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Abstract This session reports on older LGBT adults’ perspectives of roles that pets played in relation to older adults’ aging-in-place experiences. The goal of this study is to advance understanding of the role of pets in the lives of older LGBT adults living in rural communities. The qualitative study used individual, semi-structured interviews with 11 older adults residing in rural Appalachia. Individuals were recruited using purposive sampling techniques, including recruitment through LGBT friendly service providers, a lesbian listserv, and snowball sampling. The majority of respondents reported that pets played a role in social support and some in social capital. One respondent described a utilitarian relationship with animals that is important to understanding the roles animals may play in rural communities in terms of \"belongingness\". After reviewing study findings, we will provide recommendations for including information about pets in formal social service delivery systems and conclude with implications for future research.

The nomenclature used to describe animals working in roles supporting people can be confusing. The same term may be used to describe different roles, or two terms may mean the same thing. This confusion is evident among researchers, practitioners, and end users. Because certain animal roles are provided with legal protections and/or government-funding support in some jurisdictions, it is necessary to clearly define the existing terms to avoid confusion. The aim of this paper is to provide operationalized definitions for nine terms, which would be useful in many world regions: “assistance animal”, “companion animal”, “educational/school support animal”, “emotional support animal”, “facility animal”, “service animal”, “skilled companion animal”, “therapy animal”, and “visiting/visitation animal”. At the International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) conferences in 2018 and 2020, over 100 delegates participated in workshops to define these terms, many of whom co-authored this paper. Through an iterative process, we have defined the nine terms and explained how they differ from each other. We recommend phasing out two terms (i.e., “skilled companion animal” and “service animal”) due to overlap with other terms that could potentially exacerbate confusion. The implications for several regions of the world are discussed.

Social work is my second career, but my childhood and first career experiences contributed to my realization of the ways in which the larger mezzo and macro systems can create barriers for individuals, making it difficult or even impossible for people to reach their full potential. This article explores how the existence of animals in human cultural, social, and emotional environments requires that all social workers develop a foundational understanding of the relevance of human-animal relationships to individual, family, and community well-being.

The study presents findings from a needs assessment exploring the critical features or core elements that bear on professionals regarding the inclusion of dogs as judiciary aides in the investigation and prosecution of child maltreatment cases. Specifically, the objectives of the current needs assessment were examined through the following questions: (1) What are the perceived benefits of implementing programs with dogs as judiciary aids throughout criminal justice? (2) What specific roles do professionals identify for dogs within criminal justice, (3) What are potential barriers to the implementation of dogs as judiciary aids programs, and (4) How are the needs and expectations of agencies considering incorporating dogs similar to or different from those agencies that are currently incorporating dogs. The study identified a number of differences in the identified roles, barriers, and important factors reported by survey respondents. Quantitative analysis of responses regarding the role of dogs in the criminal justice setting revealed professionals identified roles for dogs that matched their particular scope of influence. Moreover, qualitative findings provided additional insight into participant's concerns and convictions and their varying perceptions of factors central to the inclusion of dogs in criminal justice processes for child maltreatment. The study relies heavily on qualitative responses of participants. Implications are discussed with regard to micro and macro levels of social work practice and the field of implementation research.

In this chapter a four-step process by which mental health clinicians can more effectively formulate interventions including specifically selected animals is proposed. First, the “matrix of opportunity” is reviewed to assist clinicians in clarifying the purpose behind involving an animal in the delivery of mental health treatment. Second, the most common categories and delivery approaches of animal-assisted interventions are explored in an effort to specify how an animal might interact with a client to enhance clinical interventions. Third, a process for integrating the decisions made in steps one and two into a dynamic “job description” for working animals is presented in which the specific capabilities, attributes, and both natural and trained behaviors required of working animals are explicated. Finally, the chapter proposes a new animal assessment model that emphasizes selection of the working animal, demonstrating the unique responses, capacities, skills, and attributes required for effective work with client- and clinician-specific interventions.

Animal-assisted interaction programs place animal/handler teams into close relationship with people and into settings never imagined by the crafters of standards and selection procedures developed over 15 years ago. One of the primary changes in the practice of animal-assisted interactions is the mounting recognition of the value of animal contact by providers in the fields of human health, development, and education. This chapter provides a brief overview of the development of selection procedures for animal/handler teams engaged in animal-assisted interactions. Additionally, the extent to which current procedures truly assess the specific behavioral repertoire and skills required of the animals and whether these practices provide an accurate picture of the animal's “fit” with participant specific applications is examined. This chapter compares and contrasts the selection and training practices of animals engaged in animal-assisted interactions with the selection and training practices of other animal functions such as police work and competition. Finally, this chapter recommends the development of selection procedures that accurately reflect the role of the animal in moving adults and children across the lifespan toward increased functional capacity. The prime focus is on the selection of dogs and horses as these two species are most commonly encountered in animal-assisted interactions; however, it should be noted that the selection of other animals most often follows either similar procedures to dogs and horses or are included but lack specific procedures.

John Scott, director of people at IT systems integrator ThoughtWorks, offers his reading recommendations: 1. Ghoshal and Bartlett's The Individualized Corporation, 2. Tom Peters and Robert Waterman's In Search of Excellence, and 3. Yann Martel's Life of Pi.