Veterinary Social Work Consulting

Are you interested in developing a social work program within your practice? 

Perhaps, as veterinary social work has recently begun to receive more attention in the media, you've become curious about how such a system would benefit your practice, and would like to arrange a meeting with an expert in the field. You may only be interested in providing debriefing for your staff. Or, perhaps you're ready to move forward with developing a VSW program in your clinic, but unsure of how best to proceed.

​Sandra offers a full range of consultation services to suit the specific needs of your practice. Sandra has a history of assisting veterinary hospitals and clinics in a variety of ways, from offering introductory presentations, to providing debriefing services, to participating in the hiring of a VSW and providing regular training to that VSW.

Sandra is available to consult per hour, or she can create a consulting package designed to best suit your practice's needs. Please contact her to express your interest. 

SERVICES:

Preliminary Consulting

A needs assessment will determine the needs of your clients and staff for social work services, and determine the personality of your hospital and community.​​
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  • Do you need a full service social work program? Or would a part-time or volunteer program suffice? 
  • What level of licensure do you need in a social worker?
  • Is a social work internship a possibility? 
  • What are your budgetary constraints or concerns?
  • Are you primarily interested in caring for your staff or for your clients?

Program Development

Sandra is available to assist in the establishment of a VSW in your practice. Consulting services in this area include:
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  • Research and establish relationships with social work programs in your area who will provide interns
  • Creation of Job Description 
  • Advertising and Recruiting for Candidates
  • Preliminary interviewing and screening of all applications 
  • Finalization of top candidates with lists of strengths/weaknesses of each and recorded interviews
  • Planning of the in-person interviews in collaboration with HR (or other personnel) ​

Program Maintenance 

Sandra can provide the training your new VSW may need, which will vary depending on the selected social worker's experience level within the field of veterinary social work, and/or in the area of program development. 

  • On-site training 
  • Weekly or bi-weekly consultation/training via phone/Skype
  • Sharing of all materials, literature, written policy, and data collection technology used successfully in other programs
  • Collaboration with HR/administrators regarding program satisfaction and issue resolution

Presentations and trainings:

The following presentation are examples of presentations Sandra has given in the past; presentations can be planned for your specific needs.

“Understanding the Human Animal Bond in Veterinary Practice”
“Grief due to Pet Loss and Your Clients: What are you missing”
“Stress Management for Veterinary Professionals”
"Self-care, Caring for Your Co-Worker: Recognizing Warning Signs"
​“Understanding Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, Stress & Prevention in Veterinary Medicine”
“Stress Management Techniques that the Veterinary Professional Can Do at Work”
“Communication with Clients 101”
"Prevention of Suicide"
“Satisfying Hostile or Angry Clients”
“Understanding Hierarchal Communication”
“Working with Millennials” 


​Have you seen this research? Please click on the links below to read:  :
https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/150401d.aspx
https://www.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/160501c.aspx


HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:  "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published “Prevalence of Risk Factors for Suicide Among Veterinarians—United States, 2014” in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report of Feb. 13. The findings come from an anonymous, online survey made available this past year to veterinarians by researchers with the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, Auburn University, and the CDC. The questionnaire asked respondents about their experiences with depression and suicidal behavior and included standardized questions from the Kessler-6 psychological distress scale that assesses for the presence of serious mental illness. The authors then compared the results with national figures from the CDC. The survey results, based on answers from more than 10,000 practicing veterinarians—most (69 percent) of whom are in small animal practice—revealed the following:
  • 6.8 percent of males and 10.9 percent of females in the profession have serious psychological distress compared with 3.5 percent and 4.4 percent of U.S. male and female adults.
  • 24.5 percent of males and 36.7 percent of females in veterinary medicine have experienced depressive episodes since veterinary school, which is about 1 1/2 times the prevalence in U.S. adults overall throughout their lifetime.
  • 14.4 percent of males and 19.1 percent of females who are veterinarians have considered suicide since graduation. This is three times the U.S. national mean.
  • 1.1 percent of males and 1.4 percent of females in the veterinary profession have attempted suicide since veterinary school."