Hosting FAQs
Effective January 2019 the hosting process will change. Why?
Early in 2018, the AHA Inc. board of directors implemented an updated strategic plan for the
organization. Part of this plan includes enhancing AHA Inc’s public presence and expanding our
educational offerings. Market research completed early in 2018 indicated that many of our members
would like AHA Inc. to offer discipline specific approved continuing education units (CEUs).
Throughout 2018, the Standards & Practice Committee and faculty were hard at work completing
applications to become an approved provider of continuing education (CE) credits for both ASHA and
AOTA. CE approval for physical therapy needs to be done on a state by state basis and will continue
along with completion of the AOTA and ASHA applications.
As the committee members have worked through the process, it became clear that the old process of
hosting the AHA, Inc. courses needed to change for AHA Inc. to meet required standards and become
approved CE providers for all 3 disciplines (OT, PT, SLP). The committee determined that continuing to
operate under the old host site process would result in significant paperwork and cost burdens for both
AHA Inc and hosting facilities. Therefore, it was determined with the approval of the AHA, Inc. Board of
Directors and faculty, that starting in 2019 AHA, Inc. would move to a facility rental system. Under a
facility rental system, AHA Inc. will collect all course registration fees and pay a rental fee to the host
facility.
Under this new system, AHA Inc. will be able to move forward with becoming an AOTA and ASHA
approved CE provider. The new process will also make hosting easier in that administrative tasks,
paperwork and registration will now be coordinated by the AHA Inc office rather than the host site. This
will save the hosting facility staff time, reduce overhead costs, and minimize course administrative tasks.
The 2019 “AHA, Inc. Educational Course Hosting Requirements” document explains hosting
requirements for all AHA Inc. courses and includes an “Intent to Host” form and “Hosting Rental
Agreement”. Click Here
Have there been any other changes to AHA Inc. Course Offerings?
Yes! We have revamped our Hippotherapy Treatment Principles Part I course to better serve our members. The new course is still a 4-day
course, however the 1st day will be completed online at your convenience. This change was made in
response to attendee feedback. It will help to save attendees money in travel costs/time off and to
reduce the demands on host sites.
In addition, we will be expanding online education offerings and we have several new courses under
development.
We are working hard to offer discipline specific CEUs and to keep our courses as affordable as possible
while maintaining the small course size, hands on experience and a high faculty/participant ratio for
which AHA Inc. is known.
Why host an AHA, Inc. Course?
There are a lot of reasons why facilities apply to host an AHA, Inc. Course. Some of the most
common are:
● Hosting offers a great opportunity to bring an AHA Inc. Course to your area. This may
reduce travel costs for you or your staff and give you the opportunity to work with the
AHA, Inc. office to secure preferred dates and faculty.
● Hosting a course in your area allows the opportunity to meet therapists nearby, and
network with other therapy clinics.
● Host sites receive education and expert feedback on their facility, horses, horse training
and horse handling from an AHA Inc. faculty member. Hosting is a great learning
experience!
● As compensation for hosting a course, your facility will receive a rental fee from AHA
Inc. In addition, depending on the number of registrants and the course you are
hosting, you may also be eligible for a for complementary course registration for 1-2
staff members or additional compensation of equal value (see below for more details).
● If your facility is approved to host, your facility will be recognized as an AHA, Inc.
approved training site. This will be indicated on the “Find a Facility” section of the AHA
Inc. Website. To maintain this status, your facility must host at least 1 AHA Inc. course
every 2 years.
How will my facility be compensated for hosting an AHA Inc. Course as of January 2019?
For courses that require hands on interactions with horses, host sites will be compensated at a rate of
$500/day
For courses that require a classroom space but do not require horses, host sites will be compensated at
a rate of $250/day.
Host sites will be given a stipend for food and beverage costs at a rate of $25.00 per participant per day.
In addition, host sites may be eligible for added compensation as follows:
● Level I Hippotherapy Treatment Principles: Limited to no more than 24 participants
o At 15 participants, AHA Inc. will offer the host site 1 complementary registration or
equal value in compensation (based on the early bird member rate for the course).
o At 20 participants, AHA Inc. will offer a 2nd complementary registration or equal value in
compensation.
● Level II Hippotherapy Treatment Principles: Limited to no more than 16 participants
o At 15 participants, AHA Inc. will offer 1 complementary registration or equal value in
compensation.
● Connection courses- Without horses (course size varies)
o At 15 participants, AHA Inc. will offer the host site 1 complementary registration or
equal value in compensation.
o At 20 participants, AHA Inc. will offer a 2nd complementary registration or equal value in
compensation.
Can I donate the use of my Facility to AHA Inc.?
Yes! Host sites can help support AHA Inc.’s mission and vision, by opting to donate the use of their
facility for any AHA Inc. course. Facilities that donate the use of their facility will be recognized as an “In
Kind Sponsor” for the course. In-Kind sponsors will receive appropriate recognition for their donation as
well an annual donation letter from AHA Inc.
Can I host an AHA Inc. course as a fundraiser for my non-profit organization?
AHA Inc. is a 501 (C) 3 non-for-profit organization. Our mission is Improve lives by advancing education,
best practices and resources for licensed healthcare professionals who incorporate horses in therapy. To
keep attendee costs as affordable as possible, AHA Inc. courses are not intended to be offered as
fundraising events
If my facility wishes to host a course, who selects the faculty?
Host facilities may indicate their preferred faculty members when applying to host an AHA Inc. course.
The AHA Inc. office will accommodate such requests whenever possible. To view a list of faculty
members and their bios click here
What happens if a course my facility was scheduled to host does not fill?
AHA Inc. reserves the right to cancel any course due to lack of or limited enrollment. If enrollment is
low, AHA Inc. will contact the host site at least 30 days prior to the course to discuss next steps, which
may include options of a modified rental agreement or course cancellation.
What if my facility can only accommodate a small class size?
To host an AHA Inc. Course, it is suggested that your facility can accommodate a minimum of 16
participants comfortably. If you would like to apply to host a smaller course, please contact the AHA Inc.
office.
Who coordinates details and registration under the new process?
Under the new process, the AHA Inc. office will handle all administrative tasks for the course. This
includes contracting for and compensating faculty, marketing and processing all participant
registrations, answering participant questions, verifying participant prerequisite requirements, and
managing all CEU requirements.
What if I have more questions, or I want to host but have special circumstances?
If you have additional questions or have special circumstances but still want to host an AHA Inc. course,
please contact us the office. We hope to be able to work with you.
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