Pet Assisted Therapy

Marie Volbrecht, PhD, LP, ABNEmail: marie.volbrecht@welcov.com

Why Animals?

• Psychological Benefits• Physical Benefits

Pet Therapy v. Pet Assisted Therapy

• Pet Therapy• Pet Assisted Therapy - Changing to Animal

Assisted Therapy (AAT) or Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI)

Which Animals?

• Dogs are most commonly thought of• Many others: horses, cats, rabbits, even rats!• Some organizations certify only certain species

Choosing Your Animal

• Species• Size• Qualities– Grooming requirements– Amount of time / care involved– Amount of training involved

• What happens if you don’t pass?

Training

• Dogs in particular have guidelines and procedures

• Start early • Socialize often• Think ahead

Certification Organizations

• Therapy Dogs Incorporated (TD Inc)• Pet Partners (formerly Delta Society)• Therapy Dogs International (TDI)• Love On a Leash (Pet-Provided Therapy)• Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs

READ

• Intermountain Therapy Animals• First certify as Animal-Assisted Therapy• Then additional process for READ

Therapy Dogs, Inc.

• As the name suggests: Dogs only (any breed or mix)

• At least one year of age• Tested as a team and then observed doing 3

visits before certified• Includes liability insurance when volunteering

– not when “on the clock”• www.therapydogs.com

Pet Partners

• Various species included: dogs, cats, alpacas, horses, rabbits, pocket pets, birds, pigs

• Course and evaluation for person and then team test

• Smaller pets at least 6 months old; dogs and larger animals at least one year old

• Also offers liability insurance when volunteering• www.petpartners.org

You’re Certified. Now what?

• Schedule• Policies• Liability• Back up

What exactly do I do?

• Screen the people – protect the animal• Have a goal in mind• Proprioception, Tactile, and Motor• Problem Solving• Spatial Processing• Memory and Attention• Social and Emotional• Speech and Language

I Can Bill For This?

• Animal-Assisted Therapy – view as another tool in your professional toolbox

• CPT codes:• Billable = Having a purpose