HELPING HANDS SIMIAN AIDES FOR THE DISABLED INC
541 CAMBRIDGE STREET, BOSTON, MA 02134 www.monkeyhelpers.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: ESTABLISHED IN 1979, HELPING HANDS: MONKEY HELPERS FOR THE DISABLED, INC. IS A NATIONAL NON-PROFIT 501(C)3 ORGANIZATION THAT RAISES AND TRAINS CAPUCHIN MONKEYS TO PROVIDE DAILY ASSISTANCE TO PEOPLE LIVING WITH SPINAL CORD INJURY OR OTHER MOBILITY IMPAIRMENTS. HELPING HANDS SUPPORTS EACH SERVICE MONKEY AND HIS OR HER HUMAN PARTNER DURING THEIR MANY YEARS TOGETHER THROUGH INTERACTIVE MENTORING OF THE PLACEMENT, AND CLOSE SUPERVISION OF THE MONKEY'S BEHAVIORAL, NUTRITIONAL AND VETERINARY NEEDS. RELYING ON PRIVATE CONTRIBUTIONS, HELPING HANDS PROVIDES THESE SPECIALLY TRAINED SERVICE ANIMALS AND THEIR LIFETIME SUPPORT FREE OF CHARGE TO OUR RECIPIENTS.

TRAINING PROGRAM: LOCATED IN THE THOMAS AND AGNES CARVEL FOUNDATION CENTER IN BOSTON, THE MONKEY COLLEGE PAIRS HIGHLY SKILLED, FULL-TIME TRAINERS WITH MONKEYS TO DEVELOP THEM INTO COMPETENT, RELIABLE SERVICE ANIMALS. EVERY MONKEY IS INDIVIDUALLY TRAINED TO PERFORM DAILY TASKS FOR THEIR RECIPIENTS WITHIN THE HOME ENVIRONMENT. THESE TASKS INCLUDE FETCHING DROPPED ITEMS (SUCH AS A PHONE, MOUTH STICK, OR REMOTE CONTROLS) FROM THE FLOOR, HELPING TO RETRIEVE OUT OF REACH ITEMS, LOADING DVDS, PUSHING BUTTONS ON TVS AND COMPUTERS, OPENING BOTTLES OF WATER, TURNING PAGES OF A BOOK, AND MUCH MORE. WORKING ONE-ON-ONE, THE TRAINER USES A LASER POINTER AND SIMPLE WORDS TO DIRECT THE MONKEY'S BEHAVIOR. PRAISE, AFFECTION, AND SMALL FOOD REWARDS REINFORCE NEW SKILLS. TRAINING IS CUSTOMIZED TO EACH MONKEY'S PERSONALITY AND ABILITIES. AT EACH LEVEL, THE TASKS BECOME MORE COMPLEX AND THE TRAINING ENVIRONMENT BECOMES INCREASINGLY HOME-LIKE TO PREPARE THESE SERVICE ANIMALS FOR LIFE IN THEIR RECIPIENT'S HOME. IN THIS AREA OF THE PROGRAM HELPING HANDS TRAINING STAFF WORKS WITH A ROTATING POPULATION OF APPROXIMATELY 45-50 MONKEYS. TRAINERS ARE ASSISTED BY PAID WORK-STUDY STUDENTS FROM BOSTON UNIVERSITY AND LOCAL VOLUNTEERS WHO CONDUCT HUSBANDRY CARE.

RETIREMENT PROGRAM: OUR MONKEY HELPERS HAVE SPENT THEIR LIVES BRINGING INCREASED INDEPENDENCE, COMPANIONSHIP, AND JOY TO RECIPIENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. WHEN A PLACEMENT ENDS, WHETHER DUE TO THE RECIPIENT CHOOSING TO RETURN A MONKEY OR DUE TO THE RECIPIENT'S DECLINING HEALTH AND INCREASING MEDICAL NEEDS, OR EVEN THE UNFORTUNATE DEATH OF A RECIPIENT, OUR TRAINING STAFF ASSESSES THE OVERALL HEALTH AND AGE OF THE MONKEY. IF THE MONKEY IS TOO OLD OR REQUIRES ADVANCED MEDICAL CARE THAT WOULD MAKE ANOTHER PLACEMENT CHALLENGING, THE MONKEY IS RETIRED FROM SERVICE. WE TRY TO PLACE AS MANY OF THESE "AFTER-SERVICE CARE" MONKEYS WITH FOSTER FAMILIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY SO THEY CAN ENJOY THEIR GOLDEN YEARS IN COMFORT. HOWEVER, WE ALSO PROVIDE CARE FOR RETIRED MONKEYS IN OUR FACILITY IN BOSTON WHEN WE CANNOT FIND AN APPROPRIATE FOSTER HOME FOR THEM. AS OUR PROGRAM AND OUR MONKEYS AGE, THIS HAS BEEN A GROWING ASPECT OF OUR WORK. WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING OUR MONKEYS, WHO HAVE GIVEN SO MUCH TO SO MANY THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFETIMES, WITH THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF CARE THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THEIR TIME WITH US.

PLACEMENT PROGRAM: A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES TWO CATEGORIES: NEW PLACEMENT AND ACTIVE PLACEMENT. THE NEW PLACEMENT PROGRAM PHASE BEGINS WHEN WE RECEIVE A WRITTEN APPLICATION AND REFERENCES. THROUGH A DELIBERATE AND CAREFUL PROCESS THAT INCLUDES TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS, A HOME VISIT, AND A READINESS ASSESSMENT, WE GATHER DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT EACH APPLICANT. AFTER THIS RIGOROUS SELECTION PROCESS OUR TEAM MATCHES APPROVED APPLICANTS WITH MONKEYS IN TRAINING TO SELECT THE RIGHT MONKEY FOR THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE ENVIRONMENT. WHEN THE FINAL MATCH IS MADE, OUR PLACEMENT TEAM ARRANGES TO SPEND UP TO ONE WEEK CONDUCTING ON-SITE TRAINING IN THE RECIPIENT'S HOME. OUR STAFF ALSO WORKS CLOSELY WITH STATE OFFICIALS TO ACQUIRE ALL THE APPROPRIATE PERMITS TO RECEIVE AND HOUSE A HELPING HANDS SERVICE MONKEY. DURING THE PLACEMENT WEEK, OUR PLACEMENT TEAM FOCUSES ON HELPING A RECIPIENT BOND WITH HIS OR HER NEW MONKEY HELPER. THEY ALSO CONDUCT ADDITIONAL TRAINING TO CUSTOMIZE THE MONKEY'S SKILLS TO THE RECIPIENTS SPECIFIC NEEDS AND ENVIRONMENT. OUR STAFF TEACHES THE RECIPIENT AND HIS OR HER FAMILY AND OTHER CAREGIVERS ABOUT HOW TO CARE FOR THEIR NEW SERVICE ANIMAL, AND ABOUT THE MONKEY'S BEHAVIORAL, HEALTH, AND DIET NEEDS. ALL MODIFIED EQUIPMENT AND ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES NEEDED TO PROVIDE THE MONKEY'S HOUSING AND CARE, IS GIVEN BY HELPING HANDS AT NO CHARGE TO THE RECIPIENT. DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF A NEW PLACEMENT HELPING HANDS STAFF ADVISORS CAREFULLY MONITOR PROGRESS AND PROVIDE INSTRUCTIONS TO ENSURE THE LONG-TERM SUCCESS OF EACH RELATIONSHIP.

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