Neva Lilla and Benjamin Porter are gaining valuable experience conducting research at Slippery Rock University to study grief and loss support groups with and without the use of therapy dogs. Porter, a senior social work major from Kittanning (Armstrong HS), and Lilla, a graduate student majoring in social work from New Castle (Central Mountain HS), are working with inmates from Crawford County Correctional Facility in Saegertown to perform group therapy sessions.
What is the goal of this research?
The research aims to understand the use of therapy dogs in animal-assisted interventions in combination with support group sessions dealing with grief or loss. Grief and loss support group sessions support individuals coping with trauma or significant life losses and are rooted in promoting healing, connection and personal growth.
Alongside the research itself, another focus is helping inmates with emotional needs.
“I definitely think about the people we serve and how they benefit,” Porter said. “With these inmates, we’re the only group therapy program. If we weren’t there, they wouldn’t have resources like this.”
What methods are being used?
The research is taking place over 12 weeks –– six weeks with therapy dogs and six weeks without. Animal-Assisted Social Work certified dogs from local handlers are being used to facilitate comfort and connection. Among handlers is SRU alumna Debbi Martell, ’98.
Lilla and Porter are advised by Yvonne Eaton-Sull, associate professor of social work at SRU. Eaton-Sull is one of the nation’s leading specialists and researchers in animal-assisted social work, previously studying the effects of therapy dogs on stress, coping and resiliency of individuals who are incarcerated and the effects of therapy dogs on workers in veterinary hospitals.
Why this topic and how does it benefit others?
As researchers and social workers gain a better understanding of the use of therapy dogs as an enhancement tool for support groups, there could be more applications and greater acceptance of the intervention, leading to better outcomes for individuals. Additionally, it could help lead to innovations for group therapy sessions involving inmates.
“A lot of the time, people look at jails and prisons and see the people as lost causes,” Porter said. “I want the inmates to feel humanized, and I want people to think about helping them rather than judging them based on their immediate circumstances.”
How do SRU students benefit from conducting research?
“This research is really preparing us for the field of social work because it is giving us practical experience,” Lilla said. “You can’t run group work without getting real practice doing it, and this does exactly that.”
Lilla, who earned a bachelor’s in professional studies at SRU in 2013, was introduced to the Master of Social Work program at SRU through a connection while working as a librarian. As a working professional, Lilla also noted the importance of flexibility in the online program.
When Porter first enrolled at SRU, he was certain he was going to be a psychologist. Porter, like many students, changed routes early in his college career after encouragement from social work professors like Thomas Bechard, SRU assistant professor of social work.
“Getting the experience helped me with imposter syndrome,” he said. “It’s amazing as an undergrad because it’s usually the master’s students who get clinical experience. It’s been wonderful so far and there are so many experiences social work majors get in terms of hands-on practice and internships, and because of that, direct job opportunities.”
Internal grants at SRU
This project is funded by SRU’s Student Research, Scholarship and Creative Activities grant. The grant provides up to $1,500 in funds to support independent research or a scholarly project to be conducted in collaboration with a faculty or staff mentor.
More information about RSCA grants and social work programs at SRU are available on the University website.
