Equines Assisting Special Individuals
Equines Assisting Special Individuals (EASI) is Northwest Alabama Mental Health Center's 25-acre Animal-Assisted Therapy center. Located in Walker County, EASI focuses on offering safe and effective therapeutic horse-related activities for children and adults with various disabilities. Interactions with horses aim to enhance clients' physical, emotional, cognitive, and social well-being across all age groups.
About
EASI offers two types of equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAAT).
Equine facilitated psychotherapy (EFP) is provided by a licensed mental health professional who works with both the client and trained equines to achieve specific therapy goals. Equine-assisted learning (EAL) is a method that uses equine-assisted activities to help individuals develop life skills for educational, professional, and personal goals.
Since its founding in July 2005, EASI has been dedicated to promoting equine therapy as an additional treatment option for individuals with special needs. In October 2018, EASI merged with Northwest Alabama Mental Health Center to continue its mission and expand services to adults and adolescents with physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral needs.
Our Horses
EASI’s horses serve as the facility’s primary staff and are the heart of the program.
Not just any horse can be a therapy horse; each must undergo a rigorous testing process to meet the necessary qualifications. Horses are on a trial basis until they successfully complete all items on the evaluation checklist.
The program is a member center of the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH) and ensures that its staff members are certified as PATH Professionals in the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Initiative (EAGALA) model for equine therapeutic services.