Welcome to the Colorado LINK Project !

The Link refers to the fact that abusive behavior can manifest in many ways, creating overlaps among child maltreatment, maltreatment of at-risk adults, interpersonal violence, animal maltreatment and criminality. When the human-animal bond is broken by neglect, abuse or violence both humans and animals are victims. The implications for human and animal welfare necessitate viewing the Link as a public safety and human and animal welfare issue.

The Colorado LINK Project website has been created to provide information and resources for communities and professionals to better understand and respond to “LINK” related issues of public safety and human and animal welfare in Colorado.

 

Check out this recent blog post from our partners at the Show Your Soft Side Campaign!

 

We have launched a new webinar series! Interconnected: A webinar series on the human-animal bond and its impact on public health and well-being.

The monthly Interconnected webinar series began June 2017. This archive includes recordings of the webinars from this series. The recordings along with a certificate of completion and supportive materials are available at no cost to current DU students, faculty and staff and for a small fee to everyone else.

Please contact courtney.brown@du.edu if you have any questions.

INTERCONNECTED ARCHIVE

Part 1: Current Systems and Best Practices

The Co-occurrence of animal abuse and family violence: Where are we now?

Presented by: Allie Phillips, Attorney Consultant for IHAC, Founder of Sheltering Animals & Families Together (SAF-T), and Co-Founder of Therapy Animals Supporting Kids (TASK)

Description: Since the mid-1970’s there has been a growth in studies and application exploring how animal abuse co-occurs with family violence. This webinar will discuss some of the latest research so that agencies and staff assisting victims of crime are better suited to assist when animals are caught in the crossfire.

Get the recording here. General Public $10, Free to DU Current Students Faculty and Staff

What if animal cruelty is disclosed? How is it defined? If reported, what happens?

Presented by: Joe Stafford, Director of Animal Law Enforcement at Humane Society of Pikes Peak Region and Diane Balkin, Former Deputy District Attorney and Attorney with the Animal Legal Defense Fund Criminal Justice Program

Description: For agencies who are housing or assisting victims of domestic violence, or talking with children who have experienced or observed abuse and violence, a disclosure of animal abuse or neglect may occur. This webinar will discuss how animal cruelty is defined in Colorado, and if reported, who investigates, what does the investigation entail, and what to expect.

Get this recording here. General Public $10, Free to DU Current Students Faculty and Staff

Sheltering Animals & Families Together (SAF-T)™: An Innovative Global Initiative for Domestic Violence Shelters

Presented by: Allie Phillips

Description: When animals are targeted during family violence, it can create a significant barrier to safety for humans and animals. The SAF-T Program was created in recognition that families who are abused often have pets and do not wish to be separated from them when fleeing their abusive environment. This webinar will detail how to establish a SAF-T Program at your community domestic violence shelter, including housing options, safety protocols, funding and more.

Get the recording here. General Public $10, Free to DU Current Students Faculty and Staff

Pets of individuals and families experiencing homelessness

Presented by: Genevieve Frederick, Founder of Pets of the Homeless

Description: This webinar will outline why most shelters for people experiencing homelessness are not housing pets. Genevieve Frederick, Founder of Pets of the Homeless, will discuss a new model that addresses that issue, as well as resources for pets of people experiencing homelessness that include pet food and emergency veterinary care.

Get the recording here. General Public $10, Free to DU Current Students Faculty and Staff

Part 2: Tools for Change

Enhance your Communication with your Feline Companion

Presented by: Marissa Martino, CTC, CPDT – KA, Owner of Paws and Reward Dog Training

It’s so important to understand what your cat is communicating in order to provide him/her with a safe environment. This webinar will cover images of feline body postures, uncover what they mean, teach you how to strengthen your observation or “listening” skills and tools to keep your cats safe and happy in a domestic violence shelter.

Get the recording here. General Public $10, Free to DU Current Students Faculty and Staff

Enhance your Communication with your Canine Companion

Presented by: Marissa Martino, CTC, CPDT – KA, Owner of Paws and Reward Dog Training

It’s so important to understand what your dog is communicating in order to provide him/her with a safe environment. This webinar will cover images of canine body postures, uncover what they mean, teach you how to strengthen your observation or “listening” skills and tools to keep your dogs safe and happy in a domestic violence shelter. This webinar is perfect for shelter staff to learn or re-learn basic knowledge of dog behavior.

Get the recording here. General Public $10, Free to DU Current Students Faculty and Staff

Advances in Human-Animal Interaction Laws

Presented by: Allie Phillips, Attorney Consultant for the Institute for Human-Animal Connection

For the past decade there has been significant advancements made in human-interaction laws that benefit people and animals and promote stronger human-animal bonds. Join in this webinar to learn about laws that address domestic violence pet protection orders, animal-assisted therapy and working animal laws expanding to the criminal justice system, cross-reporting crime laws, laws to address pets in women’s shelters, and more.

Get the recording here. General Public $10, Free to DU Current Students Faculty and Staff

How to Build a Successful and Sustainable Link Coalition

Presented by: Phil Arkow, Coordinator, the National Link Coalition & Amber Ahern, Founder/Director, the South Florida Link Coalition

Renewed interest in how animal cruelty and neglect are frequently linked with domestic violence, child abuse, child sexual abuse, and elder abuse are prompting many communities to initiate multidisciplinary Link coalitions to reduce all forms of family violence. These coalitions build upon the synergy and cross-fertilization that occur when multiple perspectives and resources are utilized collaboratively to solve overarching civic problems. This webinar will review the advantages and challenges of organizing and sustaining a multidisciplinary coalition and lay out a 7-step process to success. We’ll examine a highly successful coalition in Florida and give you ideas as to how you can make exciting things happen in your community.

Get the recording here. General Public $10, Free to DU Current Students Faculty and Staff

LINK-Informed Response: Changing Agency Procedures

Presented by: Allie Phillips, Attorney Consultant for the Institute for Human-Animal Connection

With growing awareness about the Link between violence to animals and people, human and animal welfare agencies along with prosecutor offices, law enforcement agencies and allied professionals are changing how they respond to Link-related cases and survivors. This webinar will address policies and procedures to change or implement in agencies for a more Link-informed response.

Get the recording here. General Public $10, Free to DU Current Students Faculty and Staff

Part 3: The Institute for Human-Animal Connection

Forensic Animal Maltreatment Evaluation (FAME) & Animal Abuse Risk Assessment Tool (AARAT)

Presented by: Philip Tedeschi, Executive Director of the Institute for Human-Animal Connection, Clinical Professor at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work

Crimes against animals reflect a wide array of behaviors, level of seriousness, actions harmful to animals and can also be omission of care. The underlying causative factors are also diverse. Despite this diversity and in many ways due to the array of behaviors on the continuum of criminal concern, we need to understand with some accuracy what has occurred and why. At the Institute for Human-Animal Connection we have been conducting comprehensive Forensic Animal Maltreatment Evaluations in partnership with the Denver FIRST Clinic at the Graduate School of Professional Psychology in order to better identify the underlying causes of animal cruelty and to provide recommendations for treatment and supervision on a case by case basis. This webinar will discuss the need for these specialized evaluations, the structure of the FAME and information on the newly developed AARAT.

Get the recording here. General Public $10, Free to DU Current Students Faculty and Staff

Why Humane Education?

Presented by: Dr. Sarah Bexell, Director of Humane Education at the Institute for Human-Animal Connection & Visiting Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work

At no time in human history has the need for humane education been more acute. Tensions between humans, environmental devastation and rampant abuse of other animals are at an all time high. Humane education demonstrates how human-human, human-animal, and human-Earth bonds can bring about deep and lasting social, emotional, cognitive, physical, spiritual and psychological changes to heal the Earth and allow her to maintain humanity and for humans to live with each other and other species in peace and with compassion. Dr. Bexell will also discuss the potential for humane education to help those impacted by animal cruelty and interpersonal violence as well as resources for incorporating humane education into your practice.

Get the recording here. This webinar is FREE to everyone. For more information on Humane Education visit the Raising Compassionate Kids:  Humane Education & Interventions for Early Learners web page.

Emotional Support Animals

Presented by: Philip Tedeschi, Executive Director of the Institute for Human-Animal Connection, Clinical Professor at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work

There is currently a lot of media and confusion regarding Emotional Support Animals (ESAs), despite their potential for improving the lives of persons with mental health conditions. Unfortunately, some individuals falsely claim their companion animal is an ESA, which only undermines ESA policies aimed at providing essential and life- changing support for persons struggling with their mental health. In this Interconnected webinar, IHAC Executive Director Philip Tedeschi, who supervises the ESA program at the University of Denver, will go over the science of the human-animal bond as it relates to ESAs, best practices for ESA programming, clinical considerations for conducting an ESA evaluation with a client, and tips for offering emotional support animal prescriptions and generating ESA letters as documentation.

Get the recording here. General Public $10, Free to DU Current Students Faculty and Staff

Equine-Assisted Mental Health: Interacting with Horses in Psychotherapy Services

Presented by: Nina Ekholm Fry, Director of Equine Programs – Institute for Human-Animal Connection, Coordinator of Equine Assisted Mental Health Practitioner Certificate & Adjunct Professor – Graduate School of Social Work & Graduate School of Professional Psychology

There are a number of professionals who incorporate horses in the services they provide. In this one-hour webinar, Nina Ekholm Fry describes how psychotherapy and counseling practitioners can work with horses to help clients reach treatment goals. She clarifies what equine-assisted therapy is and is not, and discusses future directions of the inclusion of horses in psychotherapy in areas of ethics, treatment effectiveness, and professional competencies.

Get the recording here. General Public $10, Free to DU Current Students Faculty and Staff

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Questions or Comments? Email: courtney.brown@du.edu

 

Disclaimer

All information from the Colorado LINK Project is provided for information purposes only as a public service. Information on the Colorado LINK Project website is subject to change without prior notice. Although every reasonable effort is made to present current and accurate information, the Colorado LINK Project and the Institute for Human-Animal Connection make no guarantees of any kind.