Creators of the EPASS Toolkit

The following individuals created the toolkit website content:

Victoria Crumbie

Aurora Crew

Rhonda Nelson

EPASS Development Team

The following team of individuals were involved in the development of the EPASS:

Rhonda Nelson, Ph.D., CTRS, MT-BC is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational and Recreational Therapies at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, UT.  She previously served as Program Director for the Therapeutic Recreation program at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Nelson is certified as both a recreation therapist and music therapist and has extensive experience working with diverse individuals in a variety of settings including long term care facilities, community based programs, physical rehabilitation hospitals, inpatient behavioral health settings, and oncology/hospice services.  She is interested in exploring innovative treatment modalities and facilitation techniques, and is committed to advancing evidence-based practices in Recreation Therapy.

Sarah Humes, MS, CTRS, has practiced as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist since 2003. Her specialty and interests lie in using Recreation Therapy to increase the overall quality of life for older adults. Currently, she is an Adjunct Instructor for the Therapeutic Recreation Program at Temple University and serves as a consultant for the Polisher Research Institute. Her work with the Polisher Research Institute has focused on the development of the objective quality indicator evaluating the congruence of resident preferences in leisure pursuits. Additionally she is helping to develop tools to assist others as they utilize and replicate this system.

Kathleen Borgstrom is a graduate of Colgate University with a degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies. She graduated in May 2015 with a Masters of Science in Recreation Therapy degree from Temple University with a focus in Geriatrics. Her Master’s project examined the relationship between recreation participation and depressive symptoms among older adults in a long term care setting. 

Aurora Crew, MS, CTRS, PCHA obtained her BS in Therapeutic Recreation and MS in Recreation Therapy, both from Temple University.  Ms. Crew has diverse experience working with older adults, and previously held the positions of Director of Therapeutic Recreation and Personal Care Home Administrator at Waverly Heights in Gladwyne, PA. She is currently an Instructor of Therapeutic Recreation at Temple University, where she teaches courses on clinical therapeutic recreation, geriatrics, aging, and professional issues. Ms. Crew is highly involved in her profession, and in particular is dedicated to improving the quality of life of older adults through research and evidence-based practice.

Victoria Crumbie, MS, CTRS has a B.S and M.S in Recreation Therapy from Temple University and serves as the Director of Recreation at the Abramson Center for Jewish Life, a senior care community in PA.  Throughout her professional and educational experiences she has worked closely with the Abramson Center’s Polisher Research Institute (PRI).  PRI provides national leadership in improving the quality of life of older adults through researching and studying social and behavioral aspects of aging.  In collaboration with PRI, Victoria has participated in conferences, gerontological studies and published findings.  Her area of concentration includes; assessing preferences, measuring preference congruence and measuring engagement in activities.

Jacquelyn Gimbel graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and a Masters of Science in Recreation Therapy with a concentration in Geriatrics. Her Master’s project explored the role of leisure participation to enhance the well-being of both older adults and their caregivers.  She serves as the Recreation Director for the Mildred Shor Inn, Personal Care division of the Abramson Center for Jewish Life, where she provides meaningful leisure activities to older residents. She is also interested in qualitative research that better understands the relationship between leisure and caregiving.

Kyungwoo (Park) Kim, CTRS graduated from Temple University with a BS in Therapeutic Recreation in 2011.  She is currently working as the Enhanced Living Manager for the skilled nursing division of Wesley Enhanced Living at Stapeley.  In this role Mrs.Kim looks forward to growing her knowledge and passion for gerontology and improving the quality of life and well-being for the older adults she serves by providing innovative recreation services.  She has previously served as a consultant for the Polisher Research Institute, providing insight on the feasibility of the MATCH Tracker Quality Indicator for Recreation Services.