Veterinary Social Work Education
Veterinary social work plays an active role in the education of veterinarians, veterinary staff, veterinary students, pet owners and community members. Areas of education services provided include:
For veterinarians, veterinary staff and students
Handling issues of clients' pet loss and bereavement, which includes:
- Management of compassion fatigue
- Mediation and conflict resolution
- Working with challenging clients
- Improving communication skills
Taking care of yourself as a veterinary professional
For social workers, family therapists and other mental health professionals
- Introduction to the human–animal bond and pet-loss counseling
- Application of theories of grief and bereavement to pet-loss counseling
- Understanding the roles of companion animals in the family unit
- Children and pet loss
- The elderly and pet loss
- Links between animal abuse and domestic violence
If you are interested in scheduling an educational session, workshop or lecture, contact Christina Bach, LSW, director of Veterinary Social Work, Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, at 215-898-4529 or bachce@vet.upenn.edu.