General Description:

Under minimal supervision, determines, develops and implements hospital dog program to support patients, families and staff through animal assisted therapy, acting as primary dog handler/caregiver during both working and non-working hours.

Essential Responsibilities:

Responsibilities listed in this section are core to the position. Inability to perform these responsibilities with or without an accommodation may result in disqualification from the position.

• Represents an innovative hospital therapy/comfort/service dog program at OU Health to the hospital and the community.
• Develops and implements programming for facilitating dog support to patients, families and staff.
• Supports dog program in clinical settings, urgent needs, long-term patients, chronic diagnoses and other high-need populations, as well as play and events that impact patient's socio-emotional needs.
• Creates opportunities for public relations interest, outreach events, fundraisers and educational presentations about both the hospital dog program and volunteer-based pet therapy dog program.
• Collaborates on grants for sustainability of the program.
• Maintains and initiates partnerships in the community.
• Coordinates hospital dog support for health care team.
• Works collaboratively on team and across hospital departments, including collaboration with volunteer-based pet therapy team.
• Serves as primary dog handler/caregiver, responsible for all food, shelter, grooming, veterinary, transportation and daily care needs of the hospital dog both during work and non-work hours (in and out of the facility), in collaboration with a secondary handler.
• Fulfills contract obligations and remains in good standing with Canine Assistants and/or similar oversight organizations.

General Responsibilities:

Performs other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

Education: Bachelor's Degree in Child Life, Psychology, Child Development, Social Work, Public Health, Communication, Public Relations or related field

Experience: At least three (3) years of experience working in hospital setting and/or working with patient's and families

Or an equivalent combination of education and experience

License(s)/Certification(s)/Registration(s) Required: None.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent verbal and writing skills to include excellent interpersonal communication skills. Excellent public speaking and instruction skills.
• Awareness of sensory experiences of the hospital environment.
• Knowledge of animal assisted therapy and/or service dog evidence-based practices, research and theory.
• Working knowledge of patient and family needs and ability to perform basic patient and family assessments.
• Working knowledge of trends and opportunities in outreach, fundraising, health education programming and public relations.
• Good technology skills.
• Ability to care for a dog.