Career Paths In Human Animal Interaction For Social And Behavioral Scientists

Career Paths in Human-Animal Interaction for Social and Behavioral Scientists is an essential text for students and professionals wanting to pursue a career in human-animal interaction (HAI). It is exclusively designed to navigate this field and provide information on the best education, training, and background one might need to incorporate HAI into a successful career. Kogan and Erdman bring together a diverse range of insights from HAI social scientists who have secured or created their HAI job. The book highlights six categories of work settings: academia, private practice, corporations/for profit companies, non-profit organizations, government, and other positions, to show the growing number of opportunities to blend social science interests with the desire to incorporate HAI into their careers. The book clearly outlines the career paths available to social science students and professionals, from careers connected to human services of psychology, therapy, social work, and journalism, to research or other scholarship.

Social workers play a critical role in the wellbeing of communities – trained to help individuals, families, and groups effect positive change and address barriers that stand in the way of optimal life and wellbeing. In addition to a focus on people, many social workers include animals in their definition of systems and family units, leading to endless ways they have successfully incorporated animals into their work. This book offers insights from pioneers as well as practitioners in the field who have created their niche within this growing area. Coming from the philosophy that we cannot work towards what we do not know exists, this book offers knowledge, pathways, and advice from those who have succeeded in including their love for animals into their careers, shining a light on the path for those who share similar passions. The book can be used as a supplemental textbook in undergraduate and graduate social work academic programs as well as a resource for social workers in the field looking for ways to expand their work.

The Gifts We Receive from Animals is a book guaranteed to brighten a reader’s day. Professionals engaged in therapy work as well as those who have companion animals at home will enjoy learning about the many ways in which animals impact people’s lives. Through a series of short, true-life stories, written by professionals engaged in animal assisted interventions, The Gifts We Receive from Animals reminds readers of the core essence of the human animal bond and the reason behind the growing phenomenon of animal assisted interventions. Readers will learn, for example, about the young child who shares her inner most thoughts with a dog and, as a result, learns how to talk with people; the soldier who feels comfortable and safe with a dog, a feeling he has been lacking since active duty; and the elderly adult who works through difficult physical therapy because of his therapy dog. The Gifts We Receive from Animals takes readers on a delightful journey, offering insights into the unique impact animals have in the lives of those they help.

This is a practical book exploring how to conduct animal assisted intervention (AAI) in ways that protect and prioritize animal and human welfare. This resource is for social scientists (e.g., psychology, social work, human development and family studies, etc.), as well as ethologists and animal behaviour and welfare students and practitioners. The book is a series of short chapters that depict a wide array of AAIs and their potential welfare concerns. The chapters include descriptions of the AAI offered, the welfare challenges, and ways to successfully mitigate these challenges. This book also covers critical topics including therapy animals' aging, retirement, and death as well as ethical issues including animal consent. Species include not only dogs, but horses, rabbits, and other small animals (e.g., guinea pigs, mice, etc.). Types of AAI involve individual interventions as well as crisis dogs (those who help after natural and man-made disasters), and residential animals. The book is designed to be a practical, engaging book with links to video and examples of real-life situations. It is evidence-based, yet user-friendly and directly applicable to students and practitioners. An invaluable resource for ethologists and animal behaviour and welfare students and practitioners, as well as social scientists (e.g., psychology, social work, human development and family studies).

This book responds to the needs that arise at the intersection of people and animals, focusing on human-animal interaction, human-animal studies, the emotional work of caring for animals, and animal-assisted interventions and therapies. Unlike many works that focus primarily on issues at the micro level, such as animal-assisted interventions, this volume is unique in its focus on issues arising at the micro, macro, and mezzo levels, encompassing human-animal issues and interactions at the level of individuals and family, groups, institutions, and communities. Accordingly, this comprehensive guide addresses the need to better prepare practitioners to work in interdisciplinary environments, whether in the context of theory, research, practice, or advocacy. The authorship of the volume reflects the interdisciplinary foundations of veterinary social work, with contributions from social workers, psychologists, veterinarians, physicians, anthropologists, and bioethicists. The volume is divided into five parts that examine, respectively: the foundations (history and scope) of veterinary social work (Part I); the practice of veterinary social work with individuals, in the context of community programs, and in social work practice (Part II); veterinary social work and the veterinary setting, including veterinary well-being and conflict management (Part III); veterinary social work education (Part IV); and the future of veterinary social work (Part V). Importantly, the volume addresses not only practice issues in the veterinary, clinical, and community settings, but also examines ethical concerns in the clinical and research contexts and the implications of cultural and societal variations on the practice of veterinary social work. The Comprehensive Guide to Interdisciplinary Veterinary Social Work is the definitive resource for social workers and psychologists new to practice issues relating to animals, social work and psychology students at the graduate and undergraduate levels, veterinarians and veterinary students, hospital administrators (human hospitals), and veterinary hospital managers.

This book provides a multidisciplinary overview of the impact of human–animal interaction on well-being from childhood to later life. It presents a life course perspective to the study of human–animal interaction, addressing concepts of family and the role of pets therein, as well as the impact of companion animals on child development and successful aging. This book fills a gap in the existing literature by framing the study of human–animal interaction, including the role of animal-assisted interventions on well-being, in a broader social and behavioral context.

In the 15 years since the first edition of Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy published, the field has changed considerably. The fourth edition of the Handbook highlights advances in the field, with 11 new chapters and over 40% new material. In reading this book, therapists will discover the benefits of incorporating animal-assisted therapy (AAT) into their practices, best practices in animal-assisted intervention, how to design and implement animal-assisted interventions, and the efficacy of AAT with different disorders and patient populations. Coverage includes the use of AAT with children, the elderly, those receiving palliative care, as well as people with chronic disorders, AIDS, trauma, and autistic spectrum disorders. Additional chapters cover techniques for working with families, in juvenile and criminal justice systems, and in colleges and universities. Summarizes efficacy research on AAT Identifies how to design and implement animal assisted interventions Provides methods, standards, and guidelines for AAT Discusses AAT for children, the elderly, and special populations Describes AAT use in different settings Includes 11 new chapters and 40% new material