The Comprehensive Guide to Interdisciplinary Veterinary Social Work

ISBN-13: 9783031103322 / Angielski / Miękka / 2023

Opis

This book responds to the needs that arise at the intersection of people and animals, focusing on human-animal interaction, human-animal studies, the emotional work of caring for animals, and animal-assisted interventions and therapies. Unlike many works that focus primarily on issues at the micro level, such as animal-assisted interventions, this volume is unique in its focus on issues arising at the micro, macro, and mezzo levels, encompassing human-animal issues and interactions at the level of individuals and family, groups, institutions, and communities. Accordingly, this comprehensive guide addresses the need to better prepare practitioners to work in interdisciplinary environments, whether in the context of theory, research, practice, or advocacy. The authorship of the volume reflects the interdisciplinary foundations of veterinary social work, with contributions from social workers, psychologists, veterinarians, physicians, anthropologists, and bioethicists.

The volume is divided into five parts that examine, respectively:

• the foundations (history and scope) of veterinary social work (Part I); 
• the practice of veterinary social work with individuals, in the context of community programs, and in social work practice (Part II); 
• veterinary social work and the veterinary setting, including veterinary well-being and conflict management (Part III); 
• veterinary social work education (Part IV); and 
• the future of veterinary social work (Part V).  

Importantly, the volume addresses not only practice issues in the veterinary, clinical, and community settings, but also examines ethical concerns in the clinical and research contexts and the implications of cultural and societal variations on the practice of veterinary social work.

The Comprehensive Guide to Interdisciplinary Veterinary Social Work is the definitive resource for social workers and psychologists new to practice issues relating to animals, social work and psychology students at the graduate and undergraduate levels, veterinarians and veterinary students, hospital administrators (human hospitals), and veterinary hospital managers.

Spis treści

Part I. Foundations of Veterinary Social Work

Chapter 1.  An Introduction to Veterinary Social Work

This chapter provides a definition of the new field of veterinary social work, focusing on the four domains that comprise the specialty: animal-assisted interventions, the link between human and animal violence, animal-related grief and bereavement, and compassion fatigue and conflict management. Human-animal interaction and the importance of attachment and bonding are discussed as foundational to the understanding and practice of veterinary social work. Additional topics to be explored include the interdisciplinary nature of the field, diverse animal-related social work host settings, and relevant professional associations and organizations. This chapter sets the groundwork for the chapters that will follow.

Confirmed authors: Pamela Linden and Sana Loue

 

Chapter 2. History of Veterinary Social Work

The second chapter provides a history of the development of this subdiscipline. The chapter begins with a discussion of the need for veterinary social work and the efforts of early pioneers in the field. The discussion encompasses, as well, currently existing educational programs, including the University of Tennessee’s (UT) the certificate program, the UT Knoxville College of Veterinary Medicine, Merck Veterinary Wellness Studies I & II, and the Wellness Initiative of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

Possible authors: Dr. Elizabeth B. Strand, Founder and Director of Veterinary Social Work, University of Tennessee at Knoxville

 

Part II. The Practice of Veterinary Social Work

Chapter 3. Interdisciplinary Veterinary Social Work Practice

Chapter 3 explores the need for veterinary social work from the perspectives of diverse disciplines, including a veterinary perspective.  Topics include human-animal interaction (in greater detail than in chapter 1), the role of hospital-based mental health workers, and veterinary social work from the perspective of veterinary hospital management.

Possible author(s): Katherine Goldberg, DVM, LMSW, Lecturer, Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine

 

Chapter 4.  Compassion Fatigue in Animal-Related Caregivers

Animal related professionals experience a great deal of grief, stress, and trauma in their work. Veterinarians are believed to experience death events more frequently than do medical doctors because the life span of animals is generally significantly shorter than that of most humans. In some animal shelters, hundreds of animals may be euthanized each day due to overpopulation. Animal control workers, humane officers, veterinarians, and veterinary technicians witness neglected and abused animals on a daily basis. These circumstances can lead to high levels of compassion fatigue.  This chapter discusses the circumstances that can lead to compassion fatigue and offers suggestions for interventions at the individual, group, and organizational levels.

Possible author(s): Debbie Stoewen, DVM, MSW, RSW, Ph.D., Care & Empathy Officer, Pets Plus Us, Director of Veterinary Services

 

Chapter 5. The LINK: Violence toward People and Animals

Chapter 6 explores the connections between violence towards animals and violence towards people. Topics cover animal abuse and neglect, as well as threats against animals as part of abusive power and control in domestic violence.  Strategies for assessment and intervention are also discussed.

Possible author: Susan Hatters-Friedman, M.D., Phillip Resnick Professor of Forensic Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry; Maya Gupta, Ph.D., Senior Director, Research, ASPCA

 

Chapter 6. Animal Assisted Interventions in Community Programs

This chapter examines the implementation and use of animal-assisted intervention in community-based programs, such as prisons and long-term care facilities.

Possible author(s): Aviva Lauren Vincent, Ph.D. & Zenithson Ng, DVM, MS, Dipl ABVP, Clinical Assistant Professor of Community Practice Service, University of Tennessee

 

Chapter 7. Animal-Assisted Interventions and Psychotherapy

Animal-assisted interventions in the context of individual, couple, family, and group psychotherapy and counseling are examined.  Emphasis is placed on human-animal interaction, attachment, and bonding.

Possible author: Lori Kogan, Ph.D., Professor of Clinical Sciences for the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University; Chair, Human-Animal Interaction Section of the American Psychological Association, Editor of the Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin

 

Chapter 8. Ethics in Veterinary Social Work Practice

This chapter discusses ethical issues that are frequently encountered in veterinary social work practice.

Possible author(s): Jeannine Moga, M.A., M.S.W., LCSW, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Founding Director, Veterinary Social Services at the University of Minnesota’s Veterinary Medical Center  and Family & Community Services at North Carolina State University’s Veterinary Hospital

 

Part III. Veterinary Social Work and the Veterinary Setting

Chapter 9: Veterinary Social Work in Veterinary Hospital Settings

This chapter describes the on-boarding process for veterinary social workers into veterinary hospitals and clinics.  Issues to be addressed include, but are not limited to, the identification and delineation of roles, the on-boarding process for veterinary social workers into veterinary host settings, the establishment and maintenance of personal and professional boundaries, the identification of staff and client mental health supports, and confidentiality concerns.

Possible author: Sandra Brackenridge, LCSW, Center for Veterinary Specialty Emergency Care, Lewisville, Texas

 

Chapter 10.  Conflict Management in Animal-Related Settings

People who work with animals often feel more affinity to animals than they do to people.  This can contribute to high conflict situations in animal-related settings, such as veterinary clinics and animal shelters. This chapter addresses the frequent lack of training in the science of direct communication, emotion regulation, self-reflection, and self-calming techniques that are relevant to and may be helpful in managing conflicts between veterinary professionals, allied veterinary staff, reception, and maintenance/cleaning staff and those that arise between veterinary providers and clients and between community organizations, e.g., municipalities and animal welfare organizations.

Possible author(s): Sarina Manifold, LCSW, Authentic Healing Counseling, PLLC, former Clinical Professor, University of Tennessee Knoxville Veterinary College

 

Chapter 11: Veterinary Well Being

Veterinarians, particularly younger veterinarians, have been found to be at increased risk for compassion fatigue, burnout, and suicide.  This chapter explores the factors associated with these outcomes and provides strategies to promote veterinarians’ well-being.

Possible author(s): Jane Shaw, D.V.M., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Colorado State University, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Clinical Sciences

 

Chapter 12: Animal -Related Practice Management and Veterinary Social Work

Veterinary social work is primarily performed within bureaucratic systems with established rules and regulations, e.g., universities, colleges, small businesses, corporate veterinary practices, and not-for-profit animal welfare organizations.  This chapter considers the ways in which veterinary social work activities directly influence organizational leadership, management, and development. Topics include organizational integration of veterinary social work ethics, principles, and practices across administrative levels within the organization.

Confirmed author: Pamela Linden, LMSW, Ph.D.

 

Part IV. Veterinary Social Work Education

Chapter 13: Veterinary Social Work in Veterinary Colleges

Veterinarians have been at increased risk of suicide for the past three decades, with a steady upward trend.  Female veterinarians, who comprise 60% of the workforce, are 3.5 times as likely and male veterinarians 2.1 times as likely to die from suicide as compared with the general population.  This chapter speaks to the need for mental health well-being for veterinarians at all stages of their career trajectory beginning with training; the importance of enhancing self-awareness and emotional self-regulation; and the need to support veterinary teams by providing direct client services, e.g., brief counseling, grief and bereavement support, and end-of-life discussions,

Possible author: Joelle Nielsen, Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center

 

Chapter 14: Veterinary Social Work Social Work Internships

The chapter focuses on the development, content, staffing, and implementation of veterinary social work internships, with an emphasis on services that support grieving pet owners and veterinary wellness programming. Discussion also includes strategies for the evaluation and quality improvement of these internship experiences.

Possible authors: Janet Hoy-Gerlach, Ph.D., LISW-S, University of Toledo, College of Health and Human Services & Sandra Brackenridge, LCSW, Center for Veterinary Specialty Emergency Care, Lewisville, Texas

 

Chapter 15. Ethics in Research

This chapter explores the ethical and regulatory compliance issues that may arise in the context of conducting research involving both humans and animals.

Confirmed author: Sana Loue, J.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., M.S.S.A., M.A., LISW-S

 

Part V.  Looking to the Future

Chapter 16. The Current State of Research

The chapter provides an integrated overview of the empirical research that has been conducted in each of the four domains that are the focus of this text: animal assisted interventions, compassion fatigue and management, the LINK between violence toward people and animals, and animal-related grief and bereavement.

Possible author(s): Maya Gupta, Ph.D., Senior Director, Research, ASPCA  and Pamela Linden, LMSW, Ph.D., Clinical Associate Professor, School of Health Technology and Management at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, N.Y.

 

Chapter 17. Veterinary Social Work Across Diverse Cultures

While not essentializing culture, we know that attitudes towards animals and understandings of human-animal relationships vary across cultures.  These differences may create challenges or barriers to the introduction and promotion of veterinary social work as a subspecialty.  The chapter explores these cultural differences and the associated challenges and suggests strategies for moving forward.

Confirmed author(s): Sana Loue, J.D., P.H.D., M.P.H., M.S.S.A., MA., LISW-S

 

Chapter 18. Looking Toward the Future

The final chapter examines the potential for growth within the fields of veterinary social work in both the research and practice contexts.  The chapter identifies gaps in knowledge and possible research to address these gaps and additionally explores the potential expansion of educational programs, the enlargement of collaboration across the multiple disciplinary fields with an interest and investment in veterinary social work.  The chapter examines the need to recognize veterinary social work as a specialty area, the need to establish standards of practice, and the question of who may call themselves a veterinary social worker.

Confirmed authors: Sana Loue, J.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., M.S.S.A., M.A., LISW-S and Pamela Linden, LMSW, Ph.D.

O autorze

Sana Loue, JD, PhD, MPH, MSSA, MA, LISW-S, CST-T, AVT is a professor in the Department of Bioethics at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. She holds secondary appointments in Psychiatry and Global Health at the School of Medicine and in Social Work at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at CWRU. Dr. Loue served as the School of Medicine’s inaugural Vice Dean for Faculty Development and Diversity from 2012 to 2020. Dr. Loue holds degrees in law (JD), epidemiology (PhD), medical anthropology (PhD), social work (MSSA), secondary education (MA), public health (MPH) and theology (MA). Her past research in both the domestic and international contexts has focused on HIV risk and prevention, severe mental illness, family violence, and research ethics. Her current research addresses the interplay between religion, society, and bioethics; the integration of cultural humility into clinical care and research settings; and past and current formulations of eugenics. She has authored or edited more than 30 books and more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles.  Dr. Loue served on the Board of the International Association of Veterinary Social Work and was the organization’s inaugural Director of Education. 

Pamela Linden, MSW, PhD, earned her MSW and PhD at Stony Brook University. Dr. Linden holds a certificate in Veterinary Social Work from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, where she is an instructor in the Veterinary Social Work and Veterinary Human Support Certificate programs. She is the founding President of the International Association of Veterinary Social Work. She administered programs for individuals with serious mental illness, conducted research problem solving courts for both juvenile delinquents and veteran’s and, as a research scientist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, studied mandated outpatient psychiatric treatment. Dr. Linden is the Director of Veterinary Social Work for the AlignCare Healthcare program, a part of the Program for Pet Health Equity at the University of Tennessee. Dr. Linden also administers a nationwide research project that explores experiences of veterinary medical students with diverse social identities and to improve mental health and wellbeing among veterinary students in the U.S. Dr. Linden lives in Long Island, New York with her husband, Steve, and dogs Dove and Lily.