Department of Veterans Affairs
VA Space Planning Criteria (Chapter 269)
Washington, DC 20420
February 2007
1
PURPOSE AND SCOPE
A. This document outlines Space Planning Criteria for Chapter 269: Recreation Service.
It applies to all medical facilities at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
B. Recreation Service provides a therapeutic program to improve the quality of patients'
lives and to assist in their transition to community living. The program is appropriately
provided as an integral part of health care delivery.
a. Clinical techniques are applied to diagnose, assess, prescribe, treat and evaluate
the success of the treatment for individuals who experience barriers to leisure
fulfillment.
b. Recreation therapists utilize a variety of modalities to provide treatment programs
involving sensory integration, ambulation, diminishing emotional stress,
community entry, reality orientation, muscular dysfunction reorientation, treatment
of psychosocial dysfunction, providing a sense of achievement and progress and
channeling energies into acceptable forms of behavior.
2
DEFINITIONS
A. Art Therapy: Art therapy is the therapeutic use of art making, within a professional
relationship, by people who experience illness, trauma, or challenges in living, and by
people who seek personal development. Through creating art and reflecting on the
art products and processes, people can increase awareness of self and others; cope
with symptoms, stress, and traumatic experiences; enhance cognitive abilities; and
enjoy the life-affirming pleasures of making art. Art therapists are professionals
trained in both art and therapy. They are knowledgeable about human development,
psychological theories, clinical practice, spiritual, multicultural and artistic traditions,
and the healing potential of art. They use art in treatment, assessment and research,
and provide consultations to allied professionals. Art therapists work with people of all
ages: individuals, couples, families groups and communities. They provide services,
individually and as part of clinical teams, in settings that include mental health,
rehabilitation, medical and forensic institutions; community outreach programs;
wellness centers; schools; nursing homes; corporate structures; open studios and
independent practices.
B. Clinic Stop: A clinic stop is one encounter of a patient with a healthcare provider.
Per these criteria, the clinic stop is the workload unit of measure for space planning.
One individual patient can have multiple Clinic Stops in a single visit or in one day.
C. Concept of Operations: A user-developed guide to the functional operation of the VA
healthcare facility. It defines the function of the facility and the scope of medical
services to be provided in the new or remodeled space.
D. Dance Therapy: Based on the assumption that body and mind are interrelated,
dance / movement therapy is defined by the American Dance Therapy Association as
"the psychotherapeutic use of movement as a process which furthers the emotional,
cognitive and physical integration of the individual." Dance / movement therapy
effects changes in feelings, cognition, physical functioning, and behavior.
Recreation Service (269): Page 2 of 13
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