NEWS RELEASE

June 28, 2005

Contact: Laurie Jake, ATRA Communications Coordinator

Phone (480) 460-1525 or

Ann Huston, ATRA Executive Director
Phone: (703) 683-9420

Recreational Therapist Addresses International Health Conferences in Stockholm, Sweden

(Alexandria, VA) ATRA member Dr. David Howard was accepted to present at the Best Practice for Better Health European Conference on the Effectiveness and Quality on Health Promotion as a part of his involvement/leadership on the ATRA ICF World Health Organization Team. The conference was held in Stockholm, Sweden. Best Practice for Better Health is an international health promotion and public health conference organized in cooperation with the Swedish National Institute of Public Health, as the 6th in the International Union for Health Promotion and Education's series of European Health Promotion Effectiveness conferences.

Stockholm welcomed approximately 500 delegates from 22 European countries to the conference to share and discuss new knowledge from research and practical public health promotion. This is the sixth international conference focusing on how to improve both the effectiveness and quality of health promotion and it will lay the foundations for how countries can together carry modern public health work forward. Dr Howard presented a workshop entitled, Health Promotion in the United States, the I.C.F., and Effective Global Collaboration along with fellow ATRA member and ICF/WHO team member Cari Browning, CTRS. When asked about the conference, Dr. Howard stated, “I look forward to sharing all that I learn and experience when this travel is complete.” Dr. Howard’s presentation can be accessed online at http://www.bestpractice2005.se/front.aspx

Upon his return from Sweden, Dr. Howard will be attending the 11th Annual North American Collaborating Center (NACC) Conference on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota as ATRA’s representative.

ATRA President Nancy McFarlane shared, “We are extremely proud of members, like Dr. Howard. I have already congratulated him for being selected to present at such a prestigious and important event. I hope this achievement will encourage more recreational therapists to share their knowledge in the future”.

For more information, please contact Laurie Jake, CTRS, ATRA Communications Coordinator at (480) 460-1525 or the ATRA National Office at (703) 683-9420.

The American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA) was founded in 1984 to advance 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.