPA, CTCP, - Domestic Violence Intervention of Lebanon County
Public Education Coordinator
Michael received certification as a Trauma-Competent Professional from Lakeside Global Institute near Philadelphia, where he is also a part-time trainer. Full-time, Michael coordinates the community outreach and prevention initiatives for the Domestic Violence Intervention of Lebanon County. Combining his trauma and victim advocacy training with a background in mental health and community development, Michael has spent the past nine years working to end and prevent domestic violence in Lebanon County. Mike holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Ohio University's Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs, and degrees in psychology and sociology from Penn State University.
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Monday, 9/14/2020
Design Thinking in Planning & Implementing Therapeutic Recreation Interventions
Julie Saville, Ph.D. & Brian Malcarne, CTRS, Ph.D., - York College of Pennsylvania
Professor Recreation Leadership
Julie Saville & Brian Malcarne are both professors of Recreation Leadership at York College of Pennsylvania. Julie specializes in the topics of programming, administration, leadership, and group dynamics. Brian focuses on leadership in therapeutic recreation and outdoor leadership and programming.
Wednesday, 9/16/2020
An RT at Play in the Pennsylvania Early Intervention
Lynda Mitchell, EdD, CTRS, CPRP, CDP, CMDCP - Early Intervention Organizations: Goldstar Rehabilitation, Inc., and JayCare Therapy, Inc.
Early Intervention: Specialist Instructor/Therapist
Dr. Mitchell has behind her nearly 50 years of TR service within varied areas of practice, including inpatient and community-based behavioral health and a brief stint as a Clinical Director in a correctional facility, also community-based. Lynda was a faculty member at Temple, and Lincoln Universities single-handedly authored a book for ATRA, and co-founded the first Community-Based/Inclusion Treatment Network, also for ATRA. While her company is now closed after 22 years in business, she is probably most known for founding the oldest and largest TR private practice, RecCare, Inc. She holds a strong interest in the older adult population but now finds herself practicing in an area in which she never dreamed: early intervention, this session’s topic.
Friday, 9/18/2020
The Use of Guided Imagery as a Therapeutic Recreation Intervention
Vincent Bonadies, MS, CTRS, VA Hudson Valley Health Care System
Chief of Recreation Therapy
Vincent Bonadies (or many know him as Vinnie) is currently the Chief of Recreation Therapy at the VA Hudson Valley Health Care System in New York with over 40 years of experience in therapeutic recreation. His work experience has included behavioral/mental health, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, and geriatrics. He has served on the NYSTRA Board of Directors, the Board of Directors for the NCTRC, Co-chair of the New York State Recreation Therapy Licensure Committee, and Member at Large for ATRA. He has presented locally, on a state level, and nationally on various topics in therapeutic recreation. Vinnie is a published author in the Therapeutic Recreation Journal and the American Therapeutic Recreation Association Annual. And he is here to speak about holistic modalities for TR.
Monday, 9/21/2020
Supporting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Older Adults
Tim Johnston, Ph.D., SAGE
Senior Director of National Projects
Tim R. Johnston, Ph.D., is the Senior Director of National Projects at SAGE. In that role, he oversees the SAGECare cultural competency training program, the National Resource Center on LGBT Aging, key aspects of SAGE’s housing initiative, SAGE’s diversity and equity initiative, and national partnerships with other advocacy organizations. Tim is the author of Welcoming LGBT Residents: A Practical Guide for Senior Living Staff, which is the first comprehensive book on how to create a positive and safer experience for LGBT older adults in senior living settings. In addition to facilitating LGBT cultural competency training, Tim is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences.
Wednesday, 9/23/2020
Generation Engagement: Motivating Residents, Volunteers & the Teams You Lead
Stacy McCaney, CTRS & Emily Connors, MS, CTRS, CDP, -
Masonic Villages at Elizabethtown
Volunteer Coordinator & Therapeutic Recreation Supervisor
Stacy is the supervisor of volunteer services at Masonic Village, where she oversees volunteers ranging from age three months to 100 years old. After graduating from York College, she worked as a Recreation Therapist at Masonic Village. She received the PTRS Student Honor Award in 2011 and the PTRS Outstanding New Professional Award in 2014. Emily is the therapeutic recreation supervisor at the Masonic Village in Elizabethtown. She is a graduate of York College and UMass Boston. Emily is an adjunct faculty member at York College of Pennsylvania.
Friday, 9/25/2020
Compassion Fatigue During COVID-19: Enhancing the Quality of Life of Recreation Therapists
Vincent Bonadies, MS, CTRS, - VA Hudson Valley Health Care System
Chief of Recreation Therapy
Vincent Bonadies (or many know him as Vinnie) is currently the Chief of Recreation Therapy at the VA Hudson Valley Health Care System in New York with 40 years of experience in therapeutic recreation. His work experience has included behavioral/mental health, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, and geriatrics. He has served on the NYSTRA Board of Directors, the Board of Directors for the NCTRC, Co-chair of the New York State Recreation Therapy Licensure Committee, and Member at Large for ATRA. He has presented locally, on a state level, and nationally on various topics in therapeutic recreation. Vinnie is a published author in the Therapeutic Recreation Journal and the American Therapeutic Recreation Association Annual. And he is here to speak about holistic modalities for TR.