Health and Wellbeing Resources

After a Suicide: A Guide for Veterinary Workplaces is a free guide to help support veterinary workplaces in the aftermath of an employee’s death by suicide.  Developed by experts in veterinary medicine, suicide prevention, and survivors of suicide loss in the veterinary medical community, the guide includes:

• best practices for how workplace leaders and staff should respond in the immediate aftermath of a suicide;
• guidance on helping the workplace community grieve and cope in the short- and long-term;
• tips on working with the media and community partners;
• important information on how to safely memorialize employees and to identify and support members of the community who may be vulnerable and reduce the risk of suicide contagion.

The Guide was developed by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) in partnership with the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA), Veterinary Hospital Managers Association (VHMA), and the Veterinary Medical Association Executives (VMAE).

What’s MightyVet?

Our mission is to nurture and evolve the veterinary ecosystem for the common good of pets, families and the veterinary professionals entrusted with their care. Our vision is to help educate veterinarians, students, techs and anyone who surrounds them about the challenges and opportunities that those drawn to be a part of the most compassionate and trusted profession in the world can bring. They don’t teach this stuff in school (although, we feel they should), and we hope with some transparency and foresight, we can be a catalyst to help change that.

http://mightyvet.org

Email: info@mightyvet.org

Vets4Vets

A confidential support group for veterinarians.

What can Vets4Vets help me with?

• Tough work situations
• Difficult school circumstances
• Stress
• Depression
• Emotional unrest
• Physical challenges
• Addiction

Or… if you just need to talk to somebody.

What about support staff?

Support4Support was started because a group of DVMs were seeing their support staff struggling with similar challenges. Support4Support is a confidential support group for veterinary support staff.

Who is Vets4Vets?

We are from all areas of the veterinary profession. We’re here to help colleagues.

Vets4Vets support team members are experienced, active and retired, veterinarians. Support4Support team members are experienced veterinary technicians and veterinary support staff educators. All team members care about you and all colleagues.

Professional therapists with years of experience supporting veterinarians and veterinary support staff complete the teams.

For more information visit the Vets4Vets webpage on VIN.

Contact: vets4vets@vinfoundation.org

Printable/downloadable Brochure

Thrive in Five

https://vinfoundation.org/resources/thrive-in-five-new-veterinary-graduate-toolkit/

Going from being a veterinary student to a real life animal doctor can be overwhelming. The VIN Foundation Thrive in Five Toolkit helps new veterinary school graduates thrive as veterinarians in their first five years out of veterinary school.

This toolkit combines our most helpful resources for new veterinary school graduates into your one-stop-shop toolkit. As with all of the VIN Foundation resources, these are all available to you at no cost. Take look around, and if you need help or have suggestions, our door is always open.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

1-800-273-TALK (8255)

www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Since its inception, the Lifeline has engaged in a variety of initiatives to improve crisis services and advance suicide prevention. No matter what problems you are dealing with, we want to help you find a reason to keep living. By calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255) you’ll be connected to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area, anytime 24/7.

Multnomah County Mental Health Crisis Line

(503) 988-4888

https://multco.us/mhas/mental-health-crisis-intervention

The Mental Health Call Center is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by a highly-educated, well-trained staff. The call center offers:

• Crisis Counseling by phone, with translation services for non-English speakers
• 24/7 mobile crisis outreach for in-person assessment
• Referral to low-cost or sliding-scale agencies
• Help finding mental health providers, including those who have culturally linguistically specific services
• Information about non-crisis community resources

Clackamas County Crisis Line

(503) 655-8585

http://www.clackamas.us/behavioralhealth/

Washington County Crisis Services

(503) 291-9111

http://www.co.washington.or.us/HHS/MentalHealth/GettingHelp/crisis-services/

Clark County

(360) 696-9560 or 1-800-686-8137

Please also visit Oregon.gov to search all county resources…http://public.health.oregon.gov/PreventionWellness/SafeLiving/SuicidePrevention/

Listing of these individuals is not an endorsement. It is up to an individual to determine if someone is a good fit for them, but we do hope this is a good starting point!

Raina Hassan, MS, LPC

hassanraina@gmail.com

www.rainahassan.com

(541) 659-7359

Robin Kellett, LPC, LLC

EMDR therapy and work with many people who have had trauma, grief/loss, vicarious trauma

robinkellett00@gmail.com

(978) 394-0880

Tiffany McClean, DNP, PMHNP, LPC

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

(503) 967-3045

Taylor Miller, DVM, LPC-Intern

thoughtfullifecounseling@gmail.com

thoughtfullifecounseling.com

Phone: (541) 263-5097

Katie Playfair, LPC, NCC

katie@playfairconsulting.com

(503) 610-6162

Carol Walnum, MA, MBA, LPC, Jungian Analyst, IAAP

Counseling Services of NE Portland, Oregon

counselingneportland.com

(503) 287-1526

Listing of these individuals is not an endorsement. It is up to an individual to determine if someone is a good fit for them, but we do hope this is a good starting point!

Catherine Beckett LCSW, PhD

www.catherinebeckett.net

(503) 319-8998

Athena Phillips, LCSW

http://www.traumacenternw.com/our-team/athena

(503) 819-4181

Keith Campbell, PhD

(503) 221-7074

Elliot Geller, LCSW

https://www.amha-or.com/elliot-m-geller-lcsw-cgp

(503) 224-1433

Kate Davis, LCSW

http://www.katedavismsw.com/

(503) 265-9390

Georgena Eggleston, MA

www.beyondyourgrief.com

(503) 309-3966

Nate Wilson-Traisman, LMFT 

http://portlandoregontherapy.com/

(541) 705-4979

For assistance finding a therapist, please visit the sites below:

Psychology Today Therapist & Counselor Search: http://therapists.psychologytoday.com/rms/

About the Psychology Today search: A comprehensive and easy-to-use search tool for finding detailed professional listings for Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Therapists, Counselors, Group Therapy and Treatment Centers in the United States and Canada.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator: http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/locator

LifeWorks Northwest— http://www.lifeworksnw.org

Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare— http://www.cascadiabhc.org

Morrison Child & Family Services— http://www.morrisonkids.org

The Dougy Center— http://www.dougy.org

Multnomah County Mental Health & Addiction Services— https://multco.us/mhas

National Alliance on Mental Illness—http://www.nami.org

Affordable Health Care Act Mental Health Coverage:

https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage/mental-health-substance-abuse-coverage/

Mental Health care is required coverage in all health insurance plans sold through the healthcare exchanges. Also, here’s a PDF that shows that Mental Health treatment is not only required by the ACA on the National level, but it’s also something that’s required at the State level here in Oregon (at least in group plans). If you are unsure what your plan covers, please take a look here:  http://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Resources/Data-Resources/

Student Loan Planner

www.studentloanplanner.com

https://www.mint.com/

Mint makes staying on top of your finances a cinch. Be the masterof your money so you can get more out of life.

vinfoundation.org/studentdebtcenter

The VIN Foundation Student Debt Center is made up of four sections:

1. The Cost of Education Map is a realistic look at the cost of veterinary schools, taking into consideration resident, non-resident, and private tuition along with living expenses and student loan interest.

2. My Student Loans helps you make sense of your student loans. Getting to and through veterinary school often results in a complex student loan portfolio. Upload your National Student Loan Data System file into the My Student Loans tool to get a breakdown of your loan types, a weighted average interest rate, and an estimate of your monthly interest accumulation.

3. The Student Loan Repayment Simulator is an interactive program giving detailed repayment cost comparisons based on anticipated income, family information, total loan amount and repayment plan. A forgiveness planning module also helps those utilizing income-driven repayment understand and plan for estimated tax consequences due to forgiveness.

4. WikiDebt is a resource library for all things dealing with educational debt specific to veterinary students and veterinarians. Search various student loan topics or explore the available categories. All of the content has been created directly from student loan repayment questions that have been asked by your veterinary colleagues.

Center for Equity and Inclusion

AVMA Diversity and Inclusion

Q Center

mypronouns.org 

For a comprehensive collection or Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging resources, please visit: http://portlandvma.journeycare.online/edi

VIN Rounds: Dealing With Your and Your Colleagues’ Stress and Depression (video)

A letter from PVMA Member Dr. Timothy McCarthy (members only)

TED Talks regarding mental health:

Depression, the secret we share – Andrew Solomon

The power of vulnerability – Brene Brown

How to make stress your friend – Kelly McGonigal

Getting stuck in the negatives (and how to get unstuck) – Alison Ledgerwood

How to practice emotional first aid – Guy Winch

A new plan for anxious feelings: escape the custard! – Neil Hughes

Helpful articles and academic journals:

• A cross-sectional study of mental health and well-being and their associations in the UK veterinary profession. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. December 2009;44(12):1075-85.
• Cohen, SP. Compassion fatigue and the veterinary health team. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2007;37:123–134.
• Bartram DJ, Baldwin DS. Veterinary surgeons and suicide: a structured review of possible influences and risk. Vet Rec. 2010;166:388–397.
• Cohen, SP. Compassion fatigue and the veterinary health team. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract. 2007;37:123–134.
• Mitchener KL, Ogilvie GK. Understanding compassion fatigue: keys for caring veterinary healthcare team. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2002;38:307–310.
• Nolen, RS. When caring too much is an occupational hazard. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2006;228(11):1653.
• Reeve CL, Rogelberg SG, Spitzmuller C, Digiacomo N. The caring-killing paradox: euthanasia-related strain among animal shelter work. J Appl Soc Psych. 2005;35(1):119–143.
• The distinct role of performing euthanasia on depression and suicide in veterinarians. J Occup Health Psychol. April 2014;19(2):123-32.
• Rogelberg SG, Reeve CL, Spitzmüller C, et al. Impact of euthanasia rates, euthanasia practices, and human resource practices on employee turnover in animal shelters. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2007;230(5):713–719.
• Reeve CL, Rogelberg SG, Spitzmuller C, Digiacomo N. The caring-killing paradox: euthanasia-related strain among animal shelter work. J Appl Soc Psych. 2005;35(1):119–143.
• 2015 AVMA Article about the high rate of suicide in veterinarians.

Chiropractic Care & Sports Medicine

University of Western States

healthcenter.uws.edu/chiropractic-care 

Campus Health Center

(503) 255-6771

2900 NE 132nd Ave

Portland, Oregon 97230

East Portland Health Center

(503) 808-7979

12615 NE Halsey Street

Portland, Oregon 97230

Gresham Health Center

(503) 512-1040

1304 NW Civic Drive

Gresham, Oregon 97030

In May 2021, the PVMA was approached by Stephanie Whitchurch, the owner of Discover Balance Wellness Center in Vancouver, WA about ways in which she could support the veterinary community. Stephanie had become aware of the mental health challenges and high rate of suicide that exists in the veterinary profession and offered her professional services and facility to provide wellness care to our members, one Sunday a month.

With great gratitude, the PVMA worked with Stephanie to support this program and connect our community to these wellness day offerings. These events are an opportunity for metro area veterinary professionals to receive complimentary wellness services and enjoy a well-deserved day of self-care with colleagues.

A variety of services are available (vary for each date), including acupuncture, mineral bath, float,  sauna, reiki, massage, yoga, and more. PVMA Wellness Days are ongoing and hosted one Sunday a month in Vancouver, WA. We currently have dates determined through June 2023!

We welcome additional support of this program. If you are a wellness service provided and would like to get involved, please contact the PVMA office at 503- 228-7387.

For more information about the PVMA’s Wellness Day events: www.portlandvma.org/wellnessdays/

Mental Health First Aid Training:

https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/

https://namior.org/mental-health-first-aid/

Banfield ASK- https://www.vetfolio.com/pages/ask-assess-support-know

AVMA QPR Training- https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/wellbeing/qpr-suicide-prevention-training