Animal Assisted Services what are they and how can they help

Animal-Assisted Services are goal-directed programs designed to promote improvement in people with physical, sensory, cognitive and psychosocial conditions in which a specially trained animal- handler team is an integral part. There are different types of animal-assisted services and it’s important to note the distinctions. This webinar will provide an overview of the difference between animal-assisted therapy, animal-assisted learning, animal-assisted activities and assistance animals.

This webinar took place 7 PM 3 September 2019

More about Wendy Coombe

Wendy Coombe is the member of a veteran family that spans across four generations. Her father went to Vietnam and both sons enlisted in the army with one son still serving following three deployments. On 20 November 2014, Wendy went to work like any other day as a senior manager for a large ASX- listed corporation. However, that afternoon – with no memory of how she got home – her life took a dramatic turn. A critical path for Wendy’s recovery came in the form of an Assistance Dog called Jack and equine-assisted therapy.

“One of the hardest things for me was telling my sons of my breakdown. I felt weak as though I shouldn’t have let a job break me but was reassured that I should never feel ashamed. I had lost the sense of who I was after dedicating 30 years to my career. I lost trust in humans but through animal-assisted services I learned new meaning and met networks of people who through their own journeys have added colour back into my life.”

As a result of Wendy’s experiences, she established Animal Therapies Ltd (ATL), a registered Health Promotion Charity, established on 21 February 2018. ATL aims to advance the understanding, acceptance and accessibility of animal-assisted services for those in need.

 

Update from Wendy post-webinar

At a recent webinar that Animal Therapies Ltd delivered at the Veterans Wellbeing Summit we were informed that DVA had a statement on their website regarding Equine Therapy being considered an alternative therapy and therefore not DVA funded. We have since been in communication with the Commissioner for Repatriation, Don Spinks who has been very helpful in providing clarification.

We can now confirm the following:

1. An entitled person engaging a medicare registered allied health professional (eg: psychologist, occupational therapist etc) who incorporates an animal into their practice (dog, horse or other) and holds the required insurances would be funded by DVA as long as the services provided to the entitled person is safe and effective. ( “Animal-Assisted Therapy”);

2. In the case where the practitioner is treating an entitled person with PTSD or ASD the service provided should be a trauma focused psychological intervention which can include an animal such as a horse as long as the practitioner is qualified to provide the service and holds the required insurances; ( Trauma focussed “Animal-Assisted Therapy” )

3. Other programs being delivered by qualified persons who are not allied health professionals but hold the required insurances and offer a range of support services that include animals (dog, horse or other) can be utilised as a beneficial psychosocial support and may be considered under DVA Rehabilitation Plan funding on a case-by-case basis as part of an individual’s rehabilitation program. AAL “Animal-Assisted Learning”). In this case, the provider must provide evidence of a direct relationship between a proposed intervention and addressing barriers to achieve a specific rehabilitation goal. The provider is expected to work with the client to identify activities that demonstrate the most effective way to achieve the goals of the Rehabilitation Plan within consideration of factors such as restrictions, safety, sustainability of skills acquired etc.

4. All providers must be appropriately qualified and insured including professional liability and public indemnity insurance.

We have respectfully requested that the statement found on the DVA website that “equine therapy” is not covered under DVA funding be removed as the statement is confusing for many.

To better understand the correct classification of services please visit https://animaltherapies.org.au/animal-assisted-therapies/

Kind regards
Wendy Coombe
Founder
Animal Therapies Ltd
Advancing the understanding, acceptance and accessibility of animal-assisted services for those in need.