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 North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA)
Since 1969, the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, Inc. (NARHA), has provided Equine Assisted Activity and Therapy (EAAT) programs in the United States and Canada through its network of nearly 800 member centers.
Each year, dozens of new centers initiate new programs and more than 38,000 individuals with disabilities benefit from activities which include therapeutic riding, hippotherapy, equine assisted psychotherapy, driving, interactive vaulting, and competition.
Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, NARHA’s mission is to “change and enrich lives by promoting excellence in equine assisted activities.” To accomplish this mission, NARHA fosters safe, professional, ethical and therapeutic equine activities through education, communication, research and standards. The association ensures its standards are met through an accreditation process for centers and a certification process for instructors.
NARHA CENTERS PROVIDE EQUINE ASSISTED ACTIVITIES
Just as other professions use accreditation and licensing systems to improve the well-being of their industries, therapeutic equine professionals have a distinction of their own thanks to NARHA’s Premier Accredited Center Program. The Premier Accredited Center Program offers NARHA centers the chance to demonstrate their excellence in providing quality, professional equine assisted activities. This voluntary process recognizes NARHA centers that have met established industry standards.
The accreditation process is a peer review system, in which trained volunteers visit and evaluate centers in accordance with NARHA standards. Centers that meet the accreditation requirements based on the administrative, facility, program and applicable special interest standards become Premier Accredited Centers for a period of 5 years. Centers must renew that accreditation by the end of the fifth year.
A section of NARHA
A section of NARHA, the Equine Facilitated Mental Health Association (EFMHA), founded in 1996, provides equine-facilitated psychotherapy (EFP) for people with psychological issues and mental health needs, including anxiety, depression, and autism. EFP is facilitated by a licensed, credentialed mental health professional that works with an appropriately credentialed equine professional, or is dually credentialed as an equine professional.
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Source:
Posted here with kind permission from NARHA
For more information please visit North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, Inc.
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