NEWS RELEASE
April 12, 2004

Contact: Laurie Jake, ATRA Communications Coordinator
Phone (480) 460-1525 or
Ann D Huston MPA, CTRS, ATRA Executive Director
Phone: (703) 683-9420

2004 ATRA Advocate of the Year Award

(Alexandria, VA) ATRA member GT Thompson recently received special recognition as the 2004 ATRA Advocate of the Year at the American Therapeutic Recreation Association's Mid-Year Professional Issues Forum held March 27-30, 2004 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Glenn (GT) Thompson of Howard, PA was chosen for this recognition for exceptional contributions in advocating for recreational therapy and his longstanding service to ATRA.

Thompson, the immediate past president of ATRA, is the Rehabilitation Services Manager for the Susquehanna Health System in Williamsport, PA. Thompson has a deep-rooted history of significant efforts in the areas of Advocacy and Public Policy and has contributed to the drafting of ATRA's Public Policy Agenda and Platform Statements for many years.

Thompson continues to actively serve ATRA in a variety of leadership roles including the development of the prestigious new Leadership ATRA program. ATRA President Melinda Conway Callahan states, “GT is a dynamic leader moving us forward in the legislative arena.” Callahan shared, “He has made a greater impact on the public policy process than any other recreational therapy professional.”

ATRA has established an Advocate Award fund in honor of the Advocacy Award recipient to give individuals who have been personally touched by the recipient's leadership an opportunity to recognize his contributions to the profession by making contributions to the Association's Advocacy Fund. The Advocacy Fund is utilized to assure access for Medicare beneficiaries to
medically necessary Recreational Therapy Services, while raising public policy recognition of the profession. If you would like to make a contribution to this fund, please send your check, payable to ATRA, indicate 'ATRA Advocacy Fund – GT Thompson' in the memo section of the check, and mail to ATRA, 1414 Prince Street, Suite 204, Alexandria, VA 22314.

For more information about recreational therapy or any of ATRA’s resources and opportunities, please contact the ATRA National Office at (703) 683-9420.

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The American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA) was founded in 1984 to advance the the profession of therapeutic recreation. ATRA is a non-profit professional membership organization dedicating 100% of resources and efforts to promote therapeutic recreation professionals in health care and human service settings. For more information, please contact the ATRA National Office