Josie’s Journey

Members of Josie’s Journey Canine Companions have been busy this month visiting classrooms in the Homer Intermediate School. Kathy and John Reynolds, together with their dogs Sadie and Sophie collaborated with staff from Cortland Prevention Resources to discuss the importance of mental health. Sadie and Sophie are golden doodles that have passed certification requirements for temperament and handling in various situations. Therapy teams with Josie’s Journey currently visit local schools, the Child Advocacy Center, Child Development Center and other agencies that may invite the group in.

Gizmo’s Pawsome Guide to Mental Health takes an upstream approach to support the mental health and wellness of youth through Gizmo’s friendly messaging by introducing the concept of mental health; sharing how one may care for their own mental health daily, identifying when one’s mental health needs attention and how to use healthy coping strategies. Children work to define trusted adults and how to connect with them and create a personalized mental health plan that can be used daily.

Books are provided to Cortland County youth by the Mental Health Association of Cortland. Read-alongs are facilitated by Cortland Prevention Resources staff. Visits culminate with an opportunity to love on one of the therapy pups visiting in the room.

Call us to schedule your canine comfort session.

With loving paws,
The Josie’s Journey Team