The Institute for Human-Animal Connection (IHAC) is advancing awareness and understanding of the interrelationships among people, other animals and the environment. Keep up with the latest news about IHAC and our work related to human-animal-environment interactions.
What's New at IHAC
August 22
Upcoming Cohort: Canine-Assisted Intervention Specialist Certificate Program
Our Canine-Assisted Intervention Specialist certificate program, only offered once per year, starts August 22! Join us for a comprehensive and science-backed education and training on all things canine so that you can ethically incorporate dogs into your professional practice. With a curriculum backed by the latest research in the field alongside weekly hands-on training opportunities, you will come away from this program with a deeper understanding of your canine partner and their needs.
Learn from experienced instructors Phil Tedeschi and Jen Pearson, brilliant experts in the field that have been working in the field for years. They will offer you feedback and support throughout the program, to ensure that you have all of the tools you need to be successful.
Our program is completely virtual and is designed for working professionals that need flexibility and to learn on their own time, within the assigned weekly due dates.
Our amazing research team has a new publication out! It is titled, "Measuring social and emotional functioning as a facet of positive youth development among children and adolescents in special education and mental health treatment."
This study features exciting results from a two-year study at Green Chimneys that evaluated the social and emotional functioning of children and adolescents diagnosed with mental health issues. The implications of this study have valuable insights for educators, clinicians, and parents when it comes to planning treatment for diverse youth.
Hiring announcement! Sasha Pina has officially joined the Institute for Human Animal Connection to be a Research Associate on the PetSmart Charities Incubator Diverse Community Care Program Evaluation research project. We are so grateful she has joined our research team. Welcome, Sasha!
Emi Parente graduated from the Institute for Human-Animal Connection’s Canine-Assisted Intervention Specialist (CAIS) certificate program in early 2024. Emi is the founder and current CEO of Programa Alice Terapia Assistida Educacional in Brazil, where she often utilizes her knowledge gained from CAIS. Her organization focuses on expanding education and the understanding of health and wellness as it relates to the human-animal bond.
In recognition of their national and international reputations and impact, GSSW’s Butler Institute for Families and Institute for Human–Animal Connection have been designated as DU Research Institutes.
It has been another great year for IHAC’s educational programs or IHACPro! Our educational opportunities exist to provide education and training in human-animal-environment interactions for professionals working in various human service fields with a strong emphasis on ethics and animal well-being. Since starting with our initial certificate, Animals and Human Health, in 2005, our vast alumni network now includes over 1000 graduates from 30 countries and 6 continents across our programs.
Research at the University of Denver’s Institute for Human-Animal Connection(IHAC) uses innovative approaches to answer seminal questions in the human-animal-environment interactions field. Across its research portfolios in youth development, trauma, and animals & communities, IHAC’s unique researchinforms practitioners, communities, and the field at large.
Andrea Sierra graduated from our Animals and Human Health (AHH) certificate program in 2022. She is now a clinical supervisor at The Crossroads Inc., in Phoenix, Arizona, one of the largest non-profit residential and outpatient substance abuse treatment programs in the United States. At Crossroads, she utilized the knowledge she gained in AHH to assist her in implementing a human-animal interaction program that incorporates psychoeducational topics, such as communication skills, trust building, trauma, and mindfulness.
Molly DePrekel graduated from IHAC’s Canine-Assisted Intervention Specialist (CAIS) certificate program in 2022. She has been an IHAC adjunct faculty member since 2017 and has taught many courses within IHACPro’s Animals and Human Health certificate program.
Laurie Albright, a 2023 graduate of IHAC’s Humane Education Practitioner Certificate (CHEP) program, wears many hats in her professional life. She is a part-time hospice social worker, a teacher-in-training, and a volunteer adoption guide at the Denver Animal Shelter. In all these roles and more, Laurie incorporates elements of humane education.
Macie Dominique, a 2017 graduate of IHACPro’s Equine-Assisted Mental Health Practitioner Certificate (EAMH), completely shifted her professional path after realizing her passion involved integrating animals into her professional work. In both of her professional settings, her therapeutic work is supported with equine, canine, and farm animal interactions.
The IHAC conferences and the Green Chimneys' conferences present the latest research, best practices, and future directions of human-animal-environment interactions and inspires attendees to rethink human relationships with other animals.