RehabVisions has worked with a lot of passionate clinicians and clinical students over our 32 years. It has been wonderful to see passion in new therapy advocates used to create missions like #GetPT1st and PT Day of Service™ — movements that work to promote the benefits of therapy or add value to local communities through volunteerism.

At RehabVisions, the passion to help others beyond time spent within rehab departments opens our clinicians up to both intangible and tangible benefits of volunteerism. Many RV therapists volunteer their time and clinical expertise by creating and then moderating weekly local support groups to further assist patients and their families overcoming diagnoses. Others find seasonal opportunities where their clinical experience can translate or volunteer for smaller service projects.

Jacob Holbrook, PTA, a former high school athlete and lifting competitor, identified an opportunity upon returning to work in his home town to volunteer at the local high school.

“A lot of what you’ll see happening [in smaller towns] is the football coach gets assigned to the summer weight-lifting program. They’ll look for a training program on Google, or use an old college program and have the students run through that,” Jacob said.

Jacob became a volunteer coach and created a safe summer weight-lift training program from scratch to properly teach student athletes how to weight lift. His efforts allowed student athletes to progress through the summer at a safe pace. Athletes spent the first two weeks on injury-prevention awareness and form work including core-strengthening exercises, hip abductor and external rotator strengthening exercises, learning about proper alignment, and practicing lifts first without weight, or with very little weight.

As a result, his rehab department has had no weight-lifting injuries come through as patients, but Jacob says, “Helping the students allowed me to build rapport with the kids and parents. Now when they do need therapy, they always ask for Jake!”

Even single-day volunteer events can make a difference to local hospitals and communities. Sandy Grubb, PTA is already making her list for PT Day of Service™.

“When I saw the Facebook page and post about the Global PT Day of Service™, I knew this would be my project,” she said.

Sandy suggested it be a service day for all employees at her hospital to check off many of the little tasks that never seem to make it on the to-do-list. Small acts of service, like scraping and repainting entrance ramp handrails, painting bumper guards at the outpatient therapy door and worn areas of the parking lot will be helpful to many of their visitors. Even the patients are chiming in with suggestions for service projects.

PT Day of Service™ is happening on October 17, 2015, and OT Day of Service on October 27, 2015. Learn more on their websites and join therapists across the world in pledging to better their communities through volunteer work.