A Letter from the President

Dear PNWATRA Members:

As I start my term as Chapter President, I would like to extend my gratitude to the talented and dedicated leadership team we’ve had for the past year: Nancy McFarlane, Connie Koblenzer-Ratti, Laura Ridler and Marilyn Warren. I feel fortunate to have Michael Ratliff, the new Director of Recreational Therapy at Oregon State Hospital, on board as our President Elect, and Nancy, Connie and Marilyn still actively involved in the leadership team.
When I recently took over as the president of our local chapter, I made it my goal find a way to gather and share the programming resources we have available to us in our service area. I have a different perspective now that have I transitioned from clinical work to work in a community based agency.  I have found that I receive questions about what kinds of therapeutic recreation programming options are available for people once they are discharged from a hospital or other treatment facility.
So far, I have been lucky enough to discuss this project with a number of community based therapeutic recreation professionals, and have begun compiling a calendar of events, programs and resources that are available throughout the year. This is a work in progress and by no means an inclusive list, so I invite each of you to submit a brief event or program description, including contact information for any annual events and programs you coordinate, or are aware of in the community. These will be inserted into an excel document, and posted on our website so they can be printed and posted, or included in your patient discharge packets.
Some examples of opportunities during the 2007/2008 are included in this link.

As we approach the New Year, please join us as we marshal our resources throughout the Pacific Northwest, because there is strength in numbers, and much to be learned from the expertise of our colleagues. I look forward to working with you all and welcome and ideas, comments or concerns you might have in the coming year.

Sincerely,

Patty Brescia, CTRS
Senior Programs Manager
Wilsonville Community Center
Ph 503-570-1525
brescia@ci.wilsonville.or.us

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Adaptive Sports Ski Saturday

Attention PNW ATRA Members

Oregon Adaptive Sports, Hoodoo Ski Resort, and other local Sisters’ businesses want to say “THANKS” to veterans for all your hard work and sacrifices.

February 9th 2008 Oregon Adaptive Sports will be hosting first annual Soldiers in Sisters.
(open to all branches of service)

Volunteer opprotunities on February 9th to assist adaptive ski instructors introduce skiing and snowboarding to Oregon veterans at Hoodoo Ski Resort.
(do not need to know how to ski to volunteer….
…..many other volunteer needs available!)

For more information on Adaptive Skiing call us or check out our web site
Oregonadaptivesports.org

Amber Blanchard at 541-419-0314 amber@bendparksandrec.org