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Intervention Protocol Student Sample
Intervention Group: Animal-Assisted Therapy – Canines for Depression
Purpose: To reduce symptoms of depression in clients with schizophrenia who reside in a
mental health facility.
Expected Outcomes: To improve client outcomes in physical, emotional, cognitive, social and
spiritual domains.
Physical:
• lowers blood pressure
• Increases range of motion
• Increases tolerance for physical activity with pain present
• Improves hand-eye coordination
• Improves posture
• Improves sitting, standing or walking endurance
• Increases strength in upper and lower extremities to improve performance of activities of daily
living
• Decreases pain
• Improves balance and mobility
Cognitive:
• Increases memory recall and concentration
• Improves problem solving
• Increases focus and attention on task
• Improves ability to follow direction
Emotional:
• Reduces anxiety
• Eases the distress of loneliness
• Increases participation in activities
• Facilitates an emotional response
• Increases optimism
• Increases self esteem
Social:
• Increases social interaction
• Improves communication skills
• Improves willingness to be involved in group activity when an animal is present
• Improves motivation to walk when an animal is present
Description of Program: This is a program tailored to the individual’s needs. The session with
a therapy dog should last about 45 minutes and the visitation should occur once a week.
Presenting Client Problems: Clients who would benefit from this program include those who:
• suffer from feelings of loneliness
• don’t want to interact with others
• suffer from anxiety
• have fond memories of animals
Referral Criteria: The client should be referred to the program by their physician with the
consent of the client and the client’s family (if required).
Contradictions:
• Client is afraid of an animal
• Client is allergic to animals or pet dander
• Client who is not interested in participating in the program
• Client who has a history of animal abuse or is unable to treat an animal properly
• Client has history of aggressive behavior
• Client who has any open sores, etc.
• Client whose cultural beliefs are not in alignment
Intervention Process: Each session will be structured according to the following:
I. Implementation
• Identify and recruit only certified animals through the organizations Pet Partners
and/or Therapy Dogs International
• The handlers must be able to demonstrate that their therapy dog can respond to
verbal and hand signals, can walk calmly on a leash by the handler’s side, obey
commands, and behave appropriately in a variety of settings
• The therapy dog must be on a leash and under the control of the handler at all
times
• The therapy dog must be well groomed on the day of the visit
• The recruited animals and handlers should visit the facility to meet the staff, tour
the facility, and get a feel for the clients and the level of activity at the facility
• Identify the objectives of the program and get an understanding how the therapy
dog and handler would be most useful to the different clients
II. Assessment
• Assess the client to determine therapy goals prior to beginning AAT
• Determine whether AAT is appropriate for the client
• Get permission from the client and/or the client’s family
• Identify which activities would be appropriate to reach the therapy goals
• A schedule should be established for regular therapeutic sessions
III. Practice
• The AAT session must be supervised by the recreational therapy staff
• Provide and use hand sanitizer before and after each session
• At the beginning of the AAT session, the therapy dog should be introduced to the
client
• The client must be given an overview of what will take place at that particular
session
• There will be general discussion about the therapy dog
• Some of the activities involved will include petting it, holding it, walking with it,
giving commands to do tricks, talking to it, giving treats to it, playing fetch and
any another activities deemed to be appropriate to client’s treatment goals.
IV Review and Documentation
• At the end of each session, the outcomes should be discussed with the therapist
and recorded in the client’s chart.
Staff Requirement: First and foremost, the animal to be used in the intervention must be either
a certified Pet Partner or tested and certified by Therapy Dogs International. In addition, the
handler should also be trained in animal-assisted therapy. The handler and the animal are part of
a team. In addition, the therapy dog must be current with all its shots (i.e. rabies) and licenses.
A recreational therapist must also be present and direct the intervention.
Space and Equipment Requirement: Space large enough for the clients to ambulate. Items
needed for the dog are collar, leash, grooming supplies, dog treats and water supplies and crate.
Toys and other materials specific to the goal of the therapy session, i.e., balls of various sizes.
Risk Management: All animals must be certified by Pet Partner or by Therapy Dogs
International. The client should wear appropriate footwear and clothing. The client should never
be left alone with the therapy dog. The therapy dog must be cleaned and groomed, with nails cut
within 24 hours of the visit. If, at any time, the therapy dog shows signs of stress or aggression,
the dog must be removed from the situation.
Bibliography
Berget, B., Ekeberg, O., Pedersen, I. & Braastad, B.O. (2011). Animal-assisted therapy with
farm animals for persons with psychiatric disorders: Effects on anxiety and depression, a
randomized controlled trial. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health; 27:1, 50-64
Jasperson, R.A. (2010). Animal-assisted therapy with female inmates with mental illness: A
case example from a pilot program. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation; 49: 417-433
Moretti, F., DeRonchi, D., Bernabei, V., Marchetti, L., Ferrari, B., Forlani, C., Negretti, F.,
Sacchetti, C. & Atti, A.R. (2011). Pet therapy in elderly patients with mental illness.
Psychogeriatrics; 11: 125-129
Animal-Assisted Therapy Program Plan Sample
Week 1:
1. Introduce yourself and the dog to the patients
a) Tell the patients the dog’s name and age
b) Tell the patients the dog’s breed and talk about the breed
c) Tell the patients what the dog enjoys and likes to do
d) Tell the patients any funny stories about the dog
2. Instruct the patients how to properly approach the dog
a) Tell the patients to slowly walk over to the front of the dog while holding their hand out first
for the dog to sniff
b) Allow the dog to sniff the patients’ hand
c) Instruct the patients to pet the dog gently
3. Start a discussion with the patients about their own personal experiences with dogs
a) Ask each patient if they ever owned a dog
b) Ask each patient to recall a pleasant memory they had with a dog
c) Ask each patient to discuss what they know about dogs
4. Wrap up the discussion and ask the patients for feedback
a) Ask the patients what they learned today
b) Ask the patients what they would like to do with the dog in the future
c) Ask the patients if they enjoyed today’s group
d) Ask the patients if they have any questions or concerns
e) Allow the patients to say goodbye to the dog
Week 2:
1. Reintroduce yourself and the dog and today’s activity
a) Inform the patients that they will learn how to give a dog an obedience command
b) Inform the patients about the commands they will be learning today: sit, stay, lay down, give
their paw, speak, and roll over
c) Explain to the patients the importance of the tone of voice they should use when giving a
command
d) Demonstrate the tone of voice and an example of commanding the dog to sit
e) Show the patients the treats they will be giving to the dog
f) Show the patients how to properly give the dog a treat
2. Have the dog approach each patient one by one
a) Let the patients know everyone will get a turn and it is okay if they do not want to participate
b) Encourage the patients to participate
c) Instruct the patient to hold up the treat, call the dog’s name, and say the command
d) Each patient will work directly with the dog one on one
e) Give the patient a few treats before they give out the commands
f) Patient will be instructed to begin giving commands while holding treat, such as sit, stay, lay
down, roll over, give paw, and speak
g) Praise the patient while they attempt to give the dog commands
h) Each patient will get a turn
3. Wrap up the discussion and ask for patients’ feedback
a) Ask the patients what they learned today
b) Ask the patients what they would like to do with the dog in the future
c) Ask the patients if they enjoyed today’s group
d) Ask the patients if they have any questions or concerns
e) Allow patients to say goodbye to the dog
Week 3:
1. Reintroduce yourself and the dog and today’s activity
a) Allow the patients to say hello to the dog
b) Inform the patients they will learn how to groom the dog today
c) Ask the patients why they believe grooming is important
d) Explain to the patients the importance of grooming
e) Remind the patients to be gentle
2. Demonstrate how to properly brush the dog’s hair
a) Have each patient hold the brush and gently brush a section of the dog’s hair
b) Ask the patients how they feel brushing the dog
c) Ask the patients if they have any questions
d) Allow the patients to pet and talk to the dog
3. Wrap up the discussion and ask for patients’ feedback
a) Ask patients what they learned today
b) Ask patients what they would like to do with the dog in the future
c) Ask patients if they enjoyed today’s group
d) Ask patients if they have any questions or concerns
e) Allow patients to say goodbye to the dog
Week 4:
1. Reintroduce yourself and the dog and today’s activity
a) Allow the patients to say hello to the dog
b) Inform the patients that they will play two games today – fetch and tug of war
c) Hand out the toys and treats to patients
2. Demonstrate to the patients how to play fetch, the command to use, how to toss the toy and
how to give the dog the treat after he returns with the toy
a) Each patient gets a couple of turns
b) Ask the patients how they are feeling and if they are having fun
3. Demonstrate to the patients how to play tug of war with the dog
a) Each patient has a couple of turns
b) Ask the patients how they are feeling and if they are having fun
4. Wrap up the discussion and ask for patients’ feedback
a) Ask patients what they learned today
b) Ask patients what they would like to do with the dog in the future
c) Ask patients if they enjoyed today’s group
d) Ask patients if they have any questions or concerns
e) Allow patients to say goodbye to the dog
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