COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and Petland are partnering to offer monthly puppy therapy.
NAMI of Collier County provides free education, to help individuals living with mental illness along with their families, caregivers & health care providers.
Petland in Naples brings puppies to the Sarah Ann Drop-In Center once a month to interact with visitors who come to the center to participate in support groups and social and recreational activities.
“They make members laugh like we haven’t heard in a long time,” said Kristin Long, NAMI Collier’s Director of Development.
Although support groups were held virtually when the center was closed and NAMI staff reached out to participants, the isolation was especially hard on people with mental health diagnoses.
It helps me and my fellow peers take what’s bothering us away for a while. They don’t have to worry about what we have to worry about.
For more information about the Sara Ann Drop-Inn Center and NAMI Collier County programs, visit click here.
