The Human-Canine Alliance (TH-CA)

The Missing Link: Why Social Prescriptions Deserve a Place in Economic Strategy

• Stacie J. King • Season 1 • Episode 11

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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.

Starting and Scaling Social Prescriptions Webinar Series hosted by CISP starting June 18, 2025: https://www.afhto.ca/news-events/events/starting-and-scaling-social-prescribing

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Why does Big Pharma spend millions advertising drugs you can't even buy without a prescription? Because they know a secret.

Big pharma knows that if you walk into your doctor's office and ask for a pill by name. You will probably get it and you'll probably keep taking it. They are not providing options. They're creating demand for pills and for profit. 

in America, we have been convinced that medication is the only answer. I'm just saying if demand drives supply, maybe we should start demanding something else.

 Hey friends, I'm so glad you're here. Welcome back to the Human Canine Alliance. I am Stacie, your host, and honestly, I am bursting at the seams with everything I've been digging into lately. I've been diving deep into webinars, catching up on recordings, and soaking up all I can on Social Prescriptions, and there is so much more to unpack and share with you. So let's not waste a second. Let's dive in.

Okay. Let's take a step back and just define Social Prescriptions.

What exactly is a Social Prescription? At its core. It's about connecting someone to what matters to them, not just treating what's the matter with them.

During the latest Jameel Arts and Health Lab Conversation Series, one of the contributing doctors deemed Social Prescriptions as preventative and healing solutions to common human problems.

And they come in many forms. Art therapy, nature, music, dance, movement, drama therapy, psychodrama.

Okay, and let's remember why Social Prescribing was established in the first place. It was established to combat loneliness in the UK. And in 2019, the UK nationalized this program.

And since then, Social Prescribing initiatives have expanded to over 32 countries, including the US, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and Australia.

Over 2 million people have benefited from Social Prescribing. Social Prescribing has extended beyond healthcare into sectors like housing, education, and even prisons demonstrating its versatility and broad applicability.

International Social Prescribing Day was established to spotlight the efforts of healthcare professionals and community organizations and volunteers who integrate Social Prescribing into healthcare systems.

Okay. In some of my research I watched a Social Prescribing USA podcast that was recorded on international Social Prescribing day this year, so it was March of 2025, and doctors on this call shared they have been informally practicing Social Prescriptions in the US practically their entire careers.

Earlier in their careers. They didn't know what to call it, but they had plenty of stories and have since joined the movement of Social Prescriptions in one way or another.

So for example, Dr. Allen Siegel, he is now the executive director and co-founder of Social Prescribing, USA.

Okay. Dr. Robert Zarr is the founder and medical director of Park Rx America.

And Dr. Carla Perissinotto is Professor of Medicine at University of California in San Francisco, and she's nationally recognized as a leader in the field of Social Prescribing.

Doctors and professionals supporting Social Prescriptions agree that the focus of a doctor visit needs to shift and instead focus on the patient's overall health versus the one complaint they are visiting for.

They support shifting the visit to become more conversation based and connection focused versus what a current US doctor visit looks like, which is a little bit like this.

There's about 10 minutes of FaceTime between doctor and patient.

There is pressure on the doctor to keep the schedule moving internally.

And then the doctors are overwhelmed with patient numbers and long hours.

And I Really liked the way this concept of shifting the doctor visit into a more conversation focused visit was presented by Dr. Robert Zarr. he called this type of visit and ultimate result for the patient, a co-produced solution.

 Which think about that. You go to the doctor and you have a conversation with them, which is intended for you to contribute to, not to be rushed through. The end result, whether it's a clinical script, it's a social script. Or no script at all is a decision you and your doctor have made together.

 Dr. Zarr supported this idea even more, saying that the difference between a patient following through with taking their pills or going to physical therapy, whatever it is that the doctor prescribes them, it has a lot to do with how committed they are to the solution.

For example, if a patient is prescribed medication that they can't afford or pick up or physical therapy that they don't have transportation for, it's likely they won't be seeing the results intended by the prescription given by the doctor.

 Lennie Knowlton, a clinical mental health counselor at Project Connection was also on this call. She gave an enlightening perspective on how link workers are a valuable piece of the puzzle.

 Remember, link workers serve as a link between the doctor, the patient, and the community. She made the point that therapy and doctor visits are intended to help a person create a roadmap to reconnect the dots that have disconnected over time. However, the part that many people miss or don't follow through with or don't understand is part of the process.

Is they need to put into practice the habits or actions determined in that roadmap to make those results happen. That's where link workers are coming in and filling the gap. They offer patients a person to lead them to the next step of action.

Essentially, Link workers are eliminating barriers between prescription and action, they are acting as partners, allies, and even hand holders for those that need it.

Talk about finding a gap that truly is missing between wanting to take action and actually taking action.

Between knowing what I'm supposed to do and doing what I'm supposed to do.

That's where these link workers are coming in and really bridging that gap and making it harder for people to not take the action, which makes it harder for people to not see the results. Right. And the results is what everyone is truly after when it comes down to it.

I just find that so exciting. I thought that was a really great point that Lennie Knowlton made.

Okay, and sticking with learnings from this webinar for one more minute, I couldn't help but notice that the Human Canine Alliance isn't alone in being intentionally designed to benefit multiple sectors simultaneously.

There are already several examples of initiatives that operate at the intersection of wellness, community, and industry. Check this out.

Park Rx America, a movement that prescribes nature as medicine. Early data from Park Rx studies show increased physical activity, increased time spent outdoors and in the parks, improved mental wellbeing.

More time in parks naturally translates into increased traffic to local and national parks, boosting awareness, relevance, and public engagement.

This growing demand reinforces the need for continued funding and preservation, which helps sustain these spaces for future generations.

In short, a public health initiative is helping fuel environmental conservation and tourism industries at the same time.

Creative arts therapies. Which are clinically recognized forms of treatment that support the creative economy.

Organizations like Art Pharmacy are leading the way in integrating visual arts into mental healthcare, using art to reduce anxiety, foster communication, and build confidence.

Art therapy also supports a broader creative ecosystem, connecting artists, galleries, and institutions with therapeutic and educational spaces.

Music therapy used in hospitals, schools, trauma centers.

Music therapy enhances emotional regulation, cognitive function, and social skills.

Its growth supports music, educators, therapists, and even the music industry at large.

Dance and movement therapy facilitates healing by reconnecting people to their physical selves, particularly those dealing with trauma, disability, or mental health challenges. It bolsters health outcomes and sustains dance studios, instructors and wellness centers.

Drama therapy and psychodrama. These interactive role-based therapies allow individuals to reframe personal narratives, explore identity, and process emotional experiences.

They serve in clinical settings, prisons, schools, and corporate environments, linking mental health with the theater arts and training sectors.

And this is where I really start to get excited because when we zoom out and connect the dots between Park RX programs, driving foot traffic and funding toward public lands.

Between art therapy, improving mental health, while supporting creative economies.

Between music movement and canine based interventions, enhancing individual lives and stimulating industry growth.

We start to surface something bigger.

We are not just talking about health benefits anymore, we are talking about economic value.

And that shift in perspective is exactly what Social Prescriptions need to finally take off in the U.S.

Many of the doctors and professionals who have championed Social Prescriptions for years are asking, why hasn't this caught on yet? One reason may be that in the US impact doesn't become scalable until it becomes economically legible. In other words, people don't just wanna know that something works, right?

They wanna know that it pays off, that it ripples outward, that it supports systems, that it generates return, that it aligns with broader incentives.

And that's where the Federal Reserve's recent commentary on missing markets that we talked about in a recent episode becomes so important.

Because the Fed acknowledged the gap between high impact community solutions and actual market development. These missing markets represent untapped areas where real social value is being created, but no formal infrastructure or investment mechanisms exist to scale them.

 Sound familiar? That's exactly the space. Social Prescriptions occupy.

They're proven effective. They're rooted in data. And yet, they remain underfunded,

, underutilized and under integrated into our healthcare and economic systems.

But if we start recognizing Social Prescriptions, not just as therapeutic tools, but as economic drivers supporting public health, reducing long-term care costs, strengthening workforce readiness, and fueling local industries, like arts, nature, and wellness. We begin to transform them into something market recognizable. 

Here's a sobering fact. Over 50% of all US healthcare expenditures are paid for by taxpayers amounting to roughly $3 trillion, and yet, millions of Americans still lack access to meaningful healthcare.

Unlike America's current healthcare system, which is fragmented, extremely wasteful and profit driven, Social Prescriptions offer a model of care that is human first, cost effective, and systems connected.

Let's sit with that one for a second and take a quick mental break. It'll help us absorb the rest. We'll continue this conversation as soon as we return. Be right back.

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 Thanks for sticking with me for the second half of the Human Canine Alliance podcast. I am your host, Stacie, and we are diving right back in to one of the biggest problems in the US healthcare system today, and that is direct to consumer pharmaceutical advertising.

Let me ask you this question. Why does Big Pharma advertise to you, the consumer? Have you ever stopped to ask why pharmaceutical companies spend millions of dollars running drug commercials directly to the public? It's not because they think you as a consumer will purchase this drug directly at a store.

It's because they understand something fundamental about the system. If they can create consumer demand, meaning you walk into your doctor's office and request a specific drug you saw on tv, the likelihood of that drug being prescribed goes up.

Why? Because it increases the patient buy-in. When a patient requests a specific medication, they're more likely to take it.

And from a doctor's standpoint, if the requested drug fits within the parameters of an effective treatment, why not prescribe it?

And if you're thinking, I'm sure there's a nominal number of doctors who will prescribe based on a patient's request. The US is one of the only two countries. The other one is New Zealand that allows direct to consumer pharmaceutical advertising.

Why? Because it works. It drives patients to ask for specific drugs, and doctors often comply when it's within clinical reason.

What's really happening here? Big pharma markets clinical solutions, the same way that a product is marketed to you on Amazon. That's a fact. It is not about what's medically best. It's about what sells.

This is the profit driven machine behind our healthcare system. It rewards volume, it rewards demand, and it ultimately funnels profit right back to the pharmaceutical and insurance industries regardless of long-term outcome.

So what can we do? We have to play the game. We have to play the game, in my opinion, we need to get organized as a community and start requesting Social Prescriptions from our doctors the same way we're requesting anxiety, depression, and weight loss pills.

Because what's demanded gets supplied.

Think about it this way. If we, the consumers take control of the demand factor in our healthcare economy and stop letting the pharmaceutical companies tell us what to demand, we can change the supply.

We have let the profit-driven pharmaceutical companies create a cyclical system of medications with side effects, and side effects that need medications. And we pay for all of it, while they get rich.

It is time we took our healthcare system into our own hands. America. Let's see what happens if we start demanding Social Prescriptions in communities all over the country. And here's how.

Okay. First you can explore self prescribing options. Websites like Park Rx America and Art Pharmacy Rx offer tools for both individuals and providers, including downloadable RX pads and resources you can share with your doctor.

Number two. Talk to your doctor. Ask for the nonclinical prescription.

Tell them you're interested in a Social Prescription, something that aligns with your needs, whether it's time in nature, art therapy, movement-based healing, or working with animals.

Look for Social Prescription activities locally. Use platforms like Meetup, Eventbrite, Facebook events, and look for programs that are Social Prescriptions, even if they don't say they are. You can use key words like nature, art, music, dance, animals, healing, connection.

And last but not least, you can start your own Social Prescribing activity. You don't need a license. You don't need a permit.

You can just start a weekly art walk, a community drumming circle, a dog meetup, a nature journaling group, a gardening club. Formally or informally, this is how movement grows.

And if you wanna bring your activity to your local area more formally and with intention, there is a free virtual class in June being held by the Canadian Institute of Social Prescribing. I'm attending it, and it's specifically how to build a Social Prescribing activity in your area.

Awesome. Right? So I'll include that in my show notes in case you're interested.

The bottom line is guys, Social Prescriptions work. But for them to thrive in a capitalist system, we have to treat them like the value driven tools they are.

It starts with awareness. It grows with advocacy, and it takes off with demand.

 Okay, now that we have covered all of the heavy stuff, I wanna spotlight some exciting real world momentum recent activities and developments that are pushing the Social Prescription movement forward in a big way in America.

 And we're gonna start off with a recent case study summary report from Epi Arts Lab, a National Endowment for the Arts Research Lab based at the University of Florida.

It was just released in May 20 25 on 23 case studies of art, culture and Social Prescribing in the US documenting various stages of design and implementation.

 Common themes included , number one, that they were often started by someone who was just very passionate about the actual activity itself and the effects and benefits it could have, for people in their community. And they wanted to offer it, and that's why they started it. You could totally be one of those people.

Another common theme was that referral processes for the actual Social Prescription patients often came from healthcare professionals, especially healthcare providers and mental health professionals.

In many of the cases, employees of the sites were acting as link workers. But in almost half of the programs, they actually mirrored the UK link worker model, with an individual employed in a part-time or a full-time status to facilitate the participant's engagement with activities as a variety of organizations.

And another commonality between these organizations is they're often the ones who are instigating the referral pathway by providing these healthcare professionals and these mental health professionals with activity resources, and materials for potential participants to help them understand who to refer and why to refer them.

And then of course there were some differences in these programs. When it comes to Social Prescriptions, as we've been talking about, they vary greatly.

And therefore, you have 23 case studies of Social Prescriptions, you're gonna have a variety of activities and these activities, included nature, summer camps, zoo visits, music lessons, music therapy, arts activities, cultural visits, and volunteering. So they're really trying to explore a variety of different areas in those 23 case studies.

And these are all in America, remember.

Another difference between these 23 case studies was the funding and where it came from, because again, Social Prescriptions are just not formalized in the US right?

They're not really recognized just yet as something that can be and should be recognized for the value that they are. And so therefore, the funding is coming from all over the place. And all over the place really means public organizations, donors, philanthropic foundations.

In one case, there's actually an insurance company has already gotten on board with Social Prescriptions and is helping fund Social Prescriptions in one of the programs in the US.

So let's talk about that.

 Okay, so the one health insurer who has backed Social Prescribing in the US, as of this recording, is Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, and they partnered with the New Jersey Performing Arts Center to integrate arts-based Social Prescribing into healthcare.

I mean, guys, they are the first, and as far as my research is showing the only health insurance that is currently backing Social Prescriptions in the US. But the fact that they are backing it means that they support it means that they believe in it and they're setting a precedent, right? They are an insurance company setting a precedent.

So I also wanted to share a few other states who are certainly participating in Social Prescriptions, which again was news to me. I just keep uncovering more and more about Social Prescriptions.

In Massachusetts, they actually came under one of the funding avenues for some of these case studies that were in this report.

And the reason is because Massachusetts offers a statewide benefit that is a lump sum of $10,000. And it's through the Mass Cultural Councils Culture Rx program, which explains why seven of the 23 case studies are located in Massachusetts.

They're getting that $10,000 benefit because they're offering a Social Prescription type of program. And so therefore, it makes a lot of sense if you are somebody who believes in Social Prescriptions and wants to start a program, you know, you can get this $10,000 benefit if you're starting it in Massachusetts.

Okay. And then I also just wanna pause here for a second and get educated on this Culture RX program that's in Massachusetts. It is the first statewide arts prescription solution in the us. It positions Massachusetts as a national leader in the practice of arts-based Social Prescribing.

The program has established a network of over 300 cultural organizations across Massachusetts. They partner with healthcare providers to offer patients prescriptions for arts and cultural activities such as museum visits, music classes, and theater performances.

The goal is to address various health concerns, including mental health issues, social isolation, and chronic conditions by leveraging the therapeutic benefits of cultural engagement.

another program I wanted to mention is out of Connecticut and they have launched a statewide art pharmacy program. This initiative partners with healthcare providers, insurance companies and arts organizations to prescribe nonclinical activities such as museum visits and theater attendance.

And then also, New York City has implemented a program where healthcare providers prescribe fresh fruits and vegetables to patients, particularly targeting childhood obesity. These prescriptions can be redeemed at participating farmer's markets, promoting healthier eating habits, and addressing food insecurity.

North Carolina has a statewide teles psychiatric program, which collaborates with various community partners to enhance access to mental health resources.

And then of course, Social Prescribing, USA is a national advocacy organization working to map and support Social Prescribing programs across the country. They lead a community of practice involving over 250 individuals implementing Social Prescribing in their institutions, and a Health Professional Champions group aimed at educating healthcare providers about Social Prescribing.

If you live in any of these states, were you aware of these programs? Are you using these programs? I would love to hear from anyone who's listening, who lives in one of these states or knows someone who is participating in one of these programs.

I'm very interested to know how these programs are working for people in real life.

 Okay. And then on March 30th, CBS, Sunday Morning aired a clip called How the Arts Can Create Healthier Communities, offering stories of Social Prescriptions working in the US.

And I wanted to grab a few takeaways from this and share them with you because first of all, that's mainstream media, right?

Social Prescriptions in the US on mainstream media. First of all, that's my first takeaway.

 Secondly, WHO, the World Health Organization, they have produced over 3000 studies about connections between arts and health.

Another thing. Arts programs have been integrated into about half of the hospitals in the US and a common theme from the patients who receive that is unexpected joy. I mean, how fantastic is that when you can offer unexpected joy during maybe one of the worst moments in someone's life? 'cause if they're in the hospital, it's probably not for a good reason. Right? I mean, it can be transformational.

Another point, over 75% of medical schools in the US are now engaging in the arts, in their medical education. They're incorporating arts into their medical education. So obviously there's a lot of proof out there that arts and medicine, arts and health somehow should be connected, right?

 And then there was one comment that stuck with me and I just thought it was just like such a simple little comment, but at the same time it really hit home and I thought it might with others is, that at one point in our country, we didn't think we needed seat belts either.

I just thought that was great. Right? Just take that for what you will.

Then one other piece of mainstream media where Social Prescriptions have made it to the news in the last few months is on CNN, and that was with Julia Hotz and it was specifically to talk about her new book, the Connection Cure, I've mentioned this before on the podcast.

And a couple of key things I wanted to mention that I pulled away from that were her five key elements that contribute to health that she shared are movement, nature, art, service, and belonging. And she emphasized that these factors are often overlooked in traditional healthcare, but are essential for holistic wellbeing.

And then she shared stories from around the world. One was about sea swimming lessons for depression. Another one was about farm-based daycare for dementia. And it just illustrates the diverse benefits of Social Prescriptions that are being used around the world already, right? Already.

I have to tell you, the more I dig into Social Prescriptions, through conferences, webinars, research, the clearer it becomes to me. The Human Canine Alliance may very well be the first ever Social Prescription model built specifically around dogs.

Not just therapy dogs, not just service animals, but dogs as intentional non-clinical health interventions prescribed or self prescribed to support emotional, mental, and social wellbeing.

We're not just rescuing dogs, we're reframing them as part of the solution. And that's a shift the Social Prescribing world and the Rescue world have been waiting for.

Thank you so much for listening to the Human Canine Alliance podcast. I am Stacie, your host. Please be sure to follow the podcast from wherever you are listening or watching so you don't miss the next one.

Also, you can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or LinkedIn to keep in the loop on our business progress. Which by the way, we are getting ready to open a crowdfunding campaign so we can build the prototype of the app and we're gonna need your help.

More to come on that. But planting the seed right now, right here. Hopefully it'll grow.

Thank you for listening to our podcast at the Human Canine Alliance where we are actively developing the first ever Social Prescription for dogs.

I hope you continue to listen. 

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