The Pirate Wellness Program: Lessons Learned From the “Pivot”

In response to academic and healthcare restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pirate Wellness Program (PWP), a recreational therapy telehealth program, was developed and implemented in May of 2020 by East Carolina University Recreational Therapy (RT) faculty to provide virtual services and interventions to quarantined individuals with disabilities. PWP was the first virtual RT treatment program and served as a model for virtual RT internship training programs during COVID-19. This article provides a brief overview of the lessons learned and post-COVID legacy of the Pirate Wellness Program.