An NHS-funded husky therapy programme has been introduced to a medium security mental health unit in Wales, in conjunction with Mynydd Sleddog Adventures, an adventure leisure company. The programme is aimed at helping 22 men aged between 18 and 58 who have committed serious crimes. The five-week course includes husky hikes around the unit’s grounds and teaching basic canine behaviour training to the patients.
The course, which was designed and submitted as a funding proposal by specialist occupational therapist Ingrid Unsworth over two years ago, originally involved husky rides with the company as part of a gift voucher for her son. However, she herself received much pleasure from the experience and saw the potential this could offer patients, offering it to her patients as a canine-based therapy. “A medical approach is of course needed, but it’s the creative stuff that the patient engages in that makes a real difference to their lives,” Unsworth said.
The programme has had great success with many patients feeling like it made a significant difference. One 36-year-old patient said of the programme: “I found the sessions very therapeutic and enjoyed spending time learning and getting to know the dogs”. The husky therapy programme has now been accredited by Welsh qualifications body Agored Cymru, so it can be recognised by potential employers, supporting the men in considering a career in animal care upon their release.
Joe Swiffen of Mynydd Sleddog Adventures hopes that a partnership with a university will allow the documentation of this programme which they believe will help to set a precedent for other mental health facilities to acknowledge the benefits of this form of therapy. This comes as Unsworth is hopeful about receiving funding for the 2024 course
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