"Furiends" of Family Resources
Photo of two yellow labs named Mac and Cheese surrounding a banner that reads Family Resources

Meet Mac & Cheese

Mental Health Canines, Leading with Paws-itivity

The FURiends program is a trauma-informed, strength-based service designed to support clients in achieving their therapeutic goals through the human-animal bond.

Mac & Cheese teach skills that help our families and youth manage big feelings when the world gets overwhelming.

About us

Mac and Cheese have 4 areas of focus when working with families:

Safety

Physical

Logic & Reasoning

Social & Emotional

Programs available to you:

  • YIKES! It’s a Dog is a safety and trauma informed curriculum designed to reach children that have a fear of dogs and teach them how to correctly interpret canine body language, respect boundaries, and behave safely when encountering loose or owned dogs.

  • The Protector Project is an initiative that empowers youth to recognize the link between animal abuse and interpersonal violence, providing them with the tools to safely report concerns and advocate for vulnerable beings in their community.

  • Mac’s Safety Squad facilitates small-group discussions led by Mac to help students process the fear and mental health impacts associated with active threat drills in schools.

  • Heal the Helpers is designed specifically for mental/behavioral health and social service professionals, this program utilizes animal-assisted interventions to address compassion fatigue, reduce secondary traumatic stress, and promote staff retention through restorative connection.

Contact Dr. Nina if interested. Mac and Cheese are looking forward to meeting you!

About us

Manager of FURiends & Handler

Dr. Nina Wiebalk

Founder of FURiends & Handler

Aimee Kolick

Mental Health Canines

Mac & Cheese

Donate to FURiends

Your donation with help us fund:

  • Ongoing training to refine skills
  • Physical well-being—food, treats, veterinary care, grooming
  • Support cost of their services to the community in need
Donate

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