The Role of Social Work in Veterinary Medicine | Episode 62 | Reviving Vet Med

Veterinary professionals often face intense emotional challenges — from navigating difficult euthanasia conversations to managing compassion fatigue and moral distress. But did you know that social workers are increasingly becoming essential allies in these moments? In this episode, we explore the growing field of veterinary social work and how it bridges the gap between human and animal wellbeing. You’ll learn about the origins of veterinary social work, including pioneering efforts from the University of Tennessee’s Veterinary Social Work Program, and how this interdisciplinary approach helps address the emotional complexities faced by veterinary teams and their clients.

We’ll also dive into real-world examples of how social workers provide critical support — assisting with grief counseling, enhancing client communication, and helping veterinary professionals manage stress and burnout. Listen to discover how integrating social work into veterinary settings is transforming the profession by fostering a more compassionate, sustainable future for everyone involved.

Resources
Center for Veterinary Social Work: https://vetsocialwork.tennessee.edu/

University of Tennessee launches the first Center for Veterinary Social Work (article): https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/262/1/javma.23.11.0614.xml

Why all veterinary practices should have a mental health professional on staff (blog): https://revivingvetmed.com/veterinary-hospitals-mental-health-professional-staff/

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Transcript

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Use the link in the show notes for 100 free notes, 50 more than the trial book, a no obligation demo call and see how Scribenote can simplify your day. Foreign welcome to another episode of Reviving Vet Med. I am thrilled you're joining me today for a very special episode in honor of World Social Work Day that we just celebrated on March 19th. In today's episode, we're diving into a topic that's becoming increasingly relevant in veterinary medicine, the integration of social work into our profession. So you might be wondering, what exactly does a social worker do in a veterinary setting? How do they support veterinary teams, clients and even pets? 

In this episode, we will explore the evolution of social work in Vet Med, how it's making a difference and why this collaboration is so vital for the wellbeing of both veterinary professionals and our clients. So let's go ahead and get into the episode. Foreign this is the Reviving Vet Med podcast and I'm your host, Dr. Marie Holowaychuk. My mission is to improve the mental health and wellbeing of veterinary professionals around the world. To start, let's break down the basics. What is social work? Social work is a profession that is dedicated to enhancing human wellbeing and ensuring that individuals, families and communities have the resources they need to thrive. Social workers often focus on helping those who are vulnerable, marginalized or facing challenging life circumstances. 

Their work also involves advocating for systemic change, providing counseling and support and connecting people with essential resources. Really all with the ultimate goal of empowering individuals and strengthening communities. So how does someone become a social worker? I know quite a few veterinary professionals who have become social workers as well. This was something actually that I briefly toyed with doing when I first moved to Calgary. We have a robust social work program here in Calgary at the university, and I was considering applying to do a Master's in Social work. So the path to becoming a social worker typically involves doing one of many degrees. You can get a Bachelor of Social Work or a BSW. This is a four-year undergrad degree that introduces students to the core principles of social work. These are things like human behavior, ethics, diversity and social justice. 

There are many entry level social work positions, such as case management or community outreach that require a BSW. You can also get a Master of Social Work or an MSW. These are for those who want to practice clinical social work or specialize in areas like healthcare, mental health, or veterinary social work. This advanced degree typically takes one to two years to complete if you do it full time, and includes coursework in clinical assessment, psychotherapy and policy analysis, along with supervised fieldwork or internships. And the MSW was what I was considering doing. There's also a doctorate in social work, a DSW or a PhD. And for social workers who are interested in leadership roles, research or academia, a doctorate may be pursued. And DSW focuses on advanced clinical practice and leadership, while a PhD in social work might emphasize more so research and teaching. 

And so, after completing an MSW or Master's in social work, aspiring social workers have to pass a license licensing exam to become a licensed clinical social worker or an LCSW or an equivalent, depending on where a social worker practices. And the licensure often requires supervised clinical hours, which can take up to two to three years to complete post-graduation. So after a person finishes their schooling, where would they work as a social worker? Well, when we think about traditional social work settings, you will find social workers in hospitals and healthcare facilities. These are social workers that might be supporting families and patients, navigating complex medical decisions. You might also find social workers in schools where they're providing counseling, intervention or advocacy for students. 

There are also social workers who work in mental health clinics where they offer therapy or crisis intervention or other supports for mental health challenges. And of course, we definitely have social workers in crisis intervention centers. These social workers tend to assist individuals who might be experiencing intimate partner violence, homelessness, or addiction. So there is definitely a lot that social workers can do and a lot of places where they can be found. And to be honest, I feel like social work is an incredibly noble profession. This is definitely the epitome of caregiving and really looking at the whole situation, you know, the person, their environment, their supports, et cetera. And this is definitely a field that I have been interested in for a while. I mentioned considering doing a social work degree when I moved to Calgary, but it goes back farther than that.

When I was in junior high and high school. And we would do those self-assessments to tell us what career would you best suited for when you grow up? And social worker always came up for me. And I remember it wasn't until years later that I really understood what a social worker did. And I think the role of a social worker continues to grow, and their reach extends far beyond the settings that I mentioned. And excitedly, this is where vet medicine comes in. So how does social work fit into veterinary medicine? Well, Veterinary Social Work, or VSW, is an emerging field that recognizes the human animal bond and the emotional complexities that come with caring for pets. So we all know that veterinarians, technicians, and everybody on the team often work with clients who are grieving. They're navigating difficult decisions. 

They're coping with the stress of unexpected diagnoses or financial constraints. And this is where the veterinary social worker can come in. These are professionals trained to help navigate these exact emotionally charged situations. And specifically in veterinary medicine, they can support us in four key areas. And so when we think about veterinary social workers, we think of grief and pet loss support. So assisting clients through the emotional journey of euthanasia or the loss of a beloved pet. We also think of compassion fatigue and burnout prevention. So veterinary social workers have tools and strategies and training to be able to support veterinary teams in managing the emotional toll of their work. We also think of veterinary social workers offering support with client communication and conflict resolution. 

Because they take a systems level approach, they're often very skilled at helping to navigate really challenging family conversations and to mitigate conflict either between the clients and their veterinary team or between the clients and their family members. And then last, we think of veterinary social workers helping with animal related family violence and advocacy. So again, these are situations where social workers can both recognize and respond to situations where pets may be involved intimate partner violence or some other violence within the home. So at the end of the day, veterinary social workers bridge the gap between veterinary clinical care and emotional support, thereby making sure that both people and pets receive the compassionate care that they need. Now, the rise of veterinary social work didn't happen overnight. 

I know some of you might be hearing about this for the very first time, but the roots go back farther than most people realize. In fact, one of the earliest documented examples of social workers collaborating with veterinary professionals goes back to the 1980s at the Animal Medical center in New York. Dr. Susan Cohen wrote an article in the Veterinary Clinics of North America, Small Animal Practice, that was published in 1985. And this was a landmark article that highlighted the new and developing role that social workers were playing in supporting both veterinarians and their clients. And even then, social workers were helping clients to navigate euthanasia, grief reactions and complex emotional challenges. And they also provided counseling for veterinary staff and developed educational programs to improve client relations and help veterinary teams manage their own stress. 

Now, fast forward to the early 2000s and this is where the field of veterinary social work really began to take shape, thanks mostly to the University of Tennessee's Veterinary social work, or VSW program. This was founded by Dr. Elizabeth Strand, and this was truly a groundbreaking program that formalized training for social workers who wanted to specialize in supporting veterinary teams, clients and the human animal bond. And I remember going to one of the earlier conferences that was hosted by the University of Tennessee Veterinary Social Work Program. This was a conference that was focused on wellness and mental health in the veterinary profession. And it was just an incredible eye-opening experience into all of the different supports that are available and are growing in order to enhance the mental health and wellness of everybody in vet medicine. 

So there was some exciting news a couple of years ago in June of 2023, where building on decades of collaboration between the University of Tennessee's College of Social Work and the College of Veterinary Medicine, the University launched the center for Veterinary Social work, or the CVSW. And this center, of course, is led by Dr. Elizabeth Strand, and is truly innovation in the veterinary space. This is a hub designed to advance interprofessional education because of course, we're meshing human work with veterinary work as well as research and direct services in the field of veterinary social work. So there was an article that was published in JAVMA, the Journal of the American Vet Med Association a few years ago when this announcement was made that said that the Center's mission is to attend to the welfare of all species through excellence in global interprofessional practice. 

And their work at the Veterinary center for Social Work focuses on four key areas. And these are animal assisted interventions, animal related grief and bereavement, the link between human and animal violence, and intentional wellbeing for veterinary professionals. So when we think of animal assisted interventions, we think of ways to incorporate animals into therapeutic practices to support mental and emotional wellbeing. So these are things like pet therapy, equine therapy, all those sorts of things where we recognize how healing and helpful animals can be to human mental health. When we think of animal related grief and bereavement, this is of course helping pet owners and team members to process the loss of their beloved companions and patients. 

And when we think of the link between human and animal violence, this is addressing issues such as intimate partner violence and animal abuse, which are often interconnected. So there has been a great deal of research for several decades now that has documented that when there is intimate partner violence in the home, there's usually animal abuse that is associated with that, or animals can be used to threaten intimate partners. And also sometimes individuals will start with abuse of animal before moving to abuse of a person. And so this important intersection is something that veterinary social workers are specifically equipped to recognize and manage. And then, last but not least, of course, a personal area of interest for me is that intentional wellbeing for veterinary professionals, which is everything that we do to support the mental health and resilience of veterinary teams. 

And I have gotten to know many social workers over the years who have taught me so much and have brought so much rich experience and knowledge and research to the veterinary mental health and wellness space. And again, this is an area that is growing as well. So, speaking of which, why is veterinary social work growing so quickly? Again, you might be thinking, gosh, you know, I hadn't even heard of this a couple of years ago and now I'm just hearing about it all the time. Well, of course, it's no secret, if you're listening to my podcast, that the veterinary profession has been grappling with mounting challenges, including the demands of clients, emotional exhaustion or burnout, ethical dilemmas, and of course, increasingly complex medical cases. 

You know, I think about the cases that the social workers were helping with at AMC back in the mid-80s, and the medicine that we are practicing 40 years later. Today, there's really no comparison. And with more complexity comes more financial investment and more emotional investment. And so clients, veterinarians, and veterinary teams are finding themselves navigating very emotionally charged situations. And of course, certainly in the veterinary space, these situations can lead to burnout, to moral distress, and to compassion fatigue. And so, by integrating social work into veterinary settings, we're seeing a shift. I mentioned that social workers take on a very holistic approach to support everybody that's involved. This move to integrating social work is going to offer sustainable fixes within the veterinary space. 

It is important to recognize that social workers aren't just there for clients, they are there for veterinary teams as well, providing that emotional support, helping with communication, and also helping to prevent the emotional fallout that can come with challenging cases. So the center for Veterinary Social Work is taking this vision further by providing this framework that fosters collaboration between human and animal science professionals to ensure that Both species needs are met. And as the demand for these services grows, the hope is that more vet schools, hospitals and practices are going to recognize the need to include social workers on their team. And this trend is going to transform the future of veterinary care. Now let's talk about why this matters for veterinary teams. We know that veterinary professionals are not immune to stress, anxiety and emotional fatigue. 

We know that there is tremendous emotional labor when it comes to caring for animals, especially when we are concurrently managing very complex client interactions. All of this can take a toll. And this is where veterinary social workers really shine. So they can make a difference by offering crisis support. So during emotionally charged situations like euthanasia or difficult client interactions, they can be there to intervene and assist and really let the veterinary team do what they do best, which is to provide the medical care and they can provide the human care. They also make a difference by offering debriefing or processing groups. These are safe spaces for veterinary teams to process challenging cases, to decompress and to talk about some healthy coping strategies. They also can provide mental health education. 

So this is where promoting awareness of compassion fatigue, post-traumatic secondary distress syndrome, or strategies for self-care and boundary setting. All of these can be really enhanced in terms of awareness by having a social work present who can educate and offer resources in response. I have to say that I have had the privilege of working alongside social workers in veterinary settings and I've experienced firsthand how much their present can transform team dynamics and provide that much needed emotional support. So definitely can't say enough good things about them. And it's not just that they support the veterinary teams, they are also a lifeline for clients who are navigating these difficult decisions. So I think we've all had those heart wrenching conversations where a family is deciding, you know, whether to proceed with treatment or make the difficult decision to euthanize. 

And social workers can help in these situations. They can offer grief counseling and support groups to those who are processing their grief. They can help families balance emotional and financial considerations when they're navigating difficult decisions. And they can also mediate when opinions between family members clash about what the best course of action is. And this can also be true in situations where the client's opinions conflict with the veterinary teams, leading to ethical concerns. Really, overall, their ability to create a safe, supportive environment ensures that clients feel heard and validated, which again can ultimately lead to more positive outcomes for both families and the veterinary teams. So I mentioned that I have had the pleasure and really the luxury to work with Veterinary social workers over the years. 

I want to share some examples just to highlight with you all the different ways that veterinary social workers can be involved. So my first experience with a social worker was at the Ontario Veterinary College when I was on faculty. The oncology department had a large donation by one of their clients, and that client specifically wanted that donation to go to hiring a veterinary social worker. And so that's what the oncology department did. They hired a social worker who would come into the hospital a couple of afternoons a week, and she would hang out in the waiting room. She would talk to clients that were there with their pets for cancer treatment. She would help with challenging decisions. She would support clients during grief, you know, if there was a difficult life ending, diagnosis or prognosis that was given. And she was wonderful. 

And of course, I didn't work in oncology. My specialty is emergency and critical care. But we had our fair share of very challenging cases in the ICU as well. And so, thankfully, while the donation was intended for this social worker to work primarily with oncology clients, this social worker was very kind enough to offer her services to our clients as well. So, for example, if we had a case in the ICU who was on the ventilator for a week or more, and certainly if it ended up dying, or any really difficult, challenging, emotionally gut-wrenching case where we knew that our clients were struggling, or if there was family dynamics where they might struggle. For example, you know, a family member who has lost a loved one, and this pet is their only last link to this loved one. 

And so they're feeling really challenged to let that animal go or the animal died, and they're feeling really challenged to move on. These were perfect situations where we would reach out to the social worker and put her in touch with the client. And most of our clients were really happy and grateful to be reached out to by the social worker. Fast forward a few years later, when I moved to Calgary, I worked at a specialty hospital that had a veterinary social worker as well, one afternoon a week. And this veterinary social worker was tasked with the job of calling all of the clients whose pets had been euthanized in the preceding week, just to check in and offer grief support. And she was also available for any team members to come to her with questions or other, you know, specific case challenges. 

She was only there on a very part time basis, but again, it was just so nice to know that if you had a client that was struggling, that she would be able to contact them and offer some support. Now there are Also many veterinary social workers that work full time. And although we didn't have a social worker at the veterinary school where I graduated back in 2004, there has been a social worker at the Western College of Vet Medicine there for the last 10 years. So Erin Wasson is the social worker there and recently celebrated 10 years of social work at the WCVM. And Erin is there full time. She actually has grown her service so that she has other team members and interns there with her as well. 

And she is able to offer support for students, staff and clients in all of the areas in which we shared. And there are other veterinary schools who have also invested in hiring a veterinary social worker. And there are also specialty hospitals or conglomerate corporate conglomerates that have also hired full time veterinary social workers. So when I have worked as a locum in the US I have also had the pleasure of working in big hospitals that have their own dedicated social worker or we have access to a social worker through our network of hospitals. And this has been transformative. 

These are situations where, you know, if we have a client or a family that is really struggling with a situation, or we as a team are struggling to communicate with a family, or it's just a really intense situation, or it's complex, you know, maybe there is involvement of animal abuse or anything else. It has been such a weight off my mind to know that I have expert in a veterinary social worker there to offer support to clients and also to us, the team. And so I can't stress this enough. And it was actually after this experience that I went ahead and I wrote a blog post that I will go ahead and share in the show notes about why all veterinary teams would benefit from having access to some sort of mental health professional.

And I go back to the conundrum that we often face as veterinary team members where we feel so pulled between doing the work of being a veterinary professional, offering medical care, and between being a mental health professional and supporting our clients and our team. And the reality is that we aren't trained to be a mental health professional and we need supports in that area. And just knowing that I have someone there to lean on, to offer that support is a huge weight off for me and really just allows me to focus on what I do best, which of course is providing medical care for my patients. So as we look into the future, I have to say I am very optimistic about the expanding role of social work in veterinary medicine. 

I am seeing and hearing about more hospitals and clinics who are recognizing the need to embed social workers into their teams, and there's a growing demand formal training programs to equip social workers with the special skills they need to navigate veterinary settings. We are different than other settings, and it's wonderful that we have the University of Tennessee that is offering this specific training. I truly believe that by continuing to integrate social work into veterinary practice, we're not only improving client and team wellbeing, but we are also creating a healthier, more sustainable profession for everybody involved. So I encourage you to reflect on how social work could enhance your practice. Whether you're a veterinarian, technician, practice manager, or owner, recognizing the value of emotional support in veterinary settings is a step toward positive change. 

And if your practice doesn't yet have a veterinary social worker or you're a very small practice, consider advocating for one in your community or partnering with someone in your community. There are lots of different ways that we can offer grief counseling and support services that are going to benefit not just your clients, but also your veterinary team. So that's it for this episode of Reviving Vet Med. I hope this conversation has given you some insight into the important and growing role that social workers play in vet medicine. If you found this episode helpful, please take a moment to forward it to a colleague or a co-worker who you think would also enjoy listening. We would also really appreciate it if you would subscribe to the podcast. 

This makes sure that you get the new episodes as soon as they drop, and it also puts our podcast in front of more listeners. If you are interested in more tips and strategies for wellbeing in veterinary medicine, please follow us on social media at Reviving Vet Med. And if you have questions about today's episode, suggestions for future topics, or if you're interested in sponsoring the podcast, please email us at podcast@revivingvetmed.com I'd like to thank the team at Bare Beat Productions for producing this episode and I'd also like to thank you for listening. I hope you'll tune in next time. In the meantime, take care of yourself. Bye for now.