Can Animals Help Humans Heal? Animal-Assisted Interventions in Adolescent Mental Health
Sunday, March 28th, 2004
"Project Second Chance:
Using shelter dogs to facilitate change in juvenile delinquents" Ms. Tamara H. Ward
Abstract:
Project Second Chance pairs incarcerated juvenile delinquents with shelter dogs. For the juveniles involved in the program, Project Second Chance assists in developing pro-social skills, reducing offending behavior, increasing empathy, and developing a compassionate person.
Research shows that there is a link between interpersonal violence and the abuse of animals. Additionally, the lack of empathy in offenders is recognized as a key factor for recidivate behavior. PSC attempts to address these issues with its intensive three week sessions. Dogs are housed at a juvenile correctional facility, the Youth Diagnostic and Development Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Juvenile residents are responsible for the care of the animals and, through daily therapeutic exercises, learn the emotional dimension of empathy - experiencing feelings of others, and the cognitive dimension - learning to relate to the feelings of another. ANICARE, a program developed by Ken Shapiro through Psychologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is used at PSC to foster empathy through accountability, challenge, and change. The gentle method of dog training, the use of praise and rewards, gives the juveniles new non-violent ways to teach and direct the animal. Various methods of measurement have been tried in the program with various levels of success. The BEES Balanced Emotional Empathy Scale, pre/post testing, interviews, client satisfaction surveys, evaluation of journal writings, and incremental follow-up contacts are all methods of evaluation that have been used in the program. Currently, a new tool is being devised at YDDC that shows promise, and if appropriate, will be implemented for next year's program.
Bio:
Tamara H. Ward is a native of New Mexico. She attended New Mexico State University, obtaining a Bachelor's degree in Social Work in 1989. Tamara has been with the State of New Mexico, specializing in Juvenile Justice, for the past fifteen years. The program she developed, Project Second Chance, has received numerous national awards, and has been featured in DOG FANCY Magazine, People Magazine, and many local publications. She co-authored "Teaming incarcerated youth with shelter dogs for a second chance" with Dr. Tami Harbolt for Society and Animals, the Journal of Human-Animal Studies. She and her husband have two grown children, and share their home with five dachshunds and one cat.
