ANNOUNCING the Distance Learning course in
ANIMAL-ASSISTED THERAPY & ACTIVITIES

Harcum College, in Bryn Mawr, PA, is proud to announce a new, comprehensive Introduction to Animal-Assisted Therapy & Activities on-line course. This 10-week course, taught by internationally renowned human-animal bond and AAT author Phil Arkow, offers a Certificate of Completion; this Certificate may be eligible for employer reimbursement and Continuing Education Units depending upon the requirements of the student's employer and/or professional association.

This course is an introduction to the human-animal bond and its therapeutic applications. It is designed both for professionals from a wide range of disciplines, and for volunteers, students and newcomers who wish to further their knowledge and explore career opportunities in this emerging, multi-disciplinary field.

Students will examine how contact with animals can enhance human well-being when incorporated into health care, social services, psychology, psychiatry, education, allied health, therapy, and many more fields. Students may already be trained in these or similar fields, or may be seeking to enter the field. The course explores conceptual frameworks, research, and practical techniques that will empower you to introduce animals in a variety of milieus. It enhances students' personal growth and professional development. Through extensive reading, on-line research, site visits to local facilities, and networking in on-line discussion groups, students will obtain both an overview of the human-companion animal bond (HCAB) and Animal-Assisted Therapy & Activities (AAT/AAA), and opportunities to concentrate on specific programs or applications of particular personal and/or professional interest.

In this Distance Learning format, students learn at their own pace. There are a series of weekly reading and writing assignments which students may complete at their convenience during the week, and opportunities for students to comment in online discussion forums at their own schedule. There are no exams, and no set times when students must be in front of a computer. All research, reading, writing, and site visits are done in the student's own community.

About the Distance Learning Course FAQs

I. Course Title: Introduction to Animal-Assisted Therapy & Animal-Assisted Activities

II. Course Number: AAT 101-IN

III. Certificate/Credit status: A 30-hour on-line course with 10 hours of additional clinical observation time. It will require reading of a textbook and articles on the course website, on-line research, regular on-line discussions, and visits to healthcare facilities in the student's community. This non-credit, Certificate of Completion course may be eligible for Continuing Education Units for most healthcare and other professions, according to association requirements. Please contact the Harcum College School of Continuing Studies for details.

IV. Syllabus: The course is comprised of 10 weekly units:
1 - Introduction to the HCAB and its therapeutic applications
2 - History of the HCAB and AAT/AAA
3 - Key Concepts in AAT/AAA and HCAB that affect our relationships and therapeutic interactions with animals
4 - AAT/AAA opportunities, challenges, and contraindications in a variety of facilities
5 - How to become an AAT/AAA Specialist; Career opportunities
6 - Selecting Animals for AAT/AAA; Protecting the welfare of therapy and assistance animals
7 - How to Conduct an AAT/AAA Visit
8 - How to Organize an AAT/AAA Program
9 ­ AAT/AAA in Youth & Residential Treatment Center programs
10 - Assistance Animals

V. Sessions: The 2007-2008 schedule of 10-week sessions are scheduled to start:

Fall 2007 -- Aug. 27, 2007

Winter 2008 -- January 21, 2008

Spring 2008 -- April 21, 2008

Fall 2008 -- September 8, 2008

VI. Tuition: $850, including textbook. Visa & MasterCard accepted.

How Does an Online Class Work?
Taking our online AAT class is remarkably easy. There are 10 weekly modules: these consist of reading assignments from the textbook; reading and research assignments that are posted online; responding to discussion and essay questions and to your fellow students' ideas; and making 2 "clinical observation" site visits in your community to observe some AAT programs in action (These can be hospitals, rehab centers, prisons, nursing homes, juvenile detention centers, or any place where animals are being used therapeutically; you'll have to research and find out where these programs are). You complete each module at your own pace during that week. There are no specific times during the week for the on-line discussions: students participate at their own schedule. You should spend about three hours a week doing research and writing, plus the reading assignments.

Everything is done is online except the textbook, which will be sent to you by mail before the class starts.

What Will the Course Do For Me Professionally?
The AAA/AAT field has not matured to the level where credentials are required and regular curricula are available. There are no specific career opportunities and students are encouraged to channel their interests and energies into either integrating AAA/AAT into their existing work (in such fields as psychology, healthcare, education, counseling, rehabilitation. etc. etc.) or to seek volunteer opportunities. In a few cases students have been able to establish AAA/AAT services entrepreneurially.

The course provides specialized background and training to help you integrate AAA/AAT into your existing work plus a Certificate to give your work additional credibility and meet other professions' requirements for Continuing Education Units (CEUs). For people who are not professionals this Certificate provides specialized background and training to help you explore the AAA/AAT field, channel your interests into specific areas, identify ways you could implement AAA/AAT, and connect with a network of people in your area who are doing this type of work.

Will the Course Certify My Pet?
Whether you are a working professional, seeking to become one, or looking for volunteer opportunities, it is helpful to have any pet(s) you plan to include in your work certified by one of the national registries, such as the Delta Society. This certification is recommended, but not required, and is handled separately between the student and the national registry organizations. Such certification may be done before, during or after taking the course.


To register: Contact Ms. Kelly Wilson in the Continuing Studies Division of Harcum College at 610-526-6083 (9 am ­ 5 pm, Eastern U.S. time zone), or kwilson@harcum.edu. NOTE: Class is limited to 12 students: registrations will be accepted on a first come-first served basis. The textbook will be sent to you with your registration materials once the college receives your payment. Students closed out from a course will be automatically placed in line for the next class.

Questions?:
If you have questions regarding Harcum College, credits, registration procedures, and technical details, please contact Kelly Wilson at the phone number/e-mail above.

If you have questions regarding AAT/AAA or the content of the course, please contact me.

Phil Arkow, Instructor
arkowpets@snip.net
Phone: 215-563-6417 (days) or 856-627-5118 (evenings/weekends)
(Eastern Time Zone)