Furry recruit brings calm and connection to BCH services

A NEW part-time staffer with a wagging tail and natural gift for connection, has joined the team at Bellarine Community Health, lending a paw to the organisation’s youth mental health services.

Teddy, or Ted-E-Bear, a 12-year-old spoodle and accredited animal assisted therapy dog, will split his time between the healthcare organisation’s youth services site in Drysdale and the Ocean Grove headspace, helping clients develop social skills and reduce negative emotions.

He will work between two and three days each week, giving him plenty of time to continue enjoying his other job as youth service manager Tanya Fitzpatrick’s family pet.

Ms Fitzpatrick said research had shown animals can provide wide-ranging benefits to clients in therapy settings, including helping to lower the heart rate, increase the feel-good hormone and even, with time, help heal fractured human-human bonds.

“Young people can be difficult to engage. It’s hard enough to be 15 and coming in here and talking about your thoughts, your feelings and what’s going on in your world with a complete stranger.

“The staff are amazing and are all very youth-friendly and incredibly educated – we like to listen to young people as to what makes them feel happy and safe here – but we also know how animals can help break the ice and break that barrier.

“Teddy has brought such joy to all of us at home, [so we thought] ‘Would he be able to extend that love to others?’.”

To prepare for the role, both Teddy and Ms Fitzpatrick undertook six months of training, learning a range of new communication and obedience techniques which Teddy passed “with flying colours”.

The duo now operates as a “therapy team”, following a strict set of guidelines to ensure both the young person and Teddy feel safe at all times.

As Teddy bonds with the client, the relationship presents unique opportunities to teach them how to make friends, improve their communication skills, learn about setting boundaries and tackle anxiety.

“His favourite pastime is just to sit around and be patted; he’s just got a natural temperament for therapy,” Ms Fitzpatrick said. “His natural super strength is to very, very quickly understand if someone doesn’t want him in their space… he’s non-judgemental.

This superpower, she said, ensures that if a young person is not ready, or does not want to interact with Teddy, he will respond accordingly.

And after only a month on the job, Teddy is already helping his young clients take significant strides forwards.

Ms Fitzpatrick highlighted the progress of one young individual who, after just two sessions with Teddy, began engaging in new ways and taking positive risks to move beyond their comfort zone.

It has left the BCH team excited for may lie ahead, as Teddy continues to work his quiet magic and help young people feel seen, supported and safe.