February 15, 2022
On behalf of our staff, students, volunteers, clients and their families, please join me in honouring Baycrest’s Therapeutic Recreation staff during Therapeutic Recreation Awareness Month and Psychology staff during Psychology Month.
Therapeutic Recreation (TR) staff work to enable all individuals to achieve quality of life and optimal health through meaningful participation in recreation and leisure. Here at Baycrest, you will find TR staff working in the hospital, at the Terraces and in the Apotex. They are important members of the interprofessional team, engaging with patients, clients, residents and families to help them achieve lives of purpose, inspiration and fulfilment.
This year, like last year, we have seen our TR staff going above and beyond, like so many of their colleagues, due to the challenges of COVID-19. They continue to demonstrate their adaptability as they develop new programs, work in small groups and one-to-one, and use technology to help keep clients, patients and residents connected and linked with families. The theme of the awareness month this year from Therapeutic Recreation Ontario is “Don’t just survive. Thrive!” What a great message for every one of us.
Psychology is rooted in science that seeks to understand our feelings, thoughts and actions. Psychology Month is celebrated every February to highlight the contributions of Canadian psychologists and to show Canadians how psychologists work to help people live healthy and happy lives.
At Baycrest, psychologists work in many different settings in the hospital and ambulatory care. They provide neuropsychological assessment to help diagnose thinking problems, cognitive intervention programs to promote brain health, behavioural consultation for patients with responsive behaviours, and psychotherapy to help treat challenges and symptoms related to mental health and emotions. In the past two years, psychologists have demonstrated wide-ranging skills in their redeployment to support Baycrest patients, residents and teams in a variety of ways, outside of their normal psychologist roles providing client care, clinical research and education.
Please, take a moment to say "thank you" to the psychology staff and therapeutic recreation staff on your teams in recognition of all the great work they do.
Margot DaCosta RN, BScN, MN VP Inpatient Services & Clinical Support, and
Chief Nursing Executive
Baycrest Hospital