Program and Board Accreditations
HHTRC took many exciting steps over the winter to provide an exceptional therapeutic riding program in its 8th season serving the Kansas City area. HHTRC is a PATH (formally NARHA) Premier Accredited Facility, which means that much like a hospital or school, HHTRC demonstrates program excellence and national distinction in adhering to over 150 administrative, facility, and personnel standards. Our accredited programs include Therapeutic Riding, Hippotherapy, Carriage Driving and our new Spirit Horse Autism Program. The HHTRC Board of Directors includes a medical advisory board of physicians, veterinarians and autism specialists that adheres to over 120 policies and procedures in board governance set forth by the United Way of Greater Kansas City. Finally, HHTRC is reviewed and certified with the Department of Mental Health to provide our clients certified PATH registered and advanced instructors, occupational, physical and behavioral therapists and direct consultation when needed from our medical advisory board. HHTRC is the largest therapeutic riding center in the Kansas City metro area and home to the Former PATH Region 7 Director who provided leadership to over 50 therapeutic centers in the five state region.
Program Impacts and Outcomes
In 2012 our team of trained therapy horses, certified instructors, therapists, and dedicated volunteers will touch the lives of over 156 children and adults, and serve a record number of 110 on a weekly basis. HHTRC student’s have disabilities as broad ranging as multiple sclerosis, autism, brain injury, spina bifida, developmental delays, cerebral palsy and Down’s Syndrome, and come from 12 cities in Jackson and Johnson Counties in Missouri. Maintaining healthy horses, investing in credentialed, career based salaried employees, and supporting development, remain high priorities as we seek to fulfill our mission activities. Despite the considerable costs of operations, as a non-profit organization HHTRC is committed to providing programs at below-tuition rates, filling the gap with ongoing fundraising for scholarships and general support. Thanks to many local foundations, corporations, and individuals HHTRC offers over $45,000 in fundraising, resulting in 29% of it’s student base receiving full or partial scholarships. In a year-end student assessment measuring the program’s impact, 80% of the respondents indicated that they saw significant improvements in key areas related to physical, cognitive and emotional gains. The greatest changes were made in core stability, improved balance, gross and fine motor skills. Increasingly our Autism population has risen to 79% of our client population. The opportunity to serve this population resulted in HHTRC developing the Spirit Horse Autism Program which includes a 178 step autism based curriculum specifically designed to assist children with ASD in sensory, behavioral and communication, implemented through a full-time Autism Specialist. It is both the hard data and human stories that embolden us to continue on the path of offering our best each time out. Our clients have the most therapeutically effective and beneficial programming available, with a staff that sincerely believe they are here to serve the children. We are humbled and honored to have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of these individuals, and HHTRC clients are making measurable strides to success.
