معرفی
Dr. Darlene Chalmers serves as Associate Professor and Associate Dean - Undergraduate (on leave until July 2026) at the University of Regina's Faculty of Social Work, Saskatoon Campus. Her academic foundation includes PhD in Social Work from University of Calgary, with specialized certifications in Facilitated Equine Experiential Learning and pet loss/grief counseling.
Her research pioneers human-animal bond applications across three critical domains: veteran mental health (service dogs for PTSD/substance use), correctional interventions (PAWSitive Support prison program), and educational innovation (Animals, Social Work & Society course). She co-founded Canada's Veterinary Social Work Initiative, establishing the country's first Veterinary Social Worker position at Western College of Veterinary Medicine.
Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals dominant trends in forensic applications of animal-assisted services (60% of works), veteran healthcare innovations (25%), and scholarship of teaching/learning (15%). Key methodological approaches include longitudinal veteran studies, prison program evaluations, and scoping reviews on substance use recovery.
Her academic leadership manifests through:
- Health Canada-funded research on service dogs for veterans
- National adoption of her prison therapy dog protocols
- Curriculum development for veterinary social work
- Therapy dog deployment in psychiatric facilities and vaccination clinics
Dr. Chalmers maintains active field engagement as Saint John Ambulance Therapy Dog Handler (since 2014) and RPC Therapy Dog Program member, directly informing her research-practice integration. Her supervisory approach emphasizes community-engaged scholarship with hands-on correctional and veteran healthcare placements.
