Building Supports for People with Companion Animals
Hosted by the International Association of Veterinary Social Work in collaboration with Open Door Veterinary Collective
Approximately 66% of United States households report having at least one companion animal, and the majority indicate they consider their animal to be a family member. While veterinary social workers specifically attend to human needs that arise in such relationships, unfortunately recognizing and responding to clients’ companion animal relationships – as both strengths and stressors –- are not yet routine considerations in general social work practice. Moreover, social workers and their clients often face both system and resource barriers in addressing human-animal relationship needs.
In this session, you will learn:
1) Attendees will be able to describe at least one of each type of human benefit associated with non-human animal companionship: biological, psychological, social, and emotional.
2) Attendees will be able to identify at least three client risks related to omitting consideration of client companion animal concerns in social work practice.
3) Attendees will be able to state at least two strategies for increasing consideration of clients’ companion animal concerns in micro practice.
4) Attendees will be able to describe at least two community-level strategies for addressing clients’ companion animal-related resource needs.
Who should attend?
Mental health program managers and staff
Domestic violence program managers and staff
Victim advocates
Social service providers
Animal welfare managers and staff
Presented by:
Zoë Agnew-Svoboda
zagnewsvoboda@bestybnb.com
Director of Engagement and Program Development, BestyBnB
Zoë has worked in animal welfare for over a decade. Prior to joining BestyBnB, she spent close to 8 years providing direct service to survivors of domestic violence by managing the pet advocacy program at a domestic violence agency in Kansas City, Missouri. With this program, she gained first-hand knowledge of the positive impact pets play in our lives and how the relationship we share with animals can be life-saving. Zoë regularly provides training on her vast knowledge of the connection between domestic violence and animal abuse, and how to provide pet advocacy services. In her role with BestyBnB, she partners with agencies to implement lifesaving programs for survivors seeking safety with their pets.
&
Dr. Janet Hoy-Gerlach
socialwork@opendoorconsults.org
Director of Veterinary Social Work, Open Door Veterinary Collective
Dr. Hoy-Gerlach is a licensed clinical social worker, author, researcher, and human-animal interaction researcher. She is currently the Director of Veterinary Social Work at Open Door Veterinary Collective, a national non-profit that works to improve access to veterinary care and related supports. She lead-authored of the peer-reviewed book Human-Animal Interaction: A Social Work Guide (2017) published by the National Association of Social Work, is an adjunct faculty member at Case Western Reserve University, and has a social work consulting practice called OneHealth People-Animal Wellness Services (OHPAWS). Through OHPAWS, Dr. Hoy-Gerlach helps to advance practices, programs and policies that support human-animal relationships for mutual well-being. Her research on mental health benefits of animal companionship has been featured in media outlets such as Discover Magazine, Business Insider, Medscape, and Psychology Today. She serves as an expert witness on human-animal bond mental health benefits for the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division.
*BestyBnB webinars are geared toward professional development and are not intended to be utilized for therapeutic or psycho-educational purposes. If you are a survivor of domestic violence seeking help please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline.