Rudder Program

The first Animal-Assisted Interventions program for People with Mental Illness and the Incompetent was born out of a protocol between Associação ÂNIMAS and the Magalhães Lemos Hospital.

The LEME program aims to promote social and emotional skills and social integration in patients who are considered to be incompetent and are preparing for reintegration into the community.

It can be replicated in different contexts such as other Forensic Psychiatry Units, Psychiatric Clinics located inside or outside prisons, Recovery Centers or other entities that provide a social response to this population.

The results revealed by the unit highlight the changes in social interaction and the expression of emotions, both positive and negative. This last result was especially visible in the way the users showed affection for the dogs and showed facial expressions of joy and enthusiasm, which they hadn't shown before.

Would you like to implement this project in your institution? For more information contact us: animas@animasportugal.org