By Susan Morgan
This fall marks a special occasion: it will be the first time that all four faculty members of the Horticultural Therapy Institute will unite to co-present at the 2018 American Horticultural Therapy Association Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado. Rebecca Haller, HTM, Pamela Catlin, HTR, Karen Kennedy, HTR, and Jay Stone Rice, PhD, LMFT, will be presenting “Roots: From Passion to Practice” on the opening day of conference sessions.
“I am looking forward to the chance to have all our faculty together to discuss those factors that lead to success in horticultural therapy practice,” says Haller, director of the Horticultural Therapy Institute (HTI). Additionally, on the day before the conference pre-tours, Catlin and Kennedy will co-facilitate a day-long workshop on “Evidence-Based Measurement Tools in Horticultural Therapy” at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Read on for further details.
Conference Presentation: Roots: From Passion to Practice
Presented by Rebecca Haller, HTM, Pamela Catlin, HTR, Karen Kennedy, HTR, and Jay Stone Rice, PhD, LMFT
Friday, October 5, 2018
“We have seen that it takes more than the acquisition of core horticultural therapy skills and knowledge to be successful in this field,” says Haller. This session “will encourage participants to draw upon a personal rounded approach to a career in horticultural therapy.” Tailored to an audience of diverse levels of experience, the presentation is designed to address how to translate a personal passion for connecting people with plants to a thriving and meaningful practice of horticultural therapy that engages participants.
Learning outcomes include:
- Identify skills and knowledge needed for horticultural therapy practice.
- Identify personal approach for successful program and resource development.
- Describe why it is important to see the big picture, while paying attention to details.
Workshop: Evidence-Based Measurement Tools in Horticultural Therapy
Presented by Pamela Catlin, HTR, and Karen Kennedy, HTR
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Documentation that measures and tracks the outcomes of participants’ experiences in horticultural therapy programs is an essential component of the practitioner’s toolbox. “The beauty of our profession is in the diversity of horticultural therapy applications,” says Catlin, HTI faculty member and workshop co-instructor. “Documentation serves a number of purposes in supporting the work of horticultural therapy practitioners. In particular, it can be used to communicate to funding sources and administrators that this is a valid practice and of benefit to participants.”
On Wednesday, October 3, 2018, Catlin and Kennedy will lead a day-long experiential workshop for practitioners looking to build and strengthen their skills at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Through lecture style presentation, small group work, and practical real-life examples from their own experiences, they will address the development of evidence-based methods to document and measure client outcomes. “We will take a look at the existing research on client engagement in horticultural therapy programs and discuss how to use that information to identify measurable client outcomes within an existing program. From that, we will address ways to help attendees develop program specific documentation tools in their work.”
Learning outcomes include:
- Identify at least three specific measurable domains that horticultural therapy can address.
- Identify at least three methods to measure specific client outcomes.
- Identify a minimum of four research resources to support chosen methods.
Reserve your spot now before they’re all gone! Register online (deadline Sept. 21) through the Horticultural Therapy Institute; contact Christine Capra for more information. (Please note: registration for this workshop is not facilitated through the American Horticultural Therapy Association.)
