AGENCY INFORMATION:
The mission of CHAPS (Children with Horses Achieving Productivity and Success) Academy is to serve children and families dealing with emotional and/or behavioral difficulties through the use of equine-assisted activities. We empower those we serve to achieve ongoing productivity and success within their home, at school, at work, and in the community.
CHAPS Academy is a not-for-profit 501 (c) 3 organization governed by Christian values, dedicated to the strength, health, and well being of those who live in our community.
CHAPS Academy will not turn away anyone in need of services due to the inability to pay for services.
CHAPS Academy was founded in December of 2003, and was incorporated with the State of Wisconsin in March of 2004. The CHAPS Academy campus is located at N5367 Mayflower Road, Shiocton, Wisconsin (54170).
CHAPS Academy provides the following services: Individual and Group equine-assisted counseling, and individual and group equine assisted growth and learning services. Mental Health services are provided by Master’s level counselors. Growth and Learning services are provided by Bachelor’s level staff. The programs we offer are; HOPE LIVES, a youth suicide prevention and intervention program. HOPE LIVES is an intensive mental health treatment program for youth and families dealing with severe depression; and Special Gifts, an equine- assisted growth and learning program for children and families dealing with Autism, Aspergers Syndrome and ADHD.
CHAPS Academy serves children ages 4-18, adults and families in Outagamie, Winnebago, Calumet, Brown, Waupaca, Fondulac and Shawano counties.
Medical & Counseling Associates is a licensed mental health clinic with offices in Appleton and New London, WI. MCA collaborates with CHAPS to provide clinical supervision and support to CHAPS counselors, which is required for all mental health providers. www.familycounseling-mca.org
Program Details-Project Clarification
1. How are Horses utilized in the counseling process?
At CHAPS Academy horses are utilized as tools in the counseling process. Horses play many roles in this process. The first role is in the mirroring of emotions. Because horses are herd animals and prey animals, they are very perceptive regarding feelings. Horses tend to mirror the feelings and emotions of their handlers. They will reflect moods, fears and anxieties of their human handlers in a way that can then be discussed and processed. For example, a teen that is angry and resistive will be met by resistive behavior from their therapy horse. The therapist can then talk about how frustrating the horse is acting, and help the adolescent problem solve how to get the horse to cooperate. During this time the teen that is resistive and angry is actually learning to deal his or her own anger and fears. They are able to do this because it is less threatening and less abstract than simply talking it through. The teen has to work through his or her own issues in order to get the horse to cooperate. The horse provides motivation for the problem to be solved, as the teen wants to get the horse to comply. The techniques working with the horse can be directly applied to problem solving for the teen and the teen’s parents. This would take months to get through in an office setting, and can be done in a single session or two at CHAPS.
A second role that horses play is that they act as interference to solving the problems. Horses have similar social behavior to humans: for example, one is dominant, one is afraid, one is bratty, and another has an actual addiction. Observation and interaction with the behavior or the herd is used to defuse volatile family situations, can be a useful distraction when difficult issues come up and, critically, provide comfort and unconditional love. The latter is genuine, and is often very helpful to support a child through a difficult time. People will tell a horse many things that they would not consider telling a counselor. The counselor’s presence during this time offers guidance and support and aids the adolescent in their interpretation of the behavior of the horses as well as their own behavior.
The third role that horses play is that they act as a problem to be solved. We have a plethora of activities – problems to be solved – with the horses that we can use for the adolescent and their family, depending on our purpose. The activities require the adolescent and/or their family members to manage the behavior of the horse or several horses to solve a particular problem. This method is a non-threatening and physically experiential and very quickly allows the therapists to observe and evaluate coping skills, communication techniques and problem solving skills. The activities are then processed therapeutically, and then re-experienced again to experience progress and success.
The general model of treatment is this. The client experiences an activity with the horse, this experience is then processed with the counselor and then the activity is repeated or re-experienced utilizing new skills learned. The outcomes are then processed again. The horses act as a mirror to behavior, a supporting presence and a problem to be solved.
