Wellbeing is just as important for professionals and support staff within the veterinary medicine field as it is for students. The Wellness Committee (WELCOM) is invested in sharing resources to all individuals in our college, so we put together this list of helpful resources.
American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Wellbeing and Peer Assistance Programming provides several resources for veterinary professionals and students to support professional and personal wellbeing such as a tool for assessing wellbeing, strategies to improve workplace wellbeing, and several resources on compassion fatigue just to name a few of these.
My Veterinary Life (AVMA) shares valuable resources for veterinary professionals at different stages of one’s veterinary career. The My Veterinary Life podcast seeks to share inspiring stories of challenges, successes, and lessons learned from the field.
North American Veterinary Conference (NAVC) VetFolio Wellbeing Resource Center provides a wide range of resources, articles, and CE’s aimed at supporting every aspect of wellbeing for veterinary professionals.
NAVC’s Spark! shares a mental health and wellbeing video series for veterinary professionals.
American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) Wellbeing Resources promotes a systems/community-based approach to address wellbeing in the veterinary profession and provides several educational resources including a series of monographs focused on best practices in wellbeing.
Indiana Veterinary Medical Association Wellbeing Program provides several resources to help support the wellbeing of veterinary professionals and shares specific links to resources in Indiana. If you are member of IVMA, ask them about their Membership Assistance Program (MAP) which offers help for personal and professional concerns by providing free, confidential, short-term counseling and consultation. Incredible benefit!
World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) is working to create global guidelines for veterinary wellness. They have newly developed a Professional Wellness Group and Best Practices and Resources in Veterinary Wellness
Shanti Project Veterinary Mental Health Initiative: “An empathic and supportive space to understand how your peers are persisting through similar challenges.” Founded on the principle that every person deserves compassion, connection, and human dignity, this organization provides free and confidential group and individual support for veterinarians among providing many other valuable services for those in high need.
Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project offers valuable information and resources such as a compassion fatigue self-test, information on recognizing symptoms, suggested reading, and tips for overcoming and preventing compassion fatigue.
Start Your Recovery: Substance Abuse Resources and Support: StartYourRecovery.org provides helpful information for people who are dealing with substance use issues — and their family members, friends, and co-workers, too.
QPR Suicide Prevention Training is provided by the AVMA to help veterinary professionals identify and refer at-risk colleagues.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention provides several resources to help you find support for yourself and others who may be at risk for suicide.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, and several resources for concerned others who want to help.
