Name and title:
Lauren Gerber, Recreation Supervisor with the Therapeutic Recreation Division
Background in your field (education, employment, hobbies,
etc.):
Education:
B.S. in Leisure Studies from the University of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign; M.P.A in Public
Administration/Public Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University
Background: I got job when I was 16 working for the South Suburban Special Recreation
Association in the Chicago
suburbs (where I grew up). I started as a counselor for campers with severe/profound disabilities ages 6-21. I wanted to work with the little kids only
but my supervisors put me on the camp with the teens and adults. The running joke was: “We didn’t tell Lauren
what we signed her up for.” Yet the next
year I begged to be put back on the same camp, something that was unheard
of. I spent five years on that camp and
eventually became the site supervisor, overseeing the daily operations. It was then that I decided to change my major
to Leisure Studies because I really enjoyed the field of therapeutic
recreation.
What is your favorite thing about your job?
The rapport I develop with participants and their
families. It usually starts with a
simple phone call. A parent will call me
and tell me about their child and expect to hear, “No, we can’t accommodate his
or her needs,” and when I say yes, we can, they open up. We share stories (I have a brother on the
autism spectrum) about struggles with behaviors, schools and more. And then their child (this can be a child,
teen or adult) comes to our programs and has a wonderful time; they keep coming
back and I am able to watch their family grow and change. From good times to bad, we are really a
tight-knit group who are there for each other.
Families come to me for resources, not always recreation based, and I am
able to make a few phone calls to other participants’ parents/guardians, and
point them in the right direction. It’s
a win-win situation.
As a therapeutic recreation staffer, what has been your
biggest goal for the Park System when it comes to our patrons with special
needs?
To understand that everyone has a right to
recreation and it is not a one fits all approach. There is a reason for separate therapeutic
programming and there is a reason for inclusive recreation. We just need to find the right fit for each
participant.
What do you feel is the most important thing for our
visitors to know about the Park System’s therapeutic recreation options?
That we are here. I still get so many calls with people surprised my department
exists!
What is your favorite park to visit and why?
The Manasquan Reservoir, not only is it beautiful but
the Environmental
Center is awesome, and it
is one of the few parks where I cannot get lost on the trails. I have the world’s worst sense of direction
and with the trail being a loop, it’s easy!
What is your favorite program in the Park System?
Tea at Historic Walnford. Site Supervisor Sarah Bent does such a wonderful job on the program. Not only is it tasty, but you get an in depth
look into the history of Walnford.
Outside of the Park System, what is your favorite thing
to do in your off time?
I enjoy crafting, reading and traveling. My husband and I try to visit at least one national park
every year, and I am always in the middle of a crochet project.
If you could give one tip to our visitors about our Monmouth County parks, what would it be?
Visit us! You'll be happy that you did!
If you have a child with special needs and would like to learn about the Monmouth County Park Systems therapeutic recreation and inclusion services, contact Lauren at 732-460-1167, ext. 22, or email Lauren.Gerber@monmouthcountyparks.com.
