paws4people & paws4vets considers certification of owner/private trainer trained Assistance Dog teams for the certifications of:

Mobility Assistance

Sensory Development/Tactile Pressure

Psychiatric Medical Alert

Allergen Detection

Incident Response

Diabetes Alert

Hearing Alert

others considered on a case-by-case basis

The following outlines the eligibility requirements and Client process for Indirect Clients of paws4people & paws4vets. An Indirect Client is defined as a person with an “Assistance Dog” trained by another ADI or

non-ADI organization, a private trainer, or owner-trained who wishes to earn certification with paws4people.

Meeting the above criteria does not guarantee acceptance. paws4people and paws4vets has the capacity for very few Indirect Clients to be in the client process at any given time; and as such we are very particular in our selection of Indirect Clients. Selection of Indirect Clients is made by the Application Committee AND Executive Committee based on a full analysis of the best interest of both the applicant and the organization. All decisions are final.

In order to be eligible, applicants must complete the full application process, agree to all of the documents and policies therein, be approved by the application committee AND the Executive Committee as a good candidate for paws4people certification.

Applicants will be considered regardless of geographic location; but their ability to travel to the extent necessary for the paws4peopletraining and recertification requirements will be taken into account.

Applicants will be considered regardless of race, sex, religion, or creed and other categories protected by law.

All applications shall be processed in a timely and organized manner, per our Application Review Policy.

All applicants and clients shall be treated with dignity and respect by all staff, volunteers, representatives, community parters, andfellow clients of the organization.

Any applicant with prior substance abuse or addiction history must have a minimum of 90 days of sobriety to engage in theapplication process and must maintain sobriety, at the oversight of a licensed medical or mental health professional working withour pMET*, through the training process and the duration of certification or be subject to revocation of certification.

Any applicant with medical, psychiatric, psychological, or behavioral diagnoses must be in active medical and/or mental healthtreatment and have a licensed provider willing and able to work with our pMET* throughout the training process and the durationof custody of an Assistance Dog or be subject to suspension and/or dismissal

The below client process for “Indirect Clients” was designed to be in accordance with paws4people Standards of Training and Conduct as well as Assistance Dog International’s “MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR CERTIFICATION OF OWNER/PRIVATE TRAINER TRAINED ASSISTANCE DOG TEAMS”

*The paws4people Medical Evaluation Team (pMET) is a team of Master's level (or higher) mental health professionals who volunteer their time with p4p/p4v serving as liaisons for applicants, and all level of clients living with medical, psychiatric, psychological, or behavioral health diagnoses.

Indirect Client Process

How do I get my dog trained?paws4people does not have training classes or programs for privately owned dogs. Furthermore, we do not require that you go to any specific trainer prior to beginning the Indirect Client process. Trainer referrals are available upon request.

We simply require that regardless of what trainer you used, or if you trained your dog yourself, that the dog can pass the preliminary evaluations necessary to begin your paws4people Indirect Client process. Copies of these evaluations are available upon request.

ApplicantIndividuals are considered Applicants until:

Completing the initial application at paws4people.org/apply.

Receiving correspondence from the Application Committee with either declination, or instructions to move on to the Potential Client phase.

Indirect applicants must have an "Assistance Dog" trained by another ADI or non-ADI organization, a private trainer, or owner-trained to the level of paws4people Advanced Obedience Evaluation1.

Certified Client StatusTo remain certified, insured, and a Client in good standing, each Client must:

Adhere to all organizational policies and procedures.

Re-certify annually per re-certification policies and schedule their recertification testing through his/her Client Advocate.

Potential Client StatusIndividuals are considered Potential Clients until:

Successfully completing the paws4people application process, including all required and necessary paperwork, forms and submissions, the phone interview, and pMET2.

Signing acceptance and acknowledgment of the Agreement for the Certification of a Privately Owned Dog as a paws4people Assistance Dog.

Signing acceptance and acknowledgment of all paws4people Policies & Procedures.

Dog In-Training must be registered with paws4people and have received a paws4people K-9 Identification Number. Dog must have and maintain current vaccination records (on file with paws4people) and standard veterinary care, as well as be micro-chipped.

Dog In-Training must successfully pass a Temperament and Advanced Obedience evaluation performed by a paws4people staff trainer.

Dog In-training must be deemed by paws4people training staff to be of appropriate training level to participate in paws4people Public Access Training activities, and must be at least one year of age.

Payment of 50% of Indirect Client Program Tuition.

Conditional Client StatusIndividuals are considered Conditional Clients until:

Successfully completing a paws4people Client Training Seminar3.

Successfully completing a minimum of three Intervention Transfer Training 3-day sessions4.

Having a relationship with the organization for at a minimum, six-consecutive calendar months, before they are eligible forsaid Certification5.

Successfully completing the paws4people placement Public Access Test.

Being assigned an Advocate who becomes the Client’s sole point of contact with the organization.

Signing a final copy of the Agreement for the Certification of a Privately Owned Dog as a paws4people Assistance Dog.

Obtaining final certification authorization by a member of the paws4people Executive Committee.

Paying remaining balance of 50% of Indirect Client Program Tuition.

1This is accomplished during the application and interview process with the Potential Client and any used. Evaluations to confirm readiness will be completed during the Seminar.2Required of ALL Clients who are seeking certification for an Assistance Dog.3Seminar + Intervention Transfer Training (ITT Sessions) together constitute what ADI refers to as “Team Training.”4The final determination of the number of ITT Sessions required by any client is at the sole discretion of the Executive Committeeof paws4people. No minimum number of ITT Sessions is ever guaranteed to any Conditional Client.5The minimum, six-consecutive calendar month relationship with paws4people begin when the Conditional Client attends Seminar.

paws4people reserves the right to deny, revoke, and/or otherwise modify Client status at any time and in its sole discretion when determined to be in the best interest of the organization.

paws4people controls the decision of when a dog retires from active service.

The Indirect Client Process

ApplicantBegin at:

paws4people.org/apply

PotentialClient

ConditionalClient

CertifiedClient

1

4

3

2

Indirect Client FAQs

What should I know about paws4people?paws4people was founded in 1999 with the mission of educating and empowering people to utilize Assistance Dogs to transform their lives.

paws4people is a candidate of Assistance Dogs International (ADI), and our Indirect Client Certification Process exceeds all minimum standards set by ADI. As such, paws4people has created and continues to refine the Indirect Client Certification Process to be among the most thorough and rigorous of training and certification programs.

With paws4people Assistance Dog certification comes inclusion in the organization's liability insurance policy during the period that the Dog is Certified by paws4people. As well, paws4people is a candidate of Assistance Dogs International (ADI), and our Client Certification Process exceeds all minimum standards set by ADI. As such, paws4people has created and continues to refine the Client Certification Process to be among the most thorough and rigorous of any placement programs.

Other information about paws4people can be found at www.paws4people.org.

What is ITT?ITT is a peer-to-peer activity and process by which paws4people Conditional Clients learn to utilize an Assistance Dog.

ITT is led by paws4people staff who are experts in the utilization of Assistance Dogs as applied to a myriad of disabilities, symptom sets, and limitations. Staff work as a team with student trainers, volunteers, ITT instructors, and peer mentors. Peer mentors have successfully completed ITT and are Active Clients with Certified Assistance Dogs who work under the direction and authority of the paws4people Executive Committee and their designated staff members. Everything that ITT instructors and peer mentors do is from the perspective and within the context of a peer: they encourage, assist, and enable each other and Conditional Clients to use Assistance Dogs to mitigate their presenting symptoms to improve and enhance daily lives.

ITT is conducted in Wilmington, NC.

Attendance at ITT is by invitation only.

You are responsible for travel arrangements and all expenses of travel, hotel, food, etc.

As stated in the certification process above, paws4people will determine how many ITT Sessions you are required to attend at their sole discretion, but the minimum requirement for certification is attendance at one Seminar plus two subsequent ITT Sessions, spaced throughout a period of at least six (6) months. Frequency and schedule of ITT attendance for each Conditional Client will be set by paws4people staff based on their assessments of training needs for each team.

What is the pMET?The paws4people Medical Evaluation Team (pMET) is a volunteer group of consulting licensed medical and mental health providers. These professionals work with paws4people staff and trainers to ensure continuity of care between the paws4people process and each Clients’ licensed providers; ensuring that paws4people goals align with medical and mental health goals and maintaining that all of a Client’s care medical and mental health decisions are the sole responsibility of his/her licensed providers.

Your work with its pMET for any type of certification sought will be conducted prior to your attendance at Seminar (may be conducted via telephone) and may continue throughout your certification process at the discretion of paws4people.

Indirect Client FAQs

What is the requisite “6-month relationship” with paws4people?As listed in ADI’s MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR CERTIFICATION OF OWNER/PRIVATE TRAINER TRAINED ASSISTANCE DOG TEAMS , ADI requires that privately owned dog teams have a minimum of a 6-month relationship with the organization before becoming a certified team. This is to maintain accountability of ADI organizations to fully vet and train all privately owned dog teams just as they do their internally-trained dog teams.

The initiation date of said relationship shall begin when the Conditional Client attends his/her Client Training Seminar. A minimum of 6-months must then follow in which the Conditional Client remains in good standing with paws4people and executes all training requirements and schedules as set by paws4people.

What fees are associated with participation in this program?Because the Indirect Client Program requires the use of organizational resources, trainer time, and instruction, we have assigned tuition to the Program.

As detailed above, based on our training standards, the Indirect Client Program requires participation in a minimum of 3 3-day ITT Sessions over the course of the required 6-month relationship. Each 3-day ITT Session provides Conditional Clients and their Assistance Dogs In-Training with training and instruction services approximated at $4,000 per ITT Session, meaning that each Indirect Client receives a minimum of $12,000 in services from paws4people.

The Indirect Client Program Tuition has been set at $5,000. We believe that is a reasonable sum for the services received by each Indirect Client.

50% of the Indirect Client Program Tuition is due at the end of the Potential Client phase, requisite to continue on to the Conditional Client phase. Assuming successful completion of the Conditional Client phase, the remaining 50% of the Indirect Client Program Tuition at the time of receiving Certified Client status. The Indirect Client Program Tuition is non-refundable, and in no way guarantees Public Access Certification or re-certification.

Pending successful completion of the Indirect Client Program, paws4people will issue a standard vest and ID cards for the dog, as well as handler ID cards. No further fees or tuition are due during the period that the Dog is Certified by paws4people.