Despite mounting clinical evidence for art therapy, nature therapy, music therapy, and dance therapy, Social Prescriptions remain on the periphery of U.S. healthcare. But the issue may not be proof of concept — it’s proof of value.

This episode argues that Social Prescriptions should be seen not just as wellness tools, but as strategic levers for economic development, long-term cost savings, and workforce readiness. If we want to see Social Prescriptions scale in the U.S., we need to speak the language of systems, incentives, and return on investment.

We unpack the Federal Reserve’s own commentary on “missing markets” — the gap between high-impact community solutions and the formal infrastructure needed to scale them — and show how Social Prescriptions fit squarely in that space.

From Park Rx programs that drive traffic and funding to public lands, to creative therapies that improve mental health while stimulating local economies, Social Prescriptions are already creating real impact. But until that impact is economically legible, it will likely remain unrecognized — and less than scalable.

Sources used in this episode:

• March 2025 Webinar: The State of Social Prescribing in United States
• May 2025 Jameel Arts & Health Lab Conversation Series
  • Creative Arts Therapies: Evidence and Examples of Practice
• Social Prescribing USA: https://www.socialprescribingusa.org/
• Park Rx America: https://www.parkrxamerica.org/
• The Campaign to End Loneliness: https://www.campaigntoendloneliness.org/
• National Academies of Sciences – Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25663/social-isolation-and-loneliness-in-older-adults-opportunities-for-the
• U.S. Surgeon General Advisory on Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation (2023): https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf
• UK National Health Service – Social Prescribing Overview: https://www.england.nhs.uk/personalisedcare/social-prescribing/
• World Health Organization: Social Prescribing Toolkit (2023): https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240072674
• The King's Fund – What is Social Prescribing? https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/social-prescribing

Send us a text

Support the show

In this milestone 10th episode, Stacie brings us behind the scenes in a Real Life Business study--a detailed walk into the pitch deck of The Human-Canine Alliance--a bold plan to reimagine mental health care and animal rescue in one unified solution.

See the pitch deck slides on YouTube!

Learn about TH-CA's omnipresence approach across multiple channels and insights into the pitch deck's content. Stacie outlines how The Human-Canine Alliance aims to integrate rescue dogs into social prescriptions to provide emotional, physical, and cognitive benefits, and she introduces their AI-powered app for matching rescue dogs with individuals with mental health needs.

Call for expert guests! Stacie is seeking guests to discuss mental health, therapeutic work with dogs, and social prescriptions.

Tune in to hear how we connect the dots to disrupt the current norms.

Sources used in this episode:

• CDC: Mental Health in the U.S. https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/index.htm
• NIMH: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness
• Statista: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1362491/us-mental-health-market-size/
• American Psychological Association: Medication vs Therapy: https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2022/report
• ASPCA: Shelter Statistics: https://www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-statistics
• NIH: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-working-expand-science-human-animal-bond
• HABRI: https://habri.org/research
• U.S. VA: https://www.research.va.gov/currents/0619-PTSD-service-dogs.cfm
• World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/health-topics/traditional-complementary-and-integrative-medicine
• U.S. Surgeon General Advisory on Loneliness (2023): https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf

Send us a text

Support the show

In this fired-up episode, Stacie dives into the incredible world of Social Prescribing—a powerful, doctor-backed movement in over 30 countries that’s already changing lives by prescribing community, connection, and non-medical solutions like gardening, hiking, and with our help...rescue dogs trained for a person's specific needs.

Learn how the UK’s Social Prescribing model has already helped millions tackle mental health, loneliness, and stress without meds, and meet the unsung heroes of the movement: Link Workers—the compassionate connectors filling in where doctors can’t.

Stacie breaks down:

• Real-time global snapshot of Social Prescriptions + why it's spreading rapidly
• Why the UK nationalized it in 2019 and 30+ countries are currently investing in it
• Where the U.S. stands and how we might be closer than we think to this kind of revolution
• How The Human-Canine Alliance Matchmaking App could become a prescribing tool for emotional wellness

This episode is a strong dose of education and a powerful look at global mental healthcare trends towards Social Prescriptions.

Help us lay the groundwork for Social Prescriptions in America. 🐾

Resources used in this episode:

• Social Prescribing Academy (UK)
• National Lottery Community Fund (UK)
• Elemental Software (UK)
• Jameel Arts and Health Lab
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• National Academy for Social Prescribing (UK)
• Canadian Institute for Social Prescribing (CISP)
• Social Prescribing USA
• Benjamin Goldberg Foundation
• ArtPharmacy.co
• Culture Rx
• Health Leads
• Wholesome Wave
• Park Rx
• The Art Therapy Project
• VAGA (Visual Arts and Galleries Association)
• Stanford University's Art Prescriptions Program
  
  

Send us a text

Support the show