Faculty and Staff Profile

Jasmine Townsend

Educational Background

Ph.D. Leisure Behavior
Indiana University 2012

M.S. Youth & Family Recreation
Brigham Young University 2008

B.A. History Teaching & P.E./Coaching
Utah State University 2005

Courses Taught

Undergraduate Courses
PRTM 2980 Creative Inquiry II – Adaptive CrossFit Research Project Data Collection
PRTM 3260 RT Populations: Physical Health Conditions
PRTM 3280 Preceptorship for Recreational Therapy
PRTM 3480 2024 Paris Paralympic Games Study Abroad
PRTM 3480 2026 Milan-Cortina Paralympic Games Study Abroad
PRTM 3980 Creative Inquiry III – Adaptive CrossFit Data Analysis
PRTM 3980 Creative Inquiry III – Thailand Adaptive Sports Study Abroad Prep
PRTM 4050 Internship Supervision for Recreational Therapy
PRTM 4090 Research and Evaluation Methods for PRTM
PRTM 4220 Management for Recreational Therapy Practice
PRTM 4230 Adaptive Sports and Recreation
PRTM 4231 Adaptive Sports and Recreation Lab
PRTM 4980 Creative Inquiry IV – Adaptive CrossFit Data Presentation
PRTM 4980 Creative Inquiry IV – Thailand Adaptive Sports Study Abroad
EDHD 3110 Creative Inquiry – Clemson Top Soccer Adaptive Sports

Graduate Courses
PADM 8410 Public Data Analysis
PRTM 8710 Applied Research in Recreational Therapy
PRTM 8720 Advanced Facilitation Techniques in Recreational Therapy
PRTM 8740 Management of the Clinical Process for Recreational Therapy Practice
PRTM 8750 Program Development and Consulting for Recreational Therapy
PRTM 9080 Graduate Statistics for PRTM
PRTM 9300 Doctoral Residency I
PRTM 9310 Doctoral Residency II
PRTM 9320 Doctoral Residency III
PRTM 9330 Higher Education in PRTM
PRTM 9340 Teaching Practicum in Recreational Therapy
PRTM 9350 Teaching Clinical Skills in Recreational Therapy Education
PRTM 9360 Research Practicum
PRTM 9370 Doctoral Residency IV

Profile

Dr. Jasmine Townsend is a Professor of Recreational Therapy within the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management at Clemson University, a Faculty Scholar in the School of Health Research, and is the Graduate Coordinator for PRTM. She is also the Director of the Clemson Adaptive Sports and Recreation program. Her primary research interest includes investigating the outcomes of participation in sports and recreation of all types, particularly for individuals with disabilities. Her current research area focuses on the transformative nature of adaptive sport participation for individuals with physical disabilities, as well as the general health outcomes of recreational therapy. Dr. Townsend is an Associate Editor for the Therapeutic Recreation Journal, the Journal of Leisure Research, the ATRA Annual. She also serves as a regular reviewer for more than a dozen other journals. Dr. Townsend’s practical experience as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist and Certified Adaptive Recreation and Sport Specialist includes working in community adaptive sports and therapeutic recreation programs with youth and adults with physical, intellectual, and psychological health conditions, in wilderness and residential treatment programs for youth with behavioral and mental health conditions, and implementing international adaptive sport training programs in countries like Indonesia, Mexico, and Thailand. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Project Sanctuary, a veterans serving organization based in Colorado.

Research Interests

Adaptive sport and recreation, military families, injured military service members, family leisure and family well-being (family functioning, family communication, satisfaction with family life and leisure), outcomes of recreational therapy and mechanisms that produce those outcomes, transformative nature of adaptive sports involvement

Research Publications

55. Fischer, S.R., Crowe, B.M., Lewis, S., Singleton, C.S., & Townsend, J. (2026). The lived experiences of recreational therapists working with adults with serious mental illness in forensic and correctional settings. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 60(2), 219-237. doi: 10.18666/TRJ-2026-V60-I2-13137.

54. Kirschbaum, L., Crowe, B.M., Townsend, J., Lewis, S., & Murray, S. (2026). The impact of a recreational therapy-based bibliotherapy program on perceived stress and coping among siblings of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A two-phase study. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 60(1), 78-105. doi: 10.18666/TRJ-2026-V60-I1-13126.

53. Whaley, D., Townsend, J., Brown, C., Stanojevic, C., & Zabriskie, R. (2026). Understanding the experiences of student-athletes with disabilities: A mixed methods study. Journal of Intercollegiate Sport, 19(1), 1-34, doi: 10.17161/jis.v19i1.22950.

52. Hicks, N., Sharaievska, I., Lyudmyla, T., Townsend, J., & Miller, B. (2025). Veteran perspectives on family-serving recreation and leisure programs. Journal of Veterans Studies, 11(1), 80-94. doi: 10.21061/jvs.v11i1.675.

51. Whaley, D., Townsend, J., Brown, C., Zabriskie, R., & Entrup N. (2025). Adaptive sports as extraordinary experiences: Findings from a pilot study. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 59(2), 223-240. doi: 10.18666/TRJ-2025-V59-I2-12728.

50. Page, J., Hawkins, B., Townsend, J., Lewis, S., & Byrne, J. (2025). The incongruence of leisure perceptions between staff and residents in substance use recovery programs. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 1–21. doi.org/10.1080/07347324.2025.2506457

49. Townsend, J., Hill, B., & Crowe, B. (2025). Exploring adaptive intercollegiate athletics program structures: An application of open systems theory. Journal of Intercollegiate Sport, 18(1), 1-25. doi: 10.17161/jis.v18i1.21660.

48. Thomas, A., Van Puymbroeck, M., Crowe, B., Townsend, J., & Farnsworth, J. (2024). Identifying the relationship between recreation engagement, bullying, and suicidality in high school students. Children and Youth Services Review, 164, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107857.

47. Dyke, J, Townsend, J., Van Puymbroeck, M., Crowe, B., & Loar, L. (2024). A systematic review and critique of Recreational Therapy-specific literature regarding substance use disorders. ATRA Annual in Therapeutic Recreation, 58(4), 365-393. doi:10.18666/TRJ-2024-V58-I4-12283.

46. Hicks, N., Sharaievksa, I., Townsend, J., Tysor, D., & Miller, B. (2024). Recreation-based programming for veteran families: Practitioners’ perspective. Journal of Veterans Studies, 10(1), 225-235. doi: 10.21061/jvs.v10i1.556.

45. Pluta, B., Krzyka?a, M., ?niadek, J., Ho?derna-Mielcarek, B., Sharaievska, I., & Townsend, J. (online March 2024). Polish family leisure: Psychometric properties of the Polish version of the Family Leisure Activity Profile (FLAP). Leisure Sciences, 1-24, doi: 10.1080/01490400.2024.2322426.

44. Townsend, J., Whaley, D., Gagnon, R.J., Tobar, F.B., & Crowe, B.M. (online February 2024, in print October 2024). Examining college student attitudes towards individuals with disabilities: Implications for college adaptive sports development. Recreational Sports Journal: Special issue on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice in Campus Recreation. doi: 10.1177/15588661241239038.

43. Santiago Perez, T., Crowe, B.M., Townsend, J., Rosopa, P.J., & Kaufman, M.R. (2024). Diving into health: A mixed methods study on the impact of scuba diving in people with physical impairments. Healthcare, 11(7), 984-1008. doi: 10.3390/healthcare11070984.

42. Santiago Perez, T., Crowe, B.M., Townsend, J., Rosopa, P.J., & Kaufman, M.R. (2023, online). Can scuba diving transform the lives of people with physical impairments? A mixed methods study. Disability and Rehabilitation, doi: 10.1080/09638288.2023.2291183

41. McCarty, K., Townsend, J., & Macdonald, M. (2023). Intercollegiate sports and disability equity. Palaestra, 37(2), 28-34.

40. Page, J., Hawkins, B., Townsend, J., Lewis, S., & Byrne, J. (2022). Exploring the leisure meaning for staff and residents in community-based residential programs serving individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs). American Journal of Recreation Therapy, 21(3), 31-39. doi: 10.5055/ajrt.2022.0266

39. Page, J., Hawkins, B., Townsend, J., Lewis, S., & Byrne, J. (2022). Leisure constraints experienced by people in early recovery from substance use disorders. Journal of Substance Use, 315-319, doi: 10.1080/14659891.2022.2043472

38. Hooker, T., Townsend, J., & Hawkins, B. (2022). Evaluating a veteran-specific equine-assisted therapy program. American Journal of Recreational Therapy, 26(1), 25-35. doi: 10.5055/ajrt.2022.0253

37. Severyn, A.M.H., Harms, Z., Gambill, J., Benedict, J., DesJardins, J.D., & Townsend, J. (2021). 3D modeling and biomechanical assessment of wheelchair tennis within novel match simulation techniques. Special issue of Journal of Medicine and Science in Tennis, 26(3), 4-17.

36. Allen, J., Townsend, J., & Davies, K. (2021). Relevant factors for attracting and retaining new American tennis players. Manuscript accepted to the Journal of Medicine and Science in Tennis.

35. Allison, C.K., Van Puymbroeck, M., Crowe, B.M., Schmid, A.A., & Townsend, J. (2021). The impact of an autonomy-supportive yoga intervention on the self-determination and anxiety of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A multi-method approach. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 43, 1-7. doi: 10.1016./j.ctcp.2021.101332

34. Fleming, L., Johnson, A., Wells, H., Hawkins, B., Townsend, J., & Crowe, B. (2021). An exploration into the experiences of female veterans who attended Higher Ground military programming. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 55(2), 168-184. doi: 10.18666/TRJ-2021-V55-I2-10600

33. Montoya, N., Hawkins, B., Townsend, J., & Lewis, S. (2020). Use of evidence-based practice in recreational therapy for schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD) recovery: A descriptive study of current practices. Therapeutic Recreation Journal - Special Issue on Mental Health, 54(2), 128-149. doi:
10.18666/TRJ-2020-V54-I2-9962

32. Walter, A.A., Van Puymbroeck, M., Townsend, J., Linder, S.M., & Schmid, A.A. (2020). Therapeutic yoga is feasible for informal caregivers: Results from a multi-method pilot study. Manuscript accepted to Activities, Adaptations, and Aging, 1-17. doi: 10.1080/01924788.2020.1783741

31. Duffy, L., Stone, G., Townsend, J., & Cathey, J. (2020). Rethinking curriculum internationalization: Virtual exchange as a means to attaining global competence, developing critical thinking, and experiencing transformative learning. Scholé, 1-15. doi: 10.1080/1937156X.2020.1760749

30. Torphy, H., Townsend, J., & Hawkins, B. (2020). Perceived Outcomes of Adaptive Fitness Participation for Individuals with Physical Impairments: An Examination of Daily and Competitive Involvement. American Journal of Recreational Therapy, 20(3), 35-43. doi: 10.5055/ajrt.2020.0206

29. Townsend, J., Stone, G., Murphy, E. Crowe, B., Hawkins, B., & Duffy. (2020). Examining attitude change following participation in an international adaptive sports training. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 54(3), 276-290. doi: 10.18666/TRJ-2020-V54-I3-10112

28. Wenzel, K., Townsend, J., Hawkins, B., and Russell, B. (2020). Changes in family leisure following a family camp for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 54(1), 17-31. doi: 10.18666/TRJ-2020-V54-I1-9418

27. Mitchell, K., Townsend, J., Hawkins, B., & Van Puymbroeck, M. (2019). A program evaluation of a recreation-based military family camp. American Journal of Recreational Therapy, 18(4), 19-26. doi: 10.5055/ajrt.2019.0199

26. Shahvali, M., Kerstetter, D., & Townsend, J. (2019, online). The contribution of vacationing together to couple functioning. Journal of Travel Research, 1-16. doi: 10.1177/0047287519892340

25. Loy, T., Hawkins, B., & Townsend, J. (2019). Administrators’ perceptions of recreational therapy in long-term care: A pilot study. ATRA Annual in Therapeutic Recreation: A Special Issue of the Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 53(4), 402-414. doi: 10.18666/TRJ-2019-V53-14-9754

24. Wells, H., Duffy, L., Nance, M., Fleming, L., Stone, G., & Townsend, J., Stevenson, S. (2019). Does culture matter? An exploratory study of culture in the implementation of an adaptive sport program. Therapeutic Recreation Journal - Special Issue on International Issues in Therapeutic Recreation, 53(3), 224-243. doi: 10.18666/TRJ-2019-V53-I3-9684

23. Williamson, M., Zabriskie, R., Townsend, J., Ward, P., Fellingham, G., & Kuznetsova, I. (2019). The contribution of family leisure to family functioning and family satisfaction among urban Russian families. Annals of Leisure Research, 22(5), 1-22. doi: 10.1080/11745398.2019.1609367

22. Gagnon, R., Garst, B., & Townsend, J. (2019). Tough decisions in medical specialty camps: Exploring the relationship between dosage, changes in diabetes management behavior, and scholarship provision. Journal of Social Science and Medicine, 221, 49-57. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.12.014

21. Hawkins, B., Townsend, J, Heath, S., & Lipton, K. (2018). The preliminary effects of a recreation-based military family camp on family functioning. American Journal of Recreational Therapy, 17(3), 15-24. doi: 10.5055/ajrt.2018.0164

20. Adams, E., & Townsend, J. (2018). A systematic review of yoga and schizophrenia spectrum disorders: Implications for recreational therapy practitioners. American Journal of Recreational Therapy, 17(2), 37-46. doi: 10.5055/ajrt.2018.0160

19. Melton, K., Townsend, J., & Hodge, C. (2018). The creation of military family experiences. Journal of Family Theory & Review: Special Issue on Military-Veteran Connected Families – Advances in Theory and Methodology, 10(3), 602-619. doi: 10.1111/jftr.12273

18. Townsend, J., Hawkins, B., Bennett, J., Hoffman, J., Martin, T., Sotherden, E., & Bridges, W. (2018). Preliminary long-term health outcomes associated with recreation-based health & wellness programs for injured service members. Cogent Psychology, 5(1), 1-17. doi: 10.1080/23311908.2018.1444330

17. Griffiths, H., & Townsend, J. (2018). Programming for military children: An assessment of current programs and how to gain momentum. Journal of Outdoor Recreation, Education, and Leadership, 10(2).

16. Page, J., & Townsend, J. (2018). The role of recreation and recreation therapists in developing a recovery oriented identity for people with substance use disorders. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 36(2), 238-254. doi: 10.1080/07347324.2017.1407225

15. Walters, A., Van Puymbroeck, M., Townsend, J., Linder, S., & Schmid, A. (2017). A systematic review of mind and body complementary health practices for informal caregivers. American Journal of Recreational Therapy, 16(3), 29-35. doi: 10.5055/ajrt.2017.0138

14. Bennett, J., Piatt, J., & Townsend, J., & Taylor, J. (2017). If you don’t measure it, you won’t improve it: The advancement of recreational therapy through collaborative research projects. American Journal of Recreational Therapy 16(3), 7-15. doi: 10.5055/ajrt.2017.0136

13. Townsend, J., Van Puymbroeck, M., & Zabriskie, R. (2017). The Core and Balance Model of Family Leisure Functioning: A systematic review. Leisure Sciences, 39(5), 436-456. doi: 10.1080/01490400.2017.1333057.

12. Townsend, J., & Van Puymbroeck, M. (2017). Parental perceptions of changes in family well-being following participation in a camp: Experiences of families with a child with an ASD. Therapeutic Recreation Journal: Special Issue on Autism, 51(2), 143-162. doi: 10.18666/TRJ-2017-V51-I2-8359.

11. Goodwin, B., Hawkins, B., Townsend, J., Van Puymbroeck, M., & Lewis, S. (2016). Therapeutic riding and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An application of the theory of self-efficacy. American Journal of Recreational Therapy, 15(4), 41-47.

10. Hodge, C.J., Zabriskie, R.B., Townsend, J., Eggett, D., & Poff, R.A. (online in 2016). Family Leisure Functioning: A cross-national study. Leisure Sciences, 1-22. doi: 10.1080/01490400.2016.1203847

9. Hawkins, B., Townsend, J., & Garst, B. (2016). Nature-based recreational therapy for military service members: A strengths-based approach. Therapeutic Recreation Journal: Special Issue on Strength-Based Interventions, 50(1), 55-74. doi: 10.18666/TRJ-2016-V50-I1-6439

8. Townsend, J., & Van Puymbroeck, M. (2014). Modification procedures for instruments used with adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder: Pilot testing and initial psychometrics. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 48(1), 15-30.

7. Townsend, J., Hsieh, P.C., Van Puymbroeck, M., Johnston, J., Gassman, R., Agley, J., Middlestadt, S., & YoussefAgha, A. (2013). Sense of coherence, perceived stress, and health related quality of life in college students. Illuminare: A Student Journal of Recreation, Parks, & Tourism Studies, 11.

6. Townsend, J., & Van Puymbroeck, M. (2013). Understanding the intentions of families with a child with autism to participate in a family recreation program: A pilot study. American Journal of Recreational Therapy, 12(1), 16-22.

5. Townsend, J., & Van Puymbroeck, M. (2012). Development and evaluation of a family recreation intervention for families with an adolescent with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. American Journal of Recreational Therapy, 11(4), 27-37.

Honors and Awards

2025 Clemson University Faculty Senate Centennial Professorship (nominee)
2025 Clemson University Graduate School Distinguished Doctoral Mentoring Award (nominee)
2024 Clemson University Distinguished Fellow of the National Academy of Recreational Therapists
2024 CBSHS Outstanding Journal Publication Award
2023 Member of 8th cohort of Clemson University President's Leadership Institute
2022 Martin Luther King Jr. Faculty Award for Excellence in Service
2020 College of Behavioral, Social, and Health Sciences Award for Innovative Excellence in Teaching (RT faculty awarded)
2018 College of Behavioral, Social, and Health Science Top 3 Faculty Highlight
2018 ATRA Presidential Citation
2017 American Therapeutic Recreation Association Scholarly Achievement Award
2016-2018 Clemson University School of Health Research Faculty Scholar
2015 American Therapeutic Recreation Association Excellence in Teaching Award (RT faculty group award)

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