The Program
The Stable Moments program at TROT is designed to assist kids in foster care and kids who have been adopted cope with the special issues that they face.
Any child who is removed from the birth parent has questions. Where did I come from? Why did they give me up? What is wrong with me? These are some of the most common questions these kids have. Without resolution to these questions these kids can become depressed, angry, and show their feelings through acting out.
Children who have been in foster care are 9 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO ATTEMPT SUICIDE than kids who have not been in foster care. The rates of depression, anxiety, and PTSD in kids in the system are 80% higher than those in their biological homes.
So, does that mean that kids should not be in foster care? Of course not. Sometimes the biological family situation is simply not safe or healthy for these kids and foster care is a better option. Even so, these kids are plagued with questions regarding their own identity and self-image.
Stable Moments uses empirically evaluated, evidence-based interventions to help kids address six important life skill areas that have been identified as crucial in helping foster and adopted kids cope. We address:
1. Self-worth
2. Responsibility
3. Self-regulation
4. Emotional awareness
5. Independence
6. Healthy relationships
The Process
The Program Coordinator meets with the caregiver or caseworker, as appropriate, and the child in a “get to know you” session. During this session the Program Coordinator interviews the caregiver/caseworker to get an understanding of the issues facing the child. The caregiver/caseworker is also asked to complete a brief written assessment tool that we use to track progress during therapy.
The Program Coordinator meets with the child as well to get a feel for the type of mentor that will be best suited for the child.
The Program Coordinator and the Staff Psychologist then meet to discuss the first three goals that will be addressed and choose an appropriate mentor for the child. Sessions are then booked, typically weekly, and last for a 12-month period.
We do our best to keep the same mentor with each child for the duration of treatment. Since this is a college town, and many of our mentors are college students, this is sometimes a challenge. But even if mentors must change, most of our mentors keep in contact with their children past the treatment time. It seems that going through these steps together creates a healthy bond that is beneficial to both mentor and mentee.
The therapeutic tasks are all done using “groundwork”. This term refers to interactions with the horse when the child is NOT riding. Child and mentor are on the ground and the horse is controlled by use of a halter and lead rope during most exercises. The mentor is trained in managing the horse, and all sessions are observed by a skilled horse trainer who can intervene at any time.
While the child, mentor and horse work through the therapeutic exercises, the caregiver is given the opportunity to meet with the staff psychologist to get support and help with problem solving. Most caregivers avail themselves of this therapeutic experience.
How we measure success
Mentors keep notes of each session, what was accomplished and new goals for the next session. Mentors meet with our licensed Clinical Psychologist after each session to go over the session and share insights and treatment ideas. Exercises are repeated until the child reaches mastery of the exercise, and life goals are worked on until the success criteria are met. Success is measured regularly via the initial written assessment exercise which is completed at various stages of the process by the caregiver/caseworker. Data on each child is coded for confidentiality and forwarded to the accrediting agency, Stable Moments, for inclusion in the data set that is composed of data points from the various centers across the country and analyzed regularly. By monitoring the progress and effectiveness of each intervention, Stable Moments can continually update and improve the interventions. It is the only therapeutic accreditation program that collects data from its centers and uses is to empirically monitor interventions.
The Horses
The horses who work in the sessions are specially trained by our Program Director and undergo evaluations of their suitability for work on a regular basis. Any horse who shows behaviors that indicate stress are removed from the program until they again can safely work. Only very special horses are included in this program. These animals love their work and love the children. Horses who do not show an affinity for this type of work are not included in our herd of therapy horses. Thus, we can ensure safety of the child and mentor.
The Mentor
Mentors are recruited via social media posts and cooperation with the Center for Service and Leadership at the University of Alabama, Stillman College and Shelton State Community College as well as various service organizations in local high schools. Mentors undergo a standard online training provided by the Stable Moments organization as well as several hours of on-site training at TROT before being matched with a child. Mentors receive hour-for-hour supervision from a licensed Clinical Psychologist.
The Professional Staff
Therapeutic Riding of Tuscaloosa is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that works to provide structure for the programs housed at its facility.
Melanie Williams, the Program Director, has been showing and training horses for 20 years. She has been teaching and coaching other competitors for 12 years and has a successful track record in several different equestrian disciplines. She holds a degree in early childhood development and was employed at the RISE center for several years prior to establishing the Stable Moments program. Herself a foster mother, she understands intimately the special needs and stresses of foster care.
Dr. Marguerite Malone, the staff psychologist, has been in practice since 1986. A foster child herself, and now the grandmother of a foster child, she has a unique insight into family stressors that occur in a foster situation.
The Barn Folks and Volunteers
Of course, a program like this cannot run without LOTS of help. Volunteers who do not necessarily want to serve as Mentors are highly valued. We need help keeping the stalls clean, water tanks clean and full, things repaired, horses groomed and fed. Especially that last part. They eat twice a day, and that’s a lot of work. All help is appreciated. Before participating in horse care each volunteer is carefully trained on how we handle our horses and what special diets they receive. It’s a labor of love.
Although the humans in the program are willing to work for free, the horses, sadly, are not. They do require feed and hay. So, TROT must charge something for the use of the horses. The cost of each session is $75. For those families with insurance, Dr. Malone can file on most insurance for the psychotherapy portion of the program. She then will donate that fee to TROT to cover the cost of the child’s equine assisted session.
Dr. Malone is working with Medicaid to cover her services. But in the meantime, TROT will work with families to find ways to help pay for the cost of therapy. We are constantly engaging in fundraising to secure money for scholarships, and families who do not have the financial resources to pay can apply for scholarship aid. These scholarships may cover part and sometimes all the cost of the sessions.
As we must protect our Board and our nonprofit status, the caregiver/caseworker is asked to sign a waiver. Standard wording such as is used in any health care center is used in our forms.
Because we are a health care provider, all staff, clients and others at the facility are asked to sign our policy regarding HIPAA, as is done at any other health care facility.
Although the humans in the program are willing to work for free, the horses, sadly, are not. They do require feed and hay. So, TROT must charge something for the use of the horses. The cost of each session is $75. For those families with insurance, Dr. Malone can file on most insurance for the psychotherapy portion of the program. She then will donate that fee to TROT to cover the cost of the child’s equine assisted session.
Dr. Malone is working with Medicaid to cover her services. But in the meantime, TROT will work with families to find ways to help pay for the cost of therapy. We are constantly engaging in fundraising to secure money for scholarships, and families who do not have the financial resources to pay can apply for scholarship aid. These scholarships may cover part and sometimes all the cost of the sessions.
As we must protect our Board and our nonprofit status, the caregiver/caseworker is asked to sign a waiver. Standard wording such as is used in any health care center is used in our forms.
Because we are a health care provider, all staff, clients and others at the facility are asked to sign our policy regarding HIPAA, as is done at any other health care facility.
Finances
Caring for foster children is a heart mission. It is not for everyone. Those who foster children in need are a special breed. They give of themselves and their resources, and the amount of money provided by the foster system rarely covers the expenses. We are aware of this difficulty, and work with you to be able to afford this therapy.
Although the humans in the program are willing to work for free, the horses, sadly, are not. They do require feed and hay. So, TROT must charge something for the use of the horses. The cost of each session is $75. For those families with insurance, Dr. Malone can file on most insurance for the psychotherapy portion of the program. She then will donate that fee to TROT to cover the cost of the child’s equine assisted session.
Dr. Malone is working with Medicaid to cover her services. But in the meantime, TROT will work with families to find ways to help pay for the cost of therapy. We are constantly engaging in fundraising to secure money for scholarships, and families who do not have the financial resources to pay can apply for scholarship aid. These scholarships may cover part and sometimes all the cost of the sessions.
Liability
Because all work is done with all feet firmly planted on the ground, the likelihood of injuries is extremely small. The mentor is always with the child and an experienced horse handler is observing the session. The child is at no time riding the horse. Therefore, risk is as minimal as it would be in any other normal activity such games of tag or hide and seek.
As we must protect our Board and our nonprofit status, the caregiver/caseworker is asked to sign a waiver. Standard wording such as is used in any health care center is used in our forms.
Because we are a health care provider, all staff, clients and others at the facility are asked to sign our policy regarding HIPAA, as is done at any other health care facility.
