AIR® Therapy Dogs Help Address the Youth Mental Health Crisis; Program Creator Katelyn Baker to Be Honored April Is National Therapy Dog Month PRINCETON/WEST WINDSOR, NEW JERSEY (April 4, 2024) – Feelings of persistent sadness and hopelessness, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors increased by about 40% among youth in the decade prior to the pandemic,…
PRINCETON, NJ, September 17, 2023 – In late 2021, Maria Petsos, BCBA, LDT/C, District Supervisor of Special Education, Ewing Public Schools, recognized early the impact that COVID and the isolation of the lockdowns were going to have on her students. She reached out to Attitudes In Reverse® (AIR®) to access AIR’s K-12 mental wellness programs,…
Attitudes In Reverse® Honors Robert Garofalo, PhD(c), West Windsor Police Chief, as Champion of Hope PRINCETON, NJ, September 5, 2023 – Throughout his 35-year career in law enforcement, Robert Garofalo, PhD(c),Chief of Police, West Windsor Township Police Department, witnessed many young people losing their lives to suicide. “I wanted to be part of the…
Read our 2021 Highlights below or view the pdf here.
A recap of some AIR’s media coverage NJ Attitudes In Reverse® and Hopewell Valley School District School-Based Therapy Dog Partnership – covered by News12. See video here. AIR School-Based Therapy Dog program – See video here. Therapy Dogs aren’t just a teacher’s pet at these NJ Schools. They’re staff – covered by NJ.com. See…
Since July, Attitudes in Reverse has been visiting the 50 residents of Artis Senior Living in Princeton Junction on a weekly basis. “The importance of having a dog in memory care can be seen immediately,” said Sara Thompson, Director of Life Enrichment. “The moment a wagging tail walks through the door, smiles plaster on our residents’…
We are thankful for the dedication of all our volunteers who have helped AIR reach so many people – from elementary schools to nursing homes – in 2021. A special thank you to: Laura Cerrito, who coordinates volunteers for events, including the annual Miki Open AIR event and Taste of Hope Shauna Moses, who coordinates AIR board meetings,…
Student mental health is a growing issue on college campuses and has become more so since the pandemic started. The national Healthy Minds Study (HSM) shows that nearly seven million college students meet criteria for a clinically significant mental health problem. In April 2021, a survey by the American Council on Education reported 73 percent of college presidents…
AIR: You and the police force have been involved with AIR for several years. Please share your thoughts on this partnership. Chief Garofalo: We are honored to work with Trish and Kurt. They have provided help for so many over the years and no matter when we call, they come running. We have had some…
AIR is extremely thankful for all of our volunteers – from the teens who help at various events, our AIR Dogs: Paws for Minds therapy dog teams who visit thousands of people each year, to our board members and advisory board who give their time to help us fulfill our mission. We could not have…