Understanding and Treating Animal Abuse - Online Courses

UNDERSTANDING AND TREATING ANIMAL ABUSE
ONLINE COURSES

In Partnership with Animals and Society Institute, the Arizona State University School of Social Work in the College of Public Programs present 3 new courses:

AAT1 Human-Other Animal Relationships (14 weeks). Fall, 2007
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.

AAT2 Assessment and Treatment of Juvenile Animal Abuse (7 weeks). Spring, 2008
Designed for both mental health practitioners and other professionals working with children, this course presents AniCare Child, an assessment and treatment approach for children (up to age 16) who have abused animals. 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.

AAT3 Assessment and Treatment of Adult Animal Abuse (7 weeks, follows AAT2). Spring, 2008
Complementing ATT2, this course provides an assessment and treatment approach for adults (age 17 and older) who abuse animals. Based on a well-established clinical theory and interventions for perpetrators of domestic violence, AniCare emphasizes the social-psychological causes of violence. The cognitive-behavioral approach provides clinical exercises with homework assignments through a manual, a demonstration DVD, and clinical case materials. Anicare keys on issues of accountability and relationship.

The courses may be taken individually for CEUs only or, in sequence, as part of the “Treating Animal Abuse Professional Development Certification Program.”

Certificate Requirements
• A minimum of a Master’s degree in a health or human service discipline.
• Completion of AAT1, AAT2 and/or AAT3.
• An Advanced Certificate requires, in addition, distance clinical supervision of three cases. Following successful completion of the course sequence, subscribers are assigned one of 15 senior counselors certified as AniCare trainers who will supervise them for three cases involving presenting problem of animal abuse.

Admission Process
The program is delivered online using the ASU University Blackboard system. To register, go to http://ssw.asu.edu/portal/academic/certificates

Tuition Costs
Each course costs $900.00, which includes registration fees, the cost of the Blackboard, and support. It does not include books, other materials, or the distance supervision.

Registration Procedures
Submit a resume and cover letter describing what courses you are interested in to Dr. Christina Risley-Curtiss, at Treatment of Animal Abuse Professional Development Program, ASU School of Social Work, 411 N. Central Ave, MC3920, Phoenix, AZ 85004-0689 or risley.curtiss@asu.edu. 602-496-0083

About the Professional Development Certification Program
The School of Social Work and Animals and Society Institute’s Treating Animal Abuse Professional Development Certification Program is 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. Animal abuse is a very serious and alarming behavior. For children it is one of the early manifestations of conduct problems associated with “low empathy and callous disregard” (Dadds, Whiting & Hawes, 2006, p 141) and requires intervention (Merz-Perez & Heide, 2004). A substantial body of research also suggests that animal cruelty may be early indicator of later violence toward humans, as well as often one of a cluster of deviant behaviors in families such as domestic violence, child abuse and elder abuse.

The purpose of the certification program is to enhance practitioners’ knowledge of human-animal relationships and ability to assess for, and treat animal abuse. It will provide practitioners with extensive knowledge on the assessment of human-animal relationships and treatment of animal abuse through such activities as directed readings in evidence based journal articles and books, online lectures, service learning, field observation, individual research papers, experiential projects and Q&A tests.

Twenty-eight states contain counseling provisions in their animal cruelty laws. Four of those states (California, Indiana, Iowa, and Tennessee) require counseling for all persons convicted of animal cruelty. Colorado orders counseling for a second offense and Florida for acts of intentional torture or torment. Kansas and West Virginia require an evaluation. Six other states mandate counseling for juveniles. Counseling can include the perpetrator as well as his/her immediate family. It is recommended when counseling children who have abused animals that their parents be involved. Legislators in many other areas are considering such mandates. There is an emerging need for practitioners to be trained in treating animal abuse. This is the first program that we know of to do so.

This professional development certificate is open to Masters or PhD level professionals in such disciplines as social work, psychology, nursing, counseling, psychiatry and other health and human service professionals with Masters or PhDs and will include CEUs. This is a NOT FOR credit program. A minimum of a Master’s degree is required to enter the program but professionals with a bachelor’s degree in health or human services can take any of the courses with CEUs available.

Faculty
Dr. Christina Risley-Curtiss is an associate professor of Social Work at Arizona State University, Co-Director of the Child Welfare Training Project, and an Affiliate with the ASU Women and Gender Studies Program. She has authored/co-authored many publications and presented numerous scholarly papers and workshops to various state and national groups. 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 a grant-funded national study of social work practitioner’s knowledge of the animal-human bond; a grant funded graduate internship program at a county animal abuse investigation unit; and she chairs 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.