BARK (Behavior, Accountability, Responsibility, and Knowledge) Diversion Program
Overview
Live Online Program
Wednesday, October 13, and Thursday, October 21, 2021
6:00–7:30pm ET
NYSED and ASWB/ACE approved for 3 CE contact hours
Studies show that there is a link between acts of cruelty to animals and violence toward humans, including child, spousal, and elderly abuse and battery and other types of violent behavior. Partly as a result of these empirical findings, awareness of the importance of treating people who have abused animals is growing: 31 states and the District of Columbia currently recommend or mandate judges to require counseling for persons convicted of animal cruelty.
The course will provide guidance on how to identify, assess, and treat adults who have abused animals. Topics covered include how to frame this work in therapy, establish a working relationship with abusers, deal with resistance, establish accountability, and clarify values related to animals. Participants will also learn to implement exercises and homework that teach abusive clients self-management skills including empathy, accommodation, reciprocity, nurturance, anger management, and stress-management. The BARK diversion program is based on The Identification, Assessment, and Treatment of Adults Who Abuse Animals: The AniCare Approach (Shapiro & Henderson, Springer, 2016). The AniCare Approach includes cognitive behavioral, psychodynamic, family systems, and attachment theory therapies.
The AniCare Approach is a project of the Animals and Society Institute.
Learning Objectives
As a result of attending this program, participants will be able to:
- Identify two studies that establish the relation between animal abuse and human violence and be able to identify two policy implications that follow from that “link.”
- Learn how to establish a working relation with this population of court-ordered clients through focusing on resistance and honesty.
- Identify two ways of identifying and working through client denial of accountability for the abusive behavior.
- Identify four attitudes toward and belief about animals that foster animal abuse.
- Understand how to implement exercises and homework that teach clients empathy, respect, accommodation, and other relevant interpersonal skills that are alternatives to the abusive treatment of animals.
Presenters
Dr. Kenneth Shapiro (PhD, ABPP)
Dr. Shapiro is a retired clinical psychologist who had a private practice (1972-1990) and was a counselor at the Bates College Health Center (1979-1990). He is the author of two books on the treatment of people who abuse animals (Shapiro, Randour, Krinsk, & Wolf, The Assessment and Treatment of Children who Abuse Animals, Springer, 2014; Shapiro & Henderson, The Identification, Assessment and Treatment of Adults who Abuse Animals, Springer, 2016).
Dr. Kimberly Spanjol (PhD, LMHC, LBA, BCBA-D)
Dr. Spanjol is a criminologist, licensed mental health counselor and licensed and board-certified behavior analyst. She is also trained in Animal Assisted Therapy, Animals and Human Health, and is a Certified Humane Education Specialist (CHES). Dr. Spanjol is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Sociology at Iona College in New Rochelle, New York her clinical work has been focused on children, teens and young adults with a variety of behavioral, developmental and mental health issues in private practice, educational, and correctional settings for nearly three decades.
Registration Information
To register for this seminar, please log in to our Online Registration Portal and select this event from the "All Events & Programs" tab, under the "Conferences and Events" section.
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Cancellations and Refunds
If after registering, you determine that you can no longer attend this event, The Office of Global and Lifelong Learning will issue refunds on the following basis:
- Refund requests made on or before October 6 (by midnight): full refund
- Refund requests made on or before October 11 (by midnight): 50% refund
- Refund requests made on or after October 12: no refund
If this event is cancelled, all registrants will be fully reimbursed. To withdraw from and be reimbursed for this event, please complete the event withdrawal form.
Continuing Education Contact Hours
NYSED and ASWB/ACE approved for 3 Continuing Education Contact Hours.
New York University Silver School of Social Work is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers {#SW-0012}.
New York University Silver School of Social Work is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors {#MHC-0083}.
For Mental Health Practitioners: Please check with your state, if you are not licensed in New York, to determine if these credits will be accepted for licensing renewal.
55 jurisdictions accept ACE-approved provider CE contact hours. ACE is not an approved Continuing Education provider in the states of New York (though NYU Silver is NYSED CE approved in NYS) and West Virginia, unless the event is outside of West VA. ACE only approves individual courses in New Jersey, though NYU Silver is CSWE-accredited and therefore accepted for licensed NJ professionals. Here is a full list of statutes related to social work CE.
Special Accommodations and Grievance Policy
Special Accommodations:
Students requiring accommodations have the opportunity to make these known upon registering or by writing to silver.continuingeducation@nyu.edu.
Addressing Grievances:
For information on our grievance and complaint procedures, contact 212.998.9099 or silver.continuingeducation@nyu.edu.
Contact Us
NYU Silver School of Social Work
Office of Global and Lifelong Learning
1 Washington Square North, G08
New York, NY 10003
Email: silver.continuingeducation@nyu.edu
Phone: 212.998.5973
Fax: 212.995.4497