Growing literature around the benefits ofanimal-assisted intervention (AAI) spurs health care professionals andadministrators to start new programs. Yet the trend also raises questions ofhow best to begin and run successful AAI programs-under what circumstances,with what staff, and within what guidelines. Animal-Assisted Interventions in Health Care Settings: A BestPractices Manual for Establishing New Programs succinctly outlines how best to develop, implement, run, andevaluate AAI programs. Drawing on extensive professional experiences andresearch from more than fifteen years leading the Center for Human-AnimalInteraction in the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, theauthors discuss both best practices and best reasons for establishing AAIprograms. For thorough consideration, the text explores benefits from a varietyof perspectives, including how AAI can improve patient experience, provideadditional career development for staff, and contribute favorably toorganizational culture as well as to the reputation of the facility in thesurrounding community. Developed for administrators as well as forvolunteers and staff, Animal-AssistedInterventions in Health Care Settings includes practical, case-basedexamples for easy comprehension and offers user-friendly templates that can beadapted to develop practice-specific training, evaluation, and proceduremanuals.
Sandra B. Barker is a professor of psychiatry and Bill Balaban Chair in Human-Animal Interaction at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). She is director of the VCU School of Medicine Center for Human-Animal Interaction. Barker has over twenty-five years of direct experience in human-animal interaction research and animal-assisted intervention practice. Rebecca A. Vokes is administrator in residence at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center in Richmond, Virginia, and former program coordinator at the Center for Human-Animal Interaction in the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine. She received a Bachelor of Science of psychology, and master's degree in health administration at VCU. Vokes has considerable experience in volunteer recruitment, retention, and management. She also has a background in professional dog training, and has served as a research assistant and coauthor on animal-assisted intervention studies with the Center for Human-Animal Interaction. Randolph T. Barker is a professor emeritus in the VCU School of Business and a fellow and professor at the Williamson Institute for Health Studies. Barker has extensive experience in management and program implementation. He serves as affiliate faculty senior research associate and administrative volunteer in the Center for Human-Animal Interaction.
Preface 1. The Health Care Administrator's Overview of AAI 2. AAI Program Structure 3. Establishing Requirements: AAI Program Entry 4. Establishing Requirements: AAI Implementation 5. Maintaining Compliance: Renewals, Record Keeping, and Team Retention 6. Program Evaluation 7. Beyond Visitation: Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) and Facility Dogs Summary, Opportunity, and the Future References Additional Resources
"This publication is the extremely helpful compilation of practical experience gained over decades and the underlying research that supports the book's claims. It brings together important aspects of the actual therapy animal visits with a good grounding in program development and management. With its focus on acute care settings, it is possible for anyone to apply the principles in this guide and adjust them appropriately for the population and venue while recognizing the critical importance of client safety and animal welfare. We're delighted this resource is available."
