What is Animal-Assisted Therapy?

Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) consists of Education (AAE), Activities (AAA), and Therapy (AAT).  AAE is often found in the school setting, helping students build confidence in language and reading skills by working with a therapy dog and a reading specialist, to reach specific goals.  AAA consists of casual visits to public or private settings (airports, colleges, hospitals) to provide comfort and/or companionship when requested by an individual, a family member, or a human service professional.  AAT is a formal health visit, to include goal-orientated interventions with measurable outcomes and are only facilitated by a health and human service professional (nurses, licensed counselors, therapists, social workers, etc.).  

​Caring for our Military Children

Our U.S. Military have been in sustained conflict for over 25 years and it is taking its toll on our U.S. military families.  Often described as the most resilient group of children, a comprehensive California study (2013) measured the impact the conflict has had on children of military families.  The study concluded that in a survey of over 500 adolescents, both military and nonmilitary children, military children were 3 times more likely to abuse alcohol or drugs, engage in risky behavior, and be at risk of suicide. Please encourage screening of children at medical appointments or at registration in schools to include asking if they are a part of a military family as there are both civilian and military resources available specifically geared towards protecting and supporting the health of our U.S. military children.