Resources
Suicide AwarenessStaff Meeting in a Box
Need staff meeting ideas? Welcome to our Staff Meeting in a Box! Each month, we provide a full staff meeting worth of materials on a particular topic, taking all of the planning off of your shoulders!
This month’s topic is suicide awareness and prevention. By clicking on the link below, you will be directed to our online platform, where you will have access to a 20 minute video, created by Brandon Hess, as well as several downloadable resources and activities for your staff!
Wellness Tip of the Month
One way to help anticipate and manage Compassion Fatigue is to remember your ABC’s. Awareness, Balance and Connection.
Awareness: This is taking a self-inventory. Are you experiencing symptoms? What are the symptoms and what are their severity? Do you know what events trigger extreme emotions? Do you have realistic expectations about your environment and the situations around you?
Remember E+R=O (events+YOUR response to the event)=outcome. The only thing you can control is your response.
The better that someone understands their emotions, the better they will be able to anticipate and manage compassion fatigue.
Balance: What do your boundaries look like? Do you utilize your PTO? Do you get PTO? Sometimes it is about quality vs quantity – especially right now. Are you capitalizing on the time that you do have scheduled off? Everyone’s balance will look different. What is important for me may not be important to you. Define, measure and map out a plan for your ideal scenario. Having this discussion with your work isn’t an all or nothing, some give and take may need to take place.
Connection: Do you have a support system? Are you able to have conversations about your own vulnerability? This is so important in being able to connect with others and reinforce the fact that you aren’t alone. We all need to feel like we belong. When was the last conference that you attended? Learning about our field and talking to others who are similarly invested can help with feelings of inclusion. Can you join a local manager group, technician group or other profession-specific group of peers who you can reach out to?
While this process looks simple – it requires discipline. The “adulting” side of self-care. If you are suffering, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You aren’t alone and we have additional resources that can help.
Employee Handbook Tip of the Month
A cost effective, and confidential resource you can provide for your employees is an Employee Assistance Plan (EAP). An EAP is a hands-off way that your staff can reach out for support on a variety of work-related issues. The support topics range from personal finances, to domestic abuse or suicidal ideations. The cost of these plans range from $1.50/employee/month, and can be obtained through healthcare providers or insurance brokers. One place to start would be Alera Vet (www.aleravet.com), who is endorsed by AAHA and the VHMA as a veterinary-specific insurance broker. They can guide you, and provide options for EAPs for your practice. Within your employee manual, under the benefits section, ensure that your staff know that this is available, and 100% confidential.
Compassion-Satisfaction Accredited Workplace
C-SAW Program
FINALLY, there’s a practice Accreditation that focuses on the health of your number one asset, your staff. There are many programs out there for the patient and client experience, but this is the first of its kind focused on the employee experience. Imagine a happier, more productive staff!
FAQ's
Do you have questions about our Compassion-Satisfaction Accredited Workplace program? Odds are, others have asked us the same questions! Check out our C-SAW FAQ page to learn more and have your questions answered. Still have questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us, and we would be happy to help.
Enroll Today!
After learning more, are you ready to enroll in our Compassion-Satisfaction Accredited Workplace Program? You can enroll through our store for $975 and begin Phase 1 (Online Webinar Modules) in no time! Take advantage of the many benefits of our program, including webinars, phone consults and more!
Suicide Awareness and Prevention Video
Book Review/Recommendation
Title: Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
I love all things Brené Brown. I think she is incredibly inspirational and her research on how we connect with ourselves and one another is fascinating. If you don’t follow her on social media, she is a must-connection. Brené has many great books but I chose to review Daring Greatly because it specifically speaks about vulnerability. Vulnerability is a great topic to dive into for this month’s newsletter theme on Suicide Awareness by providing just one more tool in the toolbox for mental health.
I learned about vulnerability way before discovering Brené. As a baby manager, I was taught that showing any kind of weakness in front of your team meant that they wouldn’t respect you. Instead, I lost valuable opportunities for connection and to strengthen the bond I had with my team. There is a way to balance being that guiding light and role model while also opening up to your team and showing that you are also human in the way that vulnerability encourages.
If you are skeptical of this concept or its importance, this book is a must read. If you are not skeptical and just learning more about the human experience from someone who has researched it, struggled with it and can break it down in easy to understand concepts, this book is a must read.
One of my favorite quotes from the book occurs toward the very beginning. “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming…”
Given my background, this really resonated with me. For the practice manager, it is immediately applicable. We are at our best when our team can see our struggles and our triumphs. When we are right there with them, face marred by dust and sweat and blood. It is easy to become removed from that dynamic. Sometimes it is fear that holds us back, sometimes guilt, sometimes overwhelm, and sometimes it just happens gradually. We build those walls in an effort to be stronger but we end up just shutting those who rely on us the most out.
If you are interested in exploring this concept and uncovering how it can make you a stronger and more relatable manager – please read! You won’t be disappointed. On Brené’s website, she recommends Rising Strong as a good complimentary book to put some of the concepts discussed in this book to the test.
– Carol Hurst, LVT, CVPM, CVJ, CCFP
Podcast Recommendation
Recipe: Pancakes for the Soul
In need of a little comfort food? These fluffy pancakes are sure to warm your stomach and your spirits right up! You will need:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup almond or soy milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, mix wet ingredients and then add to the dry mixture. Whisk until everything is incorporated, but don’t overmix! Let the batter sit for 5 minutes. While your batter sits, warm a non-stick skillet to medium heat and coat the bottom with a thin layer of grape seed or olive oil. Once the pan is heated, use 1/4 cup measuring cup to pour batter into the pan. Once bubbles appear and burst all over the surface of the pancake, flip with a spatula and cook for another minute or two. Serve warm with maple syrup and fresh fruit.