Animal-Assisted Interventions in Health Care Settings

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."