Rebuilding confidence and independence is critical to overall health and well-being after a spinal cord injury. At Craig Hospital in Englewood, CO, Therapeutic Recreation is one of more than a dozen inpatient programs offered as part of their Culture of Care model, which is designed to help individuals reach their recovery goals.
“Therapeutic Recreation helps people get back to the activities they did before their injury, and it helps them discover new activities to enjoy,” says Rebecca Cover, Director of Grants & Foundation Relations for the Craig Hospital Foundation. “The program is focused on a whole-person, family-centered approach to help people get back into enjoying a good quality of life.”
Therapeutic Recreation (TR) is one of the hospital’s largest Culture of Care programs in terms of the number of individuals served, budget and impact. In 2021, Craig received a $25,000 Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Quality of Life grant that stretched into all areas of the TR program. The funds supported staff time, as well as adventure trips and community outings.
“We have one of the largest therapeutic recreation programs in the country for people with a spinal cord injury or brain injury,” says Cover. “Culture of Care programs are often not covered by insurance but are so vital to well-being, and the benefits extend way beyond the inpatient stay. We wouldn’t be able to sustain the program without philanthropy.”
During the grant year, over 880 individuals, including 504 living with paralysis, participated in Craig’s TR program. Each participant attended, on average, more than nine TR sessions or outings. During the same year, TR staff organized over 250 on-site small group activities, ranging from horticultural crafts to chair yoga. Some of the grant funding was also used to help cover costs for the roughly 475 annual TR community outings, like trips to local museums, sporting events and the mall.