Treating Animal Abuse: Online Courses

Treating Animal Abuse:

Online Courses
Arizona State University and Animals and Society Institute are once again partnering to provide two online courses: TAA1, now in progress, focuses on human-nonhuman animal relationships, both positive and abusive; TAA2, to be offered Spring 2010, is a practicum on AniCare, a treatment approach for juveniles and adults who abuse animals. This is an excellent opportunity for students and professionals nationwide to take advantage of this course. The program is delivered online using the ASU Blackboard system. CEUs are available for both courses.

TAA1 Human-Other Animal Relationships (14 weeks—next offered fall 2010).
This course focuses on two broad areas of current significance for health and human service professionals;(1) the link between non-human animal abuse and other forms of violence such as domestic violence, child and elder abuse; and (2) the powerful potential that positive connections with other animals have for healing and promoting resiliency in human beings while at the same time benefiting other animals. This course examines issues of prevention and treatment; it considers animals across the human life span, non-human animal abuse, and healing connections within an ecological and empowerment context; and works to build sensitivity to various cultural contexts.

TAA2 Assessment and Treatment of Animal Abuse (14 weeks) Spring semester, 2010.
Designed for both mental health practitioners and other professionals working with adults and children, this course presents AniCare an assessment and treatment approach for children and adults and children who have abused animals. Based on a well-established clinical theory and interventions for perpetrators of domestic violence, AniCare emphasizes the social-psychological causes of violence. Building on cognitive behavioral, psychodynamic, and attachment theories, AniCare Child keys on empathy and self-management. Through a manual, a demonstration DVD, and clinical case materials, students are introduced to a variety of exercises and other tools, such as puppet role play and projective material.

Admission Process
The program is delivered online using the ASU University Blackboard system. Information about registration is at http://ssw.asu.edu/portal/academic/certificates/treating-animal-abuse-certificate or contact Dr. Christina Risley-Curtiss (risley.curtiss@asu.edu). Deadline for TAA2 is January 5, 2010. Course runs from January 19 – May 4.

Tuition Costs
Each course costs $900.00, which includes the cost of the Blackboard availability and support as well as registration fees.

The Professional Development Certification Program
The two courses are part of the Professional Development Certification Program, a non-credit online program focused on training advanced level health and human service practitioners to treat those children and adults who have abused animals. For more information about the Certification Program, contact Dr. Christina Risley-Curtiss (risley.curtiss@asu.edu)

 Faculty
Dr. Christina Risley-Curtiss is an associate professor of Social Work at Arizona State University as well as Co-Director of the Child Welfare Training Project and an Affiliate with the ASU Women and Gender Studies Program. She has over 20 years of practice and management experience in a combination of public health and child welfare. She has authored/co-authored many publications and presented numerous scholarly papers and workshops to various state and national and international groups. Most recently she presented on assessment and treatment of animal abuse at the Alberta Canada SPCA violence conference. Her primary areas of research are in the areas of the animal-human bond and child welfare. Her course–Animal-Human Connections, won the HSUS 2004 Society and Animals New Course Award. She has national study of social work practitioner’s knowledge of the animal-human bond in press in Social Work and founded and directs a grant funded program for treatment of children who abuse animals. She is the former chair The Arizona Humane LINK, a coalition of animal welfare and human service agencies in Maricopa County, AZ.

Dr. Kenneth Shapiro is founder and executive director of Animals and Society Institute, founding editor of Society and Animals: Journal of Human-Animal Studies; and cofounding coeditor of Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science. Shapiro earned his BA from Harvard University and his PhD in clinical psychology from Duke University. His most recent book is Animal Models of Human Psychology: Critique of Science, Ethics and Policy. Ken and his colleagues developed the AniCare model for assessing and treating animal cruelty. He does training in this model nationally.