Presentation Transcript

1. My Background

   11+ years of crisis intervention with military, law enforcement, and civilian populations Certified law enforcement Crisis Interventionist Work with high trauma risk populations Owner and practitioner of Integrative Counseling of NM Current Mental Health Director at Paws and Stripes
2. Why Paws and Stripes™? 1) An optimal setting for the delivery of mental health treatments -clients are motivated, - program is free for client and family, - 8-12 months of intensive treatments, -address environmental, and psychological ‘issues’ -diagnoses/treatment are not dependent on financial reimbursement 2) “What we’re doing isn’t working” (Lt. Col Forbes, Lt. Col Ford, 2013, meeting with pentagon officials and Paws and Stripes administration) 3) I have faith that my clients can find symptom relief 4) Research supports the use of service dogs for one of three reasons: 1) the development of a mutual bond; 2) the change in responsibilities in an individual’s functioning; 3) the use of dog’s as biofeedback tools in symptom management.
3. Program Assessments Biopsychosocial Questionnaire PCL-M Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUD) Client self-report Dog functioning and training progress
4. Program Readiness Honorably discharged from the US military, have a prior diagnosis from the VA of PTSD, live within commuting distance of the P&S office, be willing to participate in mental health therapy, no history of violent offenses, score above the VA’s cut off score of 50 on the PCL-M, Assessed for their ability to meet program requirements
5. Treatment Goals WE DO NOT “CURE” PTSD Insight and awareness into MH dysfunction Create attainable goals Develop resources Nurture bond between the client and dog Highlight biofeedback ‘alerts’ De-escalation techniques to avoid living in a constant ‘state of crisis’ Reintegrate individual’s into civilian roles Learn to self-assess personal functioning Help care-takers identify new roles without jealousy, confusion, or relationship dysfunction Self-care Provide mental health support for Paws & Stripes employees
6. How Does The Dog Help?! Provides symptom identification and validation 3 stages of symptom awareness 1)Preconscious –dog serves as a biofeedback tool to identify changing sympathetic responses that the handler is not aware of (blood pressure, adrenaline, heart rate, etc) 2)Conscious- dog alerts and ‘validates’ what the client is feeling as a way of saying “hey let’s do something about this NOW” 3)Crisis- the dog alerts to the point that the client needs to leave in order to address alerts and address symptoms.
7. Coping Behaviors Stage 1: breathing, mindfulness, working dog skills, walking dog, focusing on service dog, and counting Stage 2: remove self from triggering stimuli, provide distraction through training and relocating, family and social support, and provide symptom validation through intensity of alert Stage 3: utilize medications, on-call counselor, disengage from activities all together to ensure safety of client and dog.
8. References Alers, E. V., & Simpson, K. M. (2012). Reclaiming Identity Through Service to Dogs in Need. U.S. Army Medical Department Journal, 70-73 Dell, M. (2003). Building the team in teamwork. Dog World, 88(6), 18. Drury, B. (2011). The dogs of war. Men's Health (10544836), 26(8), 168. Eddy, J., Hart, L. A., & Boltz, R. P. (1988). The Effects of Service Dogs on Social Acknowledgements of People in Wheelchairs. Journal Of Psychology, 122(1), 39. Fairman, S., & Huebner, R. (2000). Service dogs: a compensatory resource to improve function. Occupational Therapy In Health Care, 13(2), 41-52. Foreman, K., & Crosson, C. (2012). Canines for Combat Veterans: The National Education for Assistance Dog Services. U.S. Army Medical Department Journal, 61-62. Krol, W. (2012). Training the Combat and Operational Stress Control Dog: An Innovative Modality for Behavioral Health. U.S. Army Medical Department Journal, 46-50 O'Brien, S. (2008). A Soldier and His Service Dog. Exceptional Parent, 38(5), 100-101. Parenti, L., Foreman, A., Jean Meade, B. B., & Wirth, O. (2013). A revised taxonomy of assistance animals. Journal Of Rehabilitation Research & Development, 50(6), 745- 756. doi:10.1682/JRRD.2012.11.0216
9. Prato-Previde, E., Custance, D., Spiezio, C., & Sabatini, F. (2003). Is the dog-human relationship an attachment bond? An observational study using Ainsworth's strange situation. Behaviour, 140(2), 225-254. doi:10.1163/156853903321671514 Rothbaum, B. O. (2013). Service dogs in military medicine. Psychiatric Annals, 43(6), 291. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3928/00485713-20130605-10 Shubert, J. (2012). Dogs and Human Health/Mental Health: From the Pleasure of Their Company To the Benefits of Their Assistance. U.S. Army Medical Department Journal, 21-29. Wagenfeld, A., Roy-Fisher, C., & Mitchell, C. (2013). Collaborative design: Outdoor environments for veterans with PTSD. Facilities, 31(9), 391-406. Weiss, E. (2002). Selecting Shelter Dogs for Service Dog Training. Journal Of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 5(1), 43-62. Winkle, M., Crowe, T. K., & Hendrix, I. (2012). Service Dogs and People with Physical Disabilities Partnerships: A Systematic Review. Occupational Therapy International, 19(1), 54-66. doi:10.1002/oti.323 Yeager, A. F., & Irwin, J. (2012). Rehabilitative Canine Interactions at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. U.S. Army Medical Department Journal, 57-60. Yount, R. A., Olmert, M. D., & Lee, M. R. (2012). Service Dog Training Program for Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress in Service Members. U.S. Army Medical Department Journal, 63-69. Yount, R., Ritchie, E. C., St. Laurent, M., Chumley, P., & Olmert, M. D. (2013). The role of service dog training in the treatment of combat-related PTSD.Psychiatric Annals, 43(6), 292-295. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3928/00485713-20130605-11