Animal Assisted Interventions

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Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a structured goal-directed treatment approach that incorporates animals into a patient's care plan to promote emotional, social, and physical well-being. Common AAT includes trained therapy animals, often dogs, to improve social skills, motivation, and reduce stress. 

• Participation: Animals can make treatment more enjoyable and less stressful improving participation.
• Emotional well-being: Can reduce anxiety, ease stress, and improve overall emotional well-being.
• Physical benefits: May lower blood pressure, improve cardiovascular health, decrease physical pain, and improve pain management.
• Motivation: Motivates patients to engage more actively in their recovery and rehabilitation.  
• Rigorous screening:Therapy animals undergo a rigorous screening process, including behavioral training and certification, to ensure they are suitable for the hospital or clinical environment. 

 Animal Assisted Activities (AAA)  is a goal oriented, more informal interaction and visitation conducted by the human-animal team for motivational, educational and recreational benefits to enhance a person's quality of life.

• Enhances quality of life: AAA provides positive interaction that can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and improve mood and overall well-being.
• Teams: The activities are conducted by a human-animal team that has received introductory training and has been assessed for suitability. The handler may be a volunteer, paraprofessional, or professional.
• Social skills: Increases social interaction and improves participation in group activities.
• Bonding and communication: Sessions can include verbal and non-verbal communication activities with the animal, as well as sensory relief through touching and petting. 

Animal Assisted Crisis Response (AACR) is a specialized form of AAA where highly trained animal-handler teams are deployed to provide comfort and emotional support to people impacted by environmental disasters, human-caused crises, or traumatic events. 

• Collaboration: AACR teams work in conjunction with crisis response professionals, such as counselors and other disaster mental health volunteers. 
• Teams: Consist of specially trained and credentialed animals handler teams who are prepared to work in chaotic and emotionally charged environments. 
• Benefits: May help reduce stress, provide comfort and distractions from initial trauma, promote healing, and enhance social connections for those impacted by a traumatic event. 
• Supporting first responders: These teams also provide stress management and emotional support for emergency personnel, such as police, firefighters, and medical staff, before during or after traumatic events.