River Rouge School District Creates School-Based Animal-Assisted Intervention Program
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August 5, 2021
Mrs. Alexander says, she feels like home at River Rouge School District
The River Rouge School District continues to introduce innovative and more effective
ways to support the mental health and overall well-being of our students. We have
spent the past several years working on the development of animal-assisted
interventions and that work led us to the development of therapy dog teams to help
our students cope with increased stress levels, anxiety, depression, and other issues
that have only been heightened because of the COVID crisis.
Mrs. Shakesha Alexander, VSW (Veterinary Social Worker) and MSSW has
graciously accepted the charge to lead this groundbreaking approach to improved
student mental health. Mrs. Alexander brings a wealth of experience and compassion
to this role. More importantly, she will serve as a true champion and advocate for
systems that support improved health and wellness of our students and staff.
During the course of the interview process, Mrs. Alexander profoundly informed the search committee, "The
research on therapy dogs is compelling because they are trained to use their social instincts and learned social skill
to benefit students. Loving and lovable, dogs are friendly companions and good listeners who make no
judgements."
Once she was identified for the position, she was overwhelmed with emotion and stated, "The fact that I am able
to now call a place home that shares my commitment to helping children cope and heal is something that I never
thought possible because how many people actually get to say they are working their dream job? This is truly an
unbelievable opportunity and I cannot wait to get started."
The River Rouge School District is excited to have Mrs. Shakesha Alexander join our family. This is revolutionary
work that we are doing and it requires our pursuit of uniquely talented individuals to support the development of
academically competitive students. As previously mentioned, Mrs. Alexander will coordinate therapy dog teams
throughout the school district; however, her impact will reach well beyond the school district because she will
serve as a living testament for the benefits of this extraordinary work while liaising between therapy dog teams,
administration, and community partners.
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