Our mission is clear: to raise $100,000 this year on Colorado Gives Day.
You're a main character in our story. As a nonprofit, our existence hinges on the generosity of supporters like you who breathe life into our mission. You are the ink that flows through our pages, the storyteller who makes our story possible.
Without your support, we simply cannot continue our work. Your contribution on Colorado Gives Day will be the catalyst for countless new chapters in 2024, each one filled with hope, healing, and transformation. Together, we'll script a brighter future for those who need it most. ✨
Choose a storyline with your donation:
🔷 Create a monthly donation that will provide services to low-income clients who are uninsured.
🔷 Create a monthly donation that will support a safe, healthy and enriching home for the rescued therapy animals at Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado.
🔷 Create a one-time donation that will provide support wherever it's needed most.
🌟 Once upon a time...
There was a 13-year-old client who struggled with severe depression and anxiety. 😔💔 They faced relentless bullying at school, and their parents were going through a messy divorce, leaving them feeling unsafe and out of control. 😓
They began to act out in an attempt to cope with their pain, which unfortunately led to even more troubles. 🙁🚸 Their life seemed devoid of happiness and peace. 🌧️🌍
One day, their mom heard about a place called Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado. 🐾🏞️ They offered hope, and the client agreed to start therapy, not because they wanted help, but because they loved animals. 🐴🐾
Over the next several months, a transformation occurred. The client built a strong bond with their therapist and with Hawkeye (Hawk), a horse at AATPC. 🤝🐎 Hawk, like the client, had a past filled with challenges and misunderstandings. 🐎❤️
With the guidance of their therapist and the healing presence of Hawk, the client began to learn new ways to process their emotions. 🌈✨ They discovered inner peace and happiness in the world around them. 🌻🌞
It may sound like a fairytale, but it isn't. This is a real story of resilience and healing that unfolded at Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado. 🌟🐾🏞️🤗
Through our counseling and training programs, Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado provides and promotes animal assisted psychotherapy with rescued animals to facilitate healing for all people in need. Our motto is "Rescued Animals Rescuing People".
Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado (AATPC) was founded in 2010 by Dr. Linda Chassman and Ellen Winston. It was one of the first counseling centers in the nation to integrate teams of professional therapists with a variety of rescued therapy animals to facilitate the counseling and psychotherapy process. The organization expanded its mission to include educational opportunities for professionals seeking to enter the growing field of animal assisted psychotherapy in 2011. Then, after realizing access to mental health services was a challenge for many Coloradans who were low-income, under-insured, or uninsured, AATPC received its 501(c)(3) designation in 2013. It became AATPC’s mission to ensure animal assisted psychotherapy was available to everyone regardless of their ability to pay, including clients enrolled in Medicaid.
Today, Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado serves more than 350 clients annually and continues to grow steadily. The organization has been featured in various articles and was named the 2021 Non-Profit of the Year by the Arvada Chamber of Commerce. While AATPC serves a wide range of individuals, the majority of its clientele (70%) can be described as people under the age of 24 with a household income of less than $50,000 a year. AATPC has become a favored referral site for Probation, Victims Assistance and Social Services organizations around Colorado, and works closely with area graduate programs such as University of Denver and Regis University, to provide masters-level internships for young professionals entering the field.
AATPC looks forward to a future of even greater impact on the Denver Metro community by rescuing more animals and offering much needed mental and behavioral health services, specifically Animal Assisted Psychotherapy, to all.
Organization name
Animal Assisted Therapy Programs of Colorado
other names
AATPC
2012
Tax id (EIN)
45-4423891
Category
Mental Health & Crisis Intervention
Organization Size
Large Organization
Address
7275 Kipling StreetJefferson County, CO, US