Animal-Assisted Services Certificate Program
The 海角社区’s Animal-Assisted Services (AAS) program includes five consecutive 6-week courses and provides the knowledge, skills, and values needed for successful planning and implementation of AAS in a professional or volunteer capacity for all branches of AAS including animal-assisted activity/support programs, animal-assisted education, and animal-assisted therapy/treatment.
The curriculum caters to individual student interests with guidance in learning to navigate AAS literature, identify and access best practices, and gain practical skills for individuals or organizations to propose, evaluate, and develop an AAS program in the student’s choice of environments. The AAS program explores animal welfare practices, animal communication and behavior, session planning and implementation, program development, and administrative requirements.
This professional development certificate program is approaching its 20th anniversary with nearly 300 successful practitioners, creating a worldwide network of professionals demonstrating best practices. Upon successful completion of the 海角社区’s Animal Assisted Services Certificate Program, individuals may use the credentials of Certificate in Human-Animal Interaction Specialist (CHAIS).
Course Schedule
The program includes five consecutive 6-week courses in the following areas and is co-taught by Melissa Winkle, Amy (Johnson) Binder, and well-respected guest lecturers. Each course must be completed in sequential order.
2024–2025 Schedule
| Courses | Dates |
|---|---|
| September 17, 2024–October 22, 2024 | |
| November 5, 2024–December 10, 2024 | |
| January 7, 2025–February 11, 2025 | |
| February 25, 2025–April 1, 2025 | |
| April 15, 2025–May 20, 2025 | |
| April 25, 2025–April 27, 2025 |
Course Delivery
Each course has 5 recorded modules to accommodate international time zones and individual student schedules and one live final exam (attendance required) on the last Tuesday of each course. The live, virtual final exams are meant to be friendly, casual presentations in which each student presents brief components of their program. One live final presentation may be missed without penalty, providing the contents are turned in on time. The goal of this program is for participants to create foundational AAS programs and demonstrate proficiency. Students can expect weekly readings and assignments which require approximately 2 to 4 hours per week including recorded lectures. Each live final will be 1.5 to 2 hours to accommodate each student presenting 3–7 minutes, including feedback and questions.
Competencies in AAS
The lack of a global or national overarching governing body for certification or accreditation of any AAS has led to confusion, misinterpretation, and poor practices that involve AAS. This program will guide students in exploring terminology, standards, ethics, competencies, organization-specific accreditations/certifications, best practices, program proposals, evaluations, and development. The 海角社区AAS program uses the following as guidelines and teaching aids:
- Competencies endorsed by the American Counseling Association
- Standards and Competencies from Animal Assisted Intervention International (AAII)
- International Association for Human-Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO)
- Pet Partners and the Association of Animal-Assisted Intervention Professionals (AAAIP)
- Students will learn to find and evaluate literature that impacts evidence-based practice and applies to their species, setting, and population of choice based on their scope of practice
The curriculum was designed to satisfy general professional requirements for alternative, complementary, and specialty practice set forth by interdisciplinary governing bodies. Careful attention has been given to professional ethics, codes of conduct, and demonstration of competencies in any specialty areas.
This program guides students in seeking out information specific to their area of practice, and then evaluates their competency specific to their individual discipline, environments, populations, and the species they work with so that providers are offering services within their scope of practice.
Professional Continuing Education Units & Professional and Lifelong Learning CEUs
The instructors and lecturers in these certificate courses are credentialed with various professional credentialing bodies and the program may offer professional CEUs for the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC), National Association for Social Workers (NASW), American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CPDT).
海角社区 Professional and Lifelong Learning CEUs are also available to participants. Please check with your state or national organization for acceptance of this program and associated courses for continuing education unit application.
Learning Outcomes and Practicum
This program will offer entry to intermediate-level foundational knowledge via live and recorded lectures from instructors and guest lecturers, reading, reflections, group discussions, and evaluation of the literature. Students will demonstrate competency with the completion of assignments, quizzes, interviews of professionals in the field, video evaluation of animal communication and behavior, live course final exams presented to peers and instructors, and a capstone project specific to students' areas of interest, population, environment, and species.
In-person practicum will be offered as an additional certificate annually.
Course 1: Foundations of Animal-Assisted Services
- Define terminology and taxonomy related to AAS
- Identify theories and frameworks applicable to AAS
- Identify AAS standards of practice & competencies for one's organization
- Discuss how to apply standards into practice to become competent AAS providers
- List potential risks for animals working in AAS settings and determine how to mitigate risks
- Evaluate scientific literature related to AAS
- Formulate an AAS professional development plan
Course 2: Animal Care Plans in Animal-Assisted Services
- Apply welfare frameworks to the well-being of animals in AAS
- Classify an animal's suitability through the process of selection, evaluation, and preparation of animals
- Discuss dog body language, communication, and behavior, why positive reinforcement training is essential for AAS, and how to mitigate stress to maintain optimal animal welfare
- Create behavior ethograms from video observation to evaluate signs of stress and relaxation in animals
Course 3: Session Planning for Special Populations in Animal-Assisted Services
- Define significant human-animal relational moments (SHARMS) and the human-animal relational theory (HART)
- Determine the suitability of participants for AAS through the use of a screening tool
- Develop rules of engagement for participants interacting with animals in AAS
- Create session plans for participants in AAS
Course 4: Administrative Policies in Animal-Assisted Services
- Develop policies and procedures for AAS
- Create program risk assessment and management plan, including zoonotic risk factors
- Identify liability coverage & insurance for AAS
Ongoing Continuing Education: As this certificate program proceeds, we will offer additional continuing education courses in several content areas, which will be open to certificate graduates and the public.