Animal-Assisted Interventions in NS: Investigating Current Practice Within the Health Professions
The purpose of this study is to investigate current practices of animal-assisted interventions (AAI) in the province of Nova Scotia from the perspective of five health care professions, including occupational and recreational therapists; psychologists; social workers; and veterinarians.
As part of this research project, we are completing individual interviews with a number of AAI practitioners and related health professionals working in the health or related health services sector in Nova Scotia.
With these interviews, we would like to explore: 1) how health practitioners who provide AAI in NS are networked within the larger provincial health services landscape; 2) how they coordinate services with other practitioners in the health services community and how they find/get connected to AAI services and programs; and 3) how/where health practitioners acquire the additional education and training regarding AAI and human-companion animal bonds. Participants will be asked to take part in a one- to two-hour, face-to-face semi-structured interview.
