AOP framework complements animal assisted social work practice. There is an awareness of how one treats another living being that is seen, felt, and experienced. There is nonverbal modeling of dignity and worth of an individual. A connection can be made that is unique to the individual and can tie the social worker and client to one another in a basic way. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcv133

Attachment Theory addresses a biological imperative and developmental milestone for all individuals. Attachment Theory underscores the need for connection to other humans, other animals, and the environment. A horse can serve as a bridge connecting human to human or human to animal or human to animal and the environment. Ainsworth, M. D. S., Blehar, M. C., Waters, E., & Wall, S. N. (2015). Patterns of attachment: A psychological study of the strange situation. Psychology Press. Bachi, K. (2013). Application of attachment theory to equine-facilitated psychotherapy. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 43(3), 187-196. Bowlby, J. (2008).A secure base: Parent-child attachment and healthy human development. Basic books.

Humans have a biological need to be connected to nature. Humans have spent 99.9% of recorded history in nature versus built and urban environments. Space and place matter when interacting with humans and nature. Consider the experience for all humans when connecting with one another indoors, across desks, or through the internet versus connecting with one another without walls moving within nature (Moshe-Grodofsky & Alhuzail, 2021).

Critical Theory is an essential lens to apply in social work practice. Critical Theory seeks to question and understand oppression to eradicate the burdens it imposes and frees the individual(s) systems and institutions from the repression. Bohman, J. (2005). Critical theory. Kincheloe, J. L., McLaren, P., & Steinberg, S. R. (2011). Critical pedagogy and qualitative research.The SAGE handbook of qualitative research, 163-177.

Social workers must include the natural environment in their toolkit. The natural environment impacts each individual and all systems. Social workers need to understand and recognize the impact from the environment in its glory and its degradation. In addition, social workers need to consider the impact resulting from the exclusion or separation from the environment. Increased awareness is needed around the fact that there is a disproportionately negative impact on environmental degradation and lack of access and proximity to land for marginalized populations. https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:169f530b-67f8-40fb-80e6-d874d1032351 https://onlinelibrary-wiley-com.proxy.libraries.rutgers.edu/doi/pdf/10.1111/ijsw.12024

The Liberatory consciousness framework suggests that questions are as important or more important than the answers. There are four competencies in the Liberatory Consciousness framework: “Awareness, Analysis, Action, and Accountability” (Love, 2000). Love, B. J. (2000). Developing a liberatory consciousness. Readings for diversity and social justice, 2(470-474) https://www.google.com/books/edition/Readings_for_Diversity_and_Social_Justic/xltVgiCSFaUC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA470&printsec=frontcover

The Person in Environment (PIE) theory traces back to our social work foremothers, Jane Addams and Mary Richmond circa 1920. The overarching concept is that humans cannot be understood in isolation, rather, they can only be fully understood within the framework of their environment. People are influenced by the world or environment where they exist. PIE serves as the foundation for additional social science theories such as the systems theory and the ecological perspective. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/241748223_The_Person-in-Environment_Perspective_in_Social_Work_Journals_A_Computer-Assisted_Content_Analysis

Indigenous cultures know how to observe the land and the natural environment. Indigenous cultures understand the inextricable connection between human animals, nonhuman animals and the environment, both the positive benefits and the effects when there is negative change. Regenerative Agriculture and Permaculture honors the connections from the beginning of time and rely on the environment to show what it needs to thrive and when the environment is stressed, negatively impacted and in need of change. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3184/003685017X14876775256165

Social work is an interdisciplinary profession, meaning it draws from a number of areas, such as (but not limited to) psychology, sociology, politics, criminology, economics, ecology, education, health, law, philosophy, anthropology, and counseling, including psychotherapy. Field work is a distinctive attribution to social work pedagogy. This equips the trainee in understanding the theories and models within the field of work.

Saleeby wrote seminal work on the Strengths perspective. In alignment with social work practice, each living being has a strength, a purpose, and a role in the universe. Shifting focus to a strength offers a positive opening for connection. Working with a horse can identify inherent strengths in an individual. For example, a horse may shy away from an individual who is stressed or anxious and may have shallow breath. By identifying this behavior, a plan for change can be implemented and practiced. Several rounds of deep breathing can be guided while watching the horse’s body language and breathing pattern. In most cases, with a trained horse professional, that horse will show signs of relaxation such as the head lowering, licking, and chewing, and in some instances, the horse will want to connect physically by their nose or body. This overall experience is felt and basis for a relationship begins. http://catherinecrisp.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Saleebey-1996-Cautions-and-extensions.pdf

To understand human behavior in the environment, social workers must consider all systems at play. This site argues that the environment extends beyond the human centered environment to include human animals, non-human animals, and the natural environment and when one aspect of the system is impacted, the entire system is impacted. Von Bertalanffy, L. (1972). The history and status of general systems theory.Academy of management journal,15(4), 407-426. http://www.jstor.org/stable/255139 .

Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) https://www.aswb.org

Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) https://www.cswe.org/accreditation/standards/2022-epas/

Grand Challenges for Social Work https://grandchallengesforsocialwork.org

https://www.horsesandhumans.org Pebbles Turbeville, PhD

Human Animal Interaction (HAI) A subcommittee of the American Psychological Association https://www.human-animal-interaction.org/about-haib/governance/lori-kogan-ph-d/ Lori Kogan, PhD

International Council of Social Workers (ICSW) https://www.icsw.org

International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) https://www.ifsw.org

National Association of Social Workers (NASW) https://www.socialworkers.org

One Health Initiative-World Health Organization (WHO) https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/one-health

https://pathintl.org

https://hetifederation.org

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) https://sdgs.un.org/goals

https://utrf.tennessee.edu/industry/express-licensing/veterinary-social-work-certificate/ Aviva Vincent, PhD

AOP framework complements animal assisted social work practice. There is an awareness of how one treats another living being that is seen, felt, and experienced. There is nonverbal modeling of dignity and worth of an individual. A connection can be made that is unique to the individual and can tie the social worker and client to one another in a basic way. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcv133

Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) https://www.aswb.org

Council on Social Work Education

EASW adds the horse into the treatment session with an intended beneficial goal as the outcome (Woods et al., 2021).

Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS) https://www.cswe.org/accreditation/standards/2022-epas/

Human Animal Interaction (HAI) A subcommittee of the American Psychological Association https://www.human-animal-interaction.org/about-haib/governance/lori-kogan-ph-d/ Lori Kogan, PhD

https://hetifederation.org

https://www.horsesandhumans.org Pebbles Turbeville, PhD

International Council of Social Workers (ICSW) https://www.icsw.org

International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) https://www.ifsw.org

National Association of Social Workers (NASW) https://www.socialworkers.org

https://pathintl.org

Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) https://sdgs.un.org/goals

https://utrf.tennessee.edu/industry/express-licensing/veterinary-social-work-certificate/ Aviva Vincent, PhD

One Health Initiative-World Health Organization (WHO) https://www.who.int/