Learning More From a Veterinary Social Worker
For anyone interested in learning more about the field of veterinary social work (VSW), we interviewed Sarina Manifold, MSSW, LCSW, the Founder and Owner of Authentic Healing Counseling, located in North Carolina. We asked her to describe how she became involved in veterinary medicine and her current role as a VSW.
The Start of a Veterinary Social Worker’s Career
Ms. Manifold, who had an early career interest in helping individuals who are experiencing losses and life transitions, also had a special interest in helping animal care professionals enhance their well-being. During her VSW Certificate training at the University of Tennessee, she began working with Dr. Elizabeth Strand, providing grief support to animal guardians at the University of Tennessee Veterinary Medical Center.
Helping the Helpers
For the next 11 years, Ms. Manifold’s professional responsibilities grew to also include providing support not only to animal guardians but also to the animal care providers (veterinarians, veterinary technicians, veterinary assistants, client services staff, and veterinary students).
Currently, Ms. Manifold’s VSW clients include animal guardians, veterinarians, veterinary technicians, veterinary assistants, client services staff, animal shelter workers, animal control officers, zoo/aquarium staff, and any other animal care providers.
What Does a Veterinary Social Worker Do?
When asked how veterinary social workers can be used to support the veterinary profession, Sarina responded, “Veterinary Social Workers are taught a unique set of skills that can help animal care providers with several issues that are unique to the profession,” such as helping them:
Cope with the losses they experience in their professional roles;
Manage interpersonal conflicts that often arises in the animal care settings;
Cope with issues of burnout and compassion fatigue; and,
Educate and navigate issues of the link between human and animal violence that animal care providers might encounter.
Ms. Manifold further explained, “There are so many ways that someone trained in Veterinary Social Work can support the animal care professions. We do this in several ways such as providing one-on-one support, group support, consultations, educational workshops, and helping to create policies.”
Specific examples of VSW work cited by Ms. Manifold include:
Help animal care providers process difficult cases by offering services such as a debrief,
Act as a liaison between the client and the vet team during an animal’s treatment (if embedded in a vet clinic);
Help identify resources that an animal clinic or shelter may want to share with animal guardians (such as food pantry info, pet loss resources, low cost vaccine info, animal friendly domestic violence resources, etc.);
Provide communication workshops to help manage situations such as client interactions as well as team conflict;
Provide emotional support to animal guardians during euthanasia (if embedded in a vet clinic); and,
Help companion animal owners who may be struggling to make treatment and/or end-of-life decisions from a non-medical perspective.
Who Employs Veterinary Social Workers?
When asked where veterinary social workers are employed, Ms. Manifold responded, individuals trained in Veterinary Social Work may be:
Embedded in a veterinary clinic;
Embedded in an animal shelter;
Contracted to provide support to a veterinary clinic, shelter, or animal care organization on an as needed basis; and,
Work for an organization dedicated to advancing wellbeing in the profession by providing advocacy and policy suggestions for animal care organizations.
Conclusions
Veterinary social workers play an important role in the intersection between animals and the people that interact with them. We are very grateful for Sarina and her work in the MentorVet community supporting the veterinary professionals within it!