Instructions
Contact Caring Canines Visiting Therapy Dogs, Inc. (caringcanines.org), a therapy-dog program based in Boston, Massachusetts, that was established in 2001 and has over 100 therapy dog teams. Caring Canines works in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and schools. Their special "Hug a Pet" program serves special-needs children in classrooms, shelters and juvenile facilities. Caring Canines also puts on a special magic trick show for kids in the Boston Hospital. They offers a crisis response team for communities, schools and areas stricken by natural or other disaster. Contact them if you are in need of an intervention in a Boston-area middle school and allow them to bring their talented teams of dogs and volunteers to serve your needs.
Visit the Dog B.O.N.E.S (therapydog.info) website. Dog B.O.N.E.S. is a statewide therapy dog organization based in Scituate, Massachusetts. Founded in 2002, Dog B.O.N.E.S (Dogs Building Opportunities for Nurturing and Emotional Support) dispatches teams all over the state of Massachusetts. Their mission, as stated on their website, is to provide "well trained, affectionate, obedient, registered and insured therapy dog teams (dog and handler) for visitation to nursing facilities, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools, libraries and any other Massachusetts location where they may provide therapeutic contact with the elderly, the disabled or the young." Contact Dog Bones through their website to arrange a visit for an intervention at a middle school anywhere in the state of Massachusetts.
Call the Delta Society's affiliate program Massachusetts Pet Partners (masspetpartners.org). They are especially helpful for kids in need of reading interventions. The Reading Education Assistance Dogs® (R.E.A.D.) program helps children to read out loud and develop self-esteem and self-confidence in the process. R.E.A.D. dogs (and cats too) are registered pet partner animals found in schools, libraries, hospitals and elsewhere. But Massachusetts Pet Partners are not only helpful for reading programs, they can assist in any crisis situation.
Read up on the various services therapy and assistance animals can perform for children in crisis. Many times, a child in crisis will have trouble speaking to an adult about a situation developing at home. Bring in a gentle, friendly therapy dog, however, and the words flow more easily. Children focus on the dog, and the presence of the dog allows the adults in the room to also focus their attention on the dog. When the child is not "on the spot" with someone staring at him, waiting for information, they find it easier to share what is bothering them. All of the therapy dog teams listed here have been specially trained and are licensed and insured to work with kids in crisis of all ages. Call and discuss your special situation with them and let them help you help the children in your care.
How to Use Therapy Dogs to Intervene in a Crisis at a Middle School in Massachusetts
From working with autistic children who are reluctant readers to intervening in a crisis in schools and juvenile facilities, therapy dogs are making a difference in the lives of children all over the world. If you learn of a child in crisis who is enrolled in a Massachusetts middle school, there is a variety of ways you can become involved. There are resources available to you if you know where to look. Find the right therapy dog, bring it together with a kid in trouble and stand back and watch a miracle.