Oakland University Center for Human Animal Interventions to host learning summit

Rochester, MI – The Center for Human Animal Interventions located in the School of Nursing at Oakland University, will be hosting a three-day summit August 12-14.

There, industry leaders from across the country will come together and discuss standards of practice and ethical considerations in the field of Human Animal Bond and Animal Assisted Therapy. This event will cover ethics in the industry, legitimizing the field, animal welfare, and establishing best practices, which will serve as the catalyst for future practice, research and publication opportunities.

Presenters at this year’s event include Dr. Aubrey Fine, author of “The Handbook on Animal Assisted Therapy: Theoretical Foundations and Guidelines for Practice,” Melissa Winkle, President of Animal Assisted Intervention International, Mary Margaret Callahan from Pet Partners, CJ Bentley, Senior Director of Operations for the Michigan Humane Society, and Colleen Pelar, training manager at All About Dogs.

The leadership summit will be held at Oakland University’s SmartZone Business Accelerator OU Inc. and facilitated by Amy Butler, executive director. OU Inc. will be instrumental in this ‘data driven’ gathering and offers state-of-the-art technology that measures and records outcomes after each discussion topic.

Amy Johnson, director for the Center for Human Animal Interventions and organizer of the event, will collaborate with participants on the dissemination of industry standards for animal assisted interventions for a wide-range of professionals using these methodologies.

“This summit is an opportunity for leaders in the field to identify areas of need and discuss how to fill those holes. We are at a juncture where legitimizing the field and establishing a more solid foundation is critical,” said Johnson. “”We are very excited to work with this experienced, knowledgeable and passionate group of leaders.”

During the conference, participants and presenters will have the chance to see first-hand how animal assisted therapy is applied at one local organization. Adjudicated youth participating in Johnson’s Teacher’s Pet program will be on hand to share stories about how the human animal bond has impacted their lives.

For more information about the Center for Human Animal Interventions, Animal Assisted Therapy Program, or the Human Animal Intervention Learning Community, please contact Amy Johnson at johnson2@oakland.edu, or (248) 364-8704, or visit www.oakland.edu/nursing/animalassistedtherapy.