Entries for February 2016

Hello Members,
I hope you all had a very relaxing and peaceful Christmas and have returned to work renewed and refreshed.

And to celebrate the New Year, DTA announce (finally) the DTA forums. It has been a long time coming with its fair share of gremlins on the way, but the DTA "Community Rooms" - our DTA Forums are open for chatting!
Get on there and start a conversation, be an early bird, chatter and be in the running to win some prizes - the best 3 posts up to 29th February will receive a prize!
The judge will be Emma our impartial Editor in Chief! (Her decision will be final).

2016 looks to be a very productive and busy time for DTA! Your Board had their first meeting for the year last night and have highlighted several key projects for the year. I have no doubt there will also be other new ideas presented to the Board as we move through the year, and in

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It has been a long time coming with its fair share of gremlins on the way, but the DTA “Community Rooms” – our DTA Forums are open for chatting!
Get on there and start a conversation, be an early bird chatter and be in the running to win some prizes - the best 3 posts up to 29th February will receive a prize!     

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Happy New Year!!  How can it already be February!!

 

Our 2016 workshop season begins in a few days.

 

The Access to Leisure workshop at Royal Rehab on Friday 5^th of February kick starts our year. If there is still time when you read this check out the program below and register for some inspiration to kick start your year too!

 

This is our go to workshop for information specifically in the field of disabilities as we know Diversional Therapists and recreational staff are in prime position to influence the wellbeing and enjoyment of leisure and fun for people with differing needs and abilities.

On the 5^th of February at Royal Rehab:

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5th February NSW- Sydney (Disability focus) 

26th February VIC- Melbourne

18th March QLD- Brisbane 

8th April SA- Adelaide                                   

13th May NSW- Orange

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Hi my name is Anthony Bright I grew up in the city of “Good Sports Wagga Wagga, NSW”. I am a passionate advocate of living an active and socially connected lifestyle. Like many of my comrades I began my early career in aged care, during a career change – although mine was youth work. In 2006 few men would dare to step inside a palliative aged care unit let alone set up a purpose built Dementia Specific Unit. My early role was to “entertain the residents not so much enhance their lifestyle opportunities.

My Diversional Therapy education was limited until I moved to Melbourne. There I stumbled into Wintringham a specialist aged care provider with a sole purpose of enabling the elderly homeless access to aged care services the rest of the community took for granted. Wintringham prompted me to return to Wagga Wagga to enrol in the Bachelor of Health Science Degree at Charles Sturt University. To survive I studied at night while managing an aged care facility as Lifestyle Coordinator during the day.

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DTA now has a Pintrest page!  For exciting activity ideas please follow Diversional Therapy Australia board on Pintrest.

Pintrest is a great way to look for activity ideas through easy searches, and you can save pictures and ideas that you like to your profile. This will enable you to go back to and view these later, saving you time. 
Please see the below picture for instructions on how to join and access it. To begin visit: www.pintrest.com

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I attended the Bathurst Graduation on Thursday 17^th December at CSU’s lovely Campus in the Central West NSW. DTA’s award winner, of the DTA Student Prize for Bachelor Leisure & Health – Jane Byers from the Blue Mountains. Congratulations Jane! Jane’s Mum and son accompanied her and, along with me representing DTA we were a small and vocal cheer squad. Jane is not only a great student and worthy recipient of the DTA Prize, she is also passionate about her DT career ahead, a wonderful mother and now a DTA Full Member!

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Making Contact

It never ceases to amaze me, the kick I get out of successfully making contact with fellow Diversional Therapists/Activity providers on the other side of the world.  It gives me such a buzz, I’m like a child with a new toy, (I mean that with the utmost respect of course).   

I’m not joking when I say that it really gets the heart pumping, hoping that everything goes well during the phone call.  I have a well thought out plan as to what I want to say to the person on the other end, I guess I just stick to the basics, telling them briefly about myself and then mainly of DTA, what we do and stand for and why I am making contact with that person.  Sometimes you can hear the surprise and

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The inaugural Therapeutic Landscapes Australia Conference was held in Melbourne on Friday 27th November and was attended by 140 people. This was a promising start to what could develop into an ongoing national network for practitioners and those interested in therapeutic horticulture. The conference program was informative and inspiring with the quality of presenters being of a very high standard.

 

The morning started with some research presented by Dr. Mardie Townsend, showing the theory behind a connection between nature and health. It is estimated that by 2030, cardio-vascular problems and mental health issues will be the biggest contributors to human disease. Inactivity, obesity and abuse remain at unacceptably high levels while contact with nature is declining every year. Dr Townsend presented

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Are you interested in this special opportunity to go to Japan with a DTA Group in May 2016? 
Please contact the office as soon as possible if you are interested in receiving more information or wish to commit to the trip.

The probable dates are May 20th - 29th 2016.

 
Basic costs estimated at

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