Therapy and Social Work
Therapy Dogs are used at CNPS as an intervention to support students’ mental health and wellbeing. We currently have one certified Therapy Dog, Louie who works within the classroom alongside his handler Alice West (Classroom Teacher). Astrid is our second Therapy Dog in training, under the supervision of her handler Monika Gruss (Principal).
Therapy dogs in schools have been shown to have a positive impact on both academic and social-emotional learning for students. These dogs may work in individual classrooms and have the potential to work with individual students or small intervention groups. Some of the research benefits are listed below. Benefits include:
The following rules are enforced when Therapy Dogs are working on site:
Certification Certified Training for Handlers and Dogs through Lead the Way Institute http://leadthewayinstitute.com.au/services/therapy-dog-training-and-certification/. In order for the dogs to work at CNPS, their owners must adhere to:
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