The grant program, funded through the UConn Hartford director’s office, builds on the campus’ location, commitment to social justice, and innovative student engagement through collaboration between UConn Hartford faculty and organizations in the capital city. With this funding the class was able to learn firsthand about EHI\u2019s equine-assisted psychotherapy program, which addresses a variety of mental health issues, emphasizing cultural competency, diversity, and inclusion training and outreach.<\/p>\n
\u201cI developed the Sociology of Carework course so students could better understand the social organization of care,” Dr. Price-Glynn says. “Care includes the resources necessary to meet people\u2019s most fundamental emotional and physical needs, provided by paid and unpaid caregivers. While everyone needs care, for children, the elderly, disabled persons, and those with short and long-term illnesses, carework is essential. Though everyone can provide care, not everyone does in equal measure \u2013 carework is shaped by long standing inequalities.\u201d<\/p>\n Studying carework is not new for Dr. Price-Glynn. \u201cFor a decade prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, I contributed to an increasing scholarly focus on paid and unpaid caregiving through my research and participation in the Carework Network, an international organization of care researchers, policymakers, and advocates. Like so many others living through the pandemic, I realized the importance of this historic moment to foster better understandings of care and the long-standing care crisis made far worse by COVID-19.\u201d<\/p>\n EHI, founded in 1984 by President and CEO Patricia Kelly, was included in Dr. Price-Glynn\u2019s course because of its innovations in care. At Keney Park-based EHI, children are given a chance to connect with nature and therapy animals through the facility\u2019s 18 horses, indoor arena, and miles of riding trails stretching through the park. Some other features of the facility include on-site licensed therapists, riding lesson instructors, and a kitchen where children can learn to cook and eat healthy foods.<\/p>\n According to Kelly, an equine-assisted approach to psychotherapy is effective for children who may have a hard time communicating their feelings, because of the horses\u2019 natural traits and instincts.<\/p>\n \u201cHorses are very, very suspicious of us,\u201d says Kelly. \u201cThey are our lie detector test. Their skin is so sensitive that it is attuned to our vitals.\u201d The horse becomes a diagnostic tool for EHI\u2019s culturally competent licensed clinical therapists, Kelly explains.<\/p>\n![\"EHI](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/photo5-300x270.jpg\")