The National PTSD Service Association connects future service dogs with veteransSunday, January 19th 2021, 6:04 PM EST
Updated: Monday, January 20th 2021, 11:04 AM EST By Alejandro Romero SARASOTA - Veterans suffering from PTSD are seeking help from a nonprofit on the Suncoast to train their service dog. "We’re not a pill, we’re not a nurse, we’re a furry ball of fun,” said Sandra Laflamme.
Laflamme co-founded the National PTSD Association in 2016 to help veterans suffering from PTSD get back on their feet. "We pair them up early, match them to a family put them through a training program, and in doing so give them a dog for life and we’re 100% successful,” said Laflamme. |
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John Marr served in the air force is partnered up with Vinca Van Hartwin, a German Shepard training to become his personal service dog. "So far it’s been a complete blessing, she does wonders for me,” said Marr.
Marr says Vinca helps him snap him back to reality whenever his mind wonders. "She forces me to be in the present here and now, so if I start to get into my head she pulls me right back out and I have to focus on her,”said Marr.
But Marr is not the only one getting acquainted with Vinca, so is the family. "We want the entire family to be part of the process so the dog can also be handled by the rest of the family,” said Diane Coles.
Coles, a former Michigan police chief, says she’s been training service dogs for seven years. She say you can clearly see the difference these dogs make when they’re assigned to a veteran. Marr credits Vinca for saying his life and restoring his family.
"She’s brought the smile back to my face, the light is back in my eyes, and we’re doing things once again as a family,” said Marr.
Marr says getting a service dog is a big commitment and recommends anyone to The National PTSD Service Association to find their new member of the family.
Marr says Vinca helps him snap him back to reality whenever his mind wonders. "She forces me to be in the present here and now, so if I start to get into my head she pulls me right back out and I have to focus on her,”said Marr.
But Marr is not the only one getting acquainted with Vinca, so is the family. "We want the entire family to be part of the process so the dog can also be handled by the rest of the family,” said Diane Coles.
Coles, a former Michigan police chief, says she’s been training service dogs for seven years. She say you can clearly see the difference these dogs make when they’re assigned to a veteran. Marr credits Vinca for saying his life and restoring his family.
"She’s brought the smile back to my face, the light is back in my eyes, and we’re doing things once again as a family,” said Marr.
Marr says getting a service dog is a big commitment and recommends anyone to The National PTSD Service Association to find their new member of the family.
DOGS & PTSD
We provide canine’s to handler recipient by clinical referral. The training cost of these highly skilled dogs is immense and born by NPTSD.org. Your support is critical.
Sarasota Resident Laura Dessauer, Ed.D., ATR-BC
Troops returning from combat and Public Safety Personnel exposed to hostile and traumatic experiences may find their lives turned upside down with little skills to manage the intrusive traumatic thoughts and nightmares. Many of these men and women will struggle with traditional therapeutic methods, leaving them at greater risk for divorce, substance abuse, homelessness, and suicide. Often these individuals feel a sense of disconnect. Unfortunately, there are stigmas for seeking therapy and medications may be perceived as an impediment to service. Telling someone who has served in combat or crisis management to take a deep breath may not be an effective strategy to manage PTSD, instead they need other tools to help them navigate the complex traumas they have experience.
National PTSD Service Association Inc. is a nonprofit agency providing highly skilled canines, service, support, training, and mentoring programs to post-911 armed forces veterans and public safety personnel suffering with PTSD.
National PTSD Service Association’s service dogs are specialty trained as tactical empathy dogs, able to read the feelings and the mindset of their handlers so they can help them navigate the daily obstacles that comes with PTSD. When the dog handlers experience flashbacks or triggers they are able to utilize the trained responses of their service dog to ground in the present moment, with the dogs intuitively anticipating and responding to their needs. When triggered these stealth canine companions act to help bring their handlers attention to the present moment. The dog creates an opportunity for mindfulness, grounding their handlers through engagement of the senses. Mindfulness techniques that might not resonate with a solider or first responder in a therapeutic setting, are more easily accessible through the symbiotic relationship of service dog and handler. This unique bond has transformed the lives of many participants allowing for more freedom and autonomy from the devastating impacts of trauma.
Sarasota Resident Laura Dessauer, Ed.D., ATR-BC
Troops returning from combat and Public Safety Personnel exposed to hostile and traumatic experiences may find their lives turned upside down with little skills to manage the intrusive traumatic thoughts and nightmares. Many of these men and women will struggle with traditional therapeutic methods, leaving them at greater risk for divorce, substance abuse, homelessness, and suicide. Often these individuals feel a sense of disconnect. Unfortunately, there are stigmas for seeking therapy and medications may be perceived as an impediment to service. Telling someone who has served in combat or crisis management to take a deep breath may not be an effective strategy to manage PTSD, instead they need other tools to help them navigate the complex traumas they have experience.
National PTSD Service Association Inc. is a nonprofit agency providing highly skilled canines, service, support, training, and mentoring programs to post-911 armed forces veterans and public safety personnel suffering with PTSD.
National PTSD Service Association’s service dogs are specialty trained as tactical empathy dogs, able to read the feelings and the mindset of their handlers so they can help them navigate the daily obstacles that comes with PTSD. When the dog handlers experience flashbacks or triggers they are able to utilize the trained responses of their service dog to ground in the present moment, with the dogs intuitively anticipating and responding to their needs. When triggered these stealth canine companions act to help bring their handlers attention to the present moment. The dog creates an opportunity for mindfulness, grounding their handlers through engagement of the senses. Mindfulness techniques that might not resonate with a solider or first responder in a therapeutic setting, are more easily accessible through the symbiotic relationship of service dog and handler. This unique bond has transformed the lives of many participants allowing for more freedom and autonomy from the devastating impacts of trauma.
Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work include:
- guiding people who are blind
- alerting people who are deaf
- pulling a wheelchair
- alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure
- reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications
- calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack
- keeping a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) calm
What is a service animal?
Service animals, sometimes called performance companion animals, are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. This definition does not affect or limit the broader definition of “assistance animal” under the Fair Housing Act or the broader definition of “service animal” under the Air Carrier Access Act.
Some state and local laws also define a service animal more broadly than the ADA does. Information about such laws can be obtained from the state attorney general’s office.
When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, only limited inquiries are allowed. Staff may ask two questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform.
Under the ADA, a service animal must be allowed into the place of public accommodation or into the public entity. However, dogs that are either not working or not performing a task but are there simply to keep the person with a disability calm are not protected by these regulations; these animals are providing emotional support, well-being, comfort, or companionship rather than working or performing a task for the handler. That is, these animals are not engaged in what the U.S. Department of Justice would refer to as “recognition and response.” Further, the ADA is not the only law in play. For example, the Fair Housing Act and its regulations do allow for emotional support animals. Also, the various states will have different approaches for dealing with service animals. We provide canine’s to handler recipient by clinical referral. The training cost of these canines is $60,000 born by NPTSD.org. Your support is critical.
Some state and local laws also define a service animal more broadly than the ADA does. Information about such laws can be obtained from the state attorney general’s office.
When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, only limited inquiries are allowed. Staff may ask two questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform.
Under the ADA, a service animal must be allowed into the place of public accommodation or into the public entity. However, dogs that are either not working or not performing a task but are there simply to keep the person with a disability calm are not protected by these regulations; these animals are providing emotional support, well-being, comfort, or companionship rather than working or performing a task for the handler. That is, these animals are not engaged in what the U.S. Department of Justice would refer to as “recognition and response.” Further, the ADA is not the only law in play. For example, the Fair Housing Act and its regulations do allow for emotional support animals. Also, the various states will have different approaches for dealing with service animals. We provide canine’s to handler recipient by clinical referral. The training cost of these canines is $60,000 born by NPTSD.org. Your support is critical.
