Our Programs
The Dome Ranch teaches life skills so you can enjoy a full and happy life.
At the Dome Ranch, we teach skill development, wellness/self-care, leisure skills and social skills—communication, social support building, coping skills, relaxation, self-esteem development, advocacy, responsibility, respect, trustworthiness, compassion and good character among others. The programs utilize animal interaction & care, nature, arts/crafts, gardening and cooking to teach these skills.
What We Teach:
1. Basic Self Development
- Household Tasks: Daily living skills, animal cares, garden planting & harvesting, including using them in cooking
- Financial Management: Money management skills for cooking, animal care, budgeting.
- Parenting: Caring for the needs of animals translates to basic parenting skills
- Leisure Skills for healthy lifestyles
- Character development: compassion, respect, mindfulness, coping skills, honesty and trust.
2. Improving Wellness/Self Care
- Increasing activity levels with nature activities
- Improving healthy food consumption by learning about garden foods and how to cook with them and preserve them.
- Animal care requirements of food, water, medicines, shelter, grooming and love/affection translate to personal self-care.
- Develop strong bonds to animals, who can become companions when relationships with people can be difficult. Learning to “slow down” so as to not frighten the animals is a natural process in developing these bonds.
- Learning appropriate food choices for animals and also for yourself.
- Providing love to animals increases self-esteem, confidence, compassion, mindfulness and relationship skills such as trust, meaningful conversation and others.
- Developing coping skills to help decrease crisis or dips in recovery
- Relaxation skills which help one find peace, while doing various activities at the Dome Ranch; such as joining with nature in woods walks, interacting with animals, art activities, enjoying beautiful landscapes and more.
3. Improving Social Skills
- Communication with animals is a great first step to advanced communication building and trust.
- Relationships/friendships/bonds with the animals help with finding purpose and a sense of being.
- Leadership/Confidence—feeling good about who you are as you work with the resources at the Dome Ranch
- Advocacy: being able to make decisions and speak about your needs respectfully
- Staff that reinforce all of the above.
4. Promoting leisure skills that increase happiness, reduce anxiety and create a more positive outlook for the future.
Contact us for more information on programs for children, youth and adults!
Contact Us