Member Benefits
Invest in your practice.
THE ATRA ADVANTAGE
The Benefits are Endless
Elevate your career by joining the only national membership organization that
represents your interests as a recreational therapist. ATRA's mission is to
empower the more than
18,000 recreational therapists who benefit from our services and resources. While ATRA's mission serves all recreational therapists,
members enjoy
exclusive access to many additional benefits.
Member Spotlight
"ATRA has impacted me professionally as a person, recreational therapist, and faculty member by providing a platform for continuous learning, fostering professional development, and enhancing my ability to deliver effective and compassionate care to myself, patients and students."
Brittany Mays, PhD, CTRS, ATRA Member
Benefit Highlights
MEMBER-ONLY BENEFITS
FREE & EASY access to scholarly journals: ATRA Annual in TR and TRJ
Discounts on all Sagamore-Venture products
Access to Member-Only networking on ATRA Connect
Access to Awards, Scholarships, leadership and other volunteer opportunities
FREE access to ALL videos in ATRA's video subscription library
Discount on ATRA's high quality continuing education opportunities
FREE CEUs for the most recent ATRA Annual
Discounts on ATRA Annual Conference and virtual Summits
All ATRA CEU's have been pre-approved by NCTRC.
Why Join?
ATRA membership is an investment in your practice. Whether you are seeking Community, Empowerment, Education, Professional Development, or Advocacy, ATRA membership offers connections and opportunities that will help elevate your career and advance the profession.
Community
ATRA believes in the power of connection. Members enjoy access to ATRA’s exclusive conversation platform, ATRA Connect.
Networking is a powerful tool, and ATRA Connect offers members a conversation space to connect with each other for support, guidance, expertise, and collaboration. Your community is waiting for you!
Empowerment
ATRA’s mission is to empower you. Members enjoy opportunities to receive scholarships and awards and engage in leadership roles and advocacy efforts. While ATRA’s mission benefits all recreational therapists, members have exclusive access to:
Annual Awards for professional recognition.
Scholarships for conference attendance.
Leadership roles and other volunteer opportunities that can help you find your voice, express your passions, and make powerful connections in the field.
Education
ATRA upholds the highest standards for continuing education quality and innovation. Quality matters! Members enjoy discounts on educational offerings, including online education opportunities and our Annual Conference.
Continuing education is more than a required hoop to jump through, it’s an investment in your clinical knowledge and expertise. Choosing high quality CEUs will elevate your practice and empower you in the workplace.
Our Annual Conference is the largest gathering of recreational therapists in the country and attracts recreational therapists from nearly every state and we have a significant international presence.
Development
ATRA knows that professional development is vitally important to you, your clients, and the profession. Members enjoy free and easy access to scholarly journals and discounts on recreational therapy publications and texts!
Evidence-based practices are the cornerstone of our expertise and an essential advocacy tool, but it can be challenging to access peer-reviewed journals if you’re not an academic. To help bridge the gap, ATRA members receive free access to the ATRA Annual in Therapeutic Recreation and Therapeutic Recreation Journal.
Textbooks are relevant outside of the classroom! Whether writing treatment protocols, submitting grants, or searching for new interventions or modalities, textbooks offer a wealth of evidence to support the work you do each day as a recreational therapist. Members receive a discount on all items from Sagamore-Venture, a major publisher of recreational therapy texts.
Advocacy
ATRA has a rich history of professional advocacy. Member support allows ATRA to have a presence at the federal and state levels, advocating for the inclusion and recognition of recreational therapy to the policymakers who can influence the acceptance and recognition of our services.
ATRA advocates strategically, ensuring lawmakers and other influential organizations are aware of recreational therapy’s vital services. Your membership helps ATRA amplify the collective voice of our profession.
ATRA recognizes the importance of licensure across all states and is actively advocating for state legislators to license the practice of recreational therapy. Licensure is necessary to protect the public and ATRA is committed to supporting all means to ensure the safety of those we serve.
Benefits at Every Level
WHAT MEETS YOUR NEEDS?
Individual
ATRA offers several options for Individuals seeking ATRA membership, including Professional, New Professional, Student, Professional Emeritus, Lifetime, and Supporting. All individual memberships include the valuable benefits listed above.
Organization
ATRA offers group membership rates for Organizations seeking membership for multiple recreational therapists. Each organizational member receives the valuable benefits listed above along with individual accounts for accessing ATRA member benefits.
University
Introductory rates in 2025! ATRA now offers membership packages for Universities, which include many valuable benefits, such as full member benefits for ALL faculty and students, CEU subscriptions for faculty, NCTRC exam scholarships, digital badges, and more!
DOWNLOAD, PRINT, SHARE
ATRA Membership Benefits Quick Look
Explore the benefits of ATRA membership with our downloadable, printable PDF and 1-Page poster.
ATRA's Impact
Has ATRA membership had a positive impact on your career or professional development? We would love to feature your ATRA Impact Story on our website and/or social media. Please share your experience by completing the ATRA Impact Story form.
