Community-based Recreation Therapy and mental health recovery: a mixed-media participatory action research study
A presentation from DRTA 2022 Virtual Conference
Your Instructor
Jessica Ariss majored in psychology at the University of Guelph, completed a post-graduate certificate in
therapeutic recreation at Georgian College, and a master’s degree in rehabilitation science at the University
of British Columbia. Jessica has focused her studies and research on the principles of mental health recovery,
person centred care, and psychosocial rehabilitation. As a Registered Recreation Therapist with Therapeutic
Recreation Ontario, Jessica has experience working in the fields of post-secondary education and mental
health. Currently, Jessica is the Program Manager of the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program – Central
North.
As a passionate proponent of evidence-based practice, Jessica strives to inspire clinicians to embrace the
value of research in their practice. Jessica aims to demystify the research process and motivate others in
the field of recreation therapy to be inquisitive, conduct research, and work towards continuous quality
improvement in their clinical practice.