What is Veterinary Social Work?
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Watch this video for more information about Veterinary Social Work, including how adding a VSW to your staff could impact your practice.
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While veterinarians are educated and trained to work with animals, social workers are educated and trained to work with people, intervening in crises, offering supportive counseling, and connecting people with needed resources.
Veterinary Social Work is social work, practiced in a veterinary clinic or other veterinary setting, which acknowledges and addresses the human-animal bond. VSW's work with a clinic's human clients, allowing veterinarians to better focus on treating pets. Beyond this, VSW's may provide mediation and short-term counseling to veterinary staff to address workplace stress and compassion fatigue. |
Recent NewsSandra helped develop several of the programs and mentored many of the VSW's in this recent article: https://www.avma.org/javma-news/2020-06-15/social-work-expands-veterinary-hospitals
Recent chapter in Veterinary Clinics of North America: https://www.vetsmall.theclinics.com/action/doSearch?ContribAuthorRaw=Brackenridge%2C+Sandra Sandra co-authored a couple of the chapters in this MUST HAVE book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/012812962X/ref=rdr_ext_tmb Sandra was recently awarded the NASW Texas Lifetime Achievement Award for 2018! Here is her thank you speech: https://youtu.be/V9fl3mvqH2E Goldberg, K., Brackenridge, S. (2018). Following the Loss of a Companion Animal: Aftercare & Pet Loss Support. In Kogan, L. (Ed.) Pets, People and Psychotherapy published August 2018. Please listen to this very important podcast created in Texas by WYNC.org: Death, Sex, and Money in response to the Dallas suicides of veterinary professionals. Sandra is interviewed. https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/dallas-veterinarians-suicide/ In conjuction with the WYNYC broadcast the newspaper Dallas Morning News created a fabulous interactive in their online paper, and the print version was also fabulous. Check them both out: Langford, Terry. (2018, February 7) The secret stressful lives of pet care workers. Dallas News (website). Retrieved from: https://interactives.dallasnews.com/2018/stressful-lives-of-veterinarians/ Here is the print article: Langford, Terry. (2018, February 11). The cost of caring: Stress comes with the job. Dallas Morning News: Metro & State, Dallas, TX, pp. 1B & 4B. December 2017 article about Sandra and the VSW program at CVSEC in Texas: https://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-veterinary-social-workers-save-lives.html Sandra consulted and helped create this program: http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/veterinary-social-work-program-a-success-for-this-vet-hospital/?fb_action_ids=852517326683&fb_action_types=og.comments In May 2017, the DFW community lost 4 of it's valued members to suicide. In response, Sandra and Julie Ducote, DVM provided this well -attended seminar. https://youtu.be/fSPKKQClk-Y AUG 6, 2016 NPR NEWS - CARING FOR SICK PETS AND GRIEVING OWNERS TAKES A TOLL Sandra is featured in the article below. Double click to go to the link. DEC 16, 2015 JAVMA NEWS - FOR HUMAN NEEDS, SOME VETERINARY CLINICS ARE TURNING TO A PROFESSIONAL Study: 1 in 6 veterinarians have considered suicidewww.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/150401d.aspx Studies confirm poor well-being in veterinary professionals, students https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/160501c.aspx |
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