Jonathan Jordan – PESI – 2-Day Comprehensive Course in Animal-Assisted Therapy: A Practical Model to Incorporate Animals in Your Current Treatment

Jonathan Jordan – PESI – 2-Day Comprehensive Course in Animal-Assisted Therapy: A Practical Model to Incorporate Animals in Your Current Treatment

Description

Watch this 2-day comprehensive course recording in Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) and learn a practical framework that facilitates incorporating evidence-based AAT into your current treatment methodology. You will receive specific, practical examples of how to implement AAT to greatly improve treatment outcomes for children, adolescents, adults, and geriatric client outcomes in a surprisingly broad range of areas, including:

• Reduce stress and anxiety and lower blood pressure
• Lessen symptoms of depression and loneliness
• Enhance mindfulness and attachment
• Lessen the effects of trauma and PTSD
• Improve human-to-human social functioning
• Help people suffering from agoraphobia
• Improve sensory recognition in people recovering from a stroke
• Help individuals with learning disabilities and speech and language deficits
• Improve Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)
• Assist addicts to remain clean and sober
• Increase feelings of acceptance and belonging
• And More!

You will receive resources to help you immediately implement your own AAT program, including how to select a therapy animal, tools to assess for the animal’s temperament, limitations and stress levels, and how to include AAT on a treatment plan and document it in the progress notes. Learn the latest research outcomes, solid neuroscience about the human-animal emotional bond, and information about relevant laws.

AAT improves treatment outcomes in a wide variety of fields, including mental health, speech and language pathology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, education, and medical.

Objectives

1. Utilize the KADRA Model to incorporate animals in your current treatment to improve clinical outcomes.
2. Summarize the role of animals in enhancing mindfulness in humans to help reduce symptomology.
3. Explain the difference between a therapy animal and a service animal as it relates to clinical treatment.
4. Describe the difference between the roles of the animal handler and the treatment provider in a therapeutic setting.
5. Summarize the research related to clinical outcomes of Animal-Assisted Therapy as it relates to assessment and treatment planning.
6. Implement Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) interventions to reduce symptoms of trauma, stress, anxiety, and depression in clients.
7. Develop AAT interventions to treat deficits and disabilities related to speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, and physical therapy.
8. Construct a comprehensive treatment plan that incorporates AAT interventions to improve clinical outcomes.
9. Differentiate between the major federal laws that impact AAT to inform clinical treatment.
10. Articulate the definition of Animal-Assisted Therapy and how it differs from other animal-assisted interventions.
11. Implement three different types of AAT that are included in the KADRA Model.
12. Present specific attributes and characteristics to identify when choosing a suitable therapy animal for AAT.

Outline

A Framework to Harness the Power of the Human-Animal Bond in Treatment

• The KADRA Model of Animal-Assisted Interventions
• Incorporate AAT with other evidence-based therapies
• The major categories of AAT

Mindfulness of Animals – Help Humans Thrive Not Just Survive

• The neuroscience of the human-animal emotional bond
• Why zebras don’t get ulcers
• How animals help us overcome trauma

The Incredible Range of Therapeutic Benefits in Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT)

• Evidence-based research and outcomes
• Therapy animals, service animals, and emotional support animals
• Disorders that respond well to AAT
• Enhance the therapeutic relationship
• Limitations and potential risks

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF THE KADRA MODEL

Treatment Planning and Goals

• How to include AAT on a treatment plan
• How to document AAT in progress notes
• What you need to know about billing
• Considerations for closure
• Interaction techniques for client and animal

Practical Examples/Case Studies of AAT for:

• Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders
  • Trauma and PTSD
  • Anxiety and depression
  • Attachment
  • Conduct Disorders
  • Autistic Spectrum Disorder
  • ADHD
  • Social-emotional regulation
  • Loneliness and self-esteem
• Speech-Language and Learning Disabilities
  • Dyslexia
  • Language and literacy
  • Vocabulary improvement
  • Increase verbal interactions and communication
• Physical and Occupational Issues
  • Fine and gross motor skills
  • Standing balance
  • Stroke and geriatric issues
  • Sensory processing
  • Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)

Start Your Own Animal-Assisted Program

• How to choose your therapy animal: Qualifications and characteristics
• Common and less common animal species involved in treatment
• Dog training basics
• Protocol for introducing animal and client
• Organizations and resources

The Legal Landscape

• Major federal laws that impact animal-assisted interventions
• Client rights and when not to involve an animal
• Informed consent