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To receive your Continuing Education (CE) credits and access the recordings from the 8th International Veterinary Social Work Summit, you must have a TPN Health Account and select the event within the platform. Please make sure you have completed this step to ensure you receive your CE credits and gain access to all session recordings
This platform will also have your zoom links for the day of.
If you are based outside of the United States- to receive credit or to access the recordings you must use a US based zip code.
You may use the IAVSW PO Box Address 8935 Darrow Road PO Box 602 Twinsburg, OH 44087
If you haven't signed up yet, you can use the QR code below OR select the link located beside the QR Code to create your account and select the event.
Thank you for your attention to this important step!
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Group Visit: 10am
Join your fellow VSW Summit attendees with a group visit to the local Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. This will be self guided, we will have one attendee join us that volunteers at the zoo who can share stories of the animals.
Fellow attendees will meet at the gates of the Cleveland Zoo, 3900 Wildlife Way, Cleveland OH at 10am. Tickets will be available upon arrival.

Transportation will be provided leaving the zoo.

A night of storytelling, honoring others, and connecting. Join us to kick off the Summit for a inclusive dinner event! We will be sharing the winners of the award with a keynote from Dr. Zenithson Ng, DVM, MS, DABVP.
Attire: lEevated casual to formal- be yourself and comfortable Agenda is located on the IAVSW Website
Located at CSU Student Union: 2121 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, Ohio
Saturday Sept 14, 2024
Join other fellow baseball lovers for the home game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Tampa Bay Rays!
Transportation from CSU to Game will be provided. Gates open at 4:30 with first pitch at 6:10 pm
We will be leaving from the Student Union at 5pm.
Time: 9:30am
Park Name: Rocky River Reservation

Parking Location: Nature Center, 24000 Valley Pkwy, North Olmsted, OH 44070
Meeting Location: Outside the Nature Center
Trail: Mount Pleasant, Wildlife Management and Fort Hill Loop Trail
Distance: 3 miles
Rating: Easy-Moderate
Trail Notes: There is 1 staircase at the beginning with 155 steps. The trail is largely flat with no more than 250 feet in elevation change. The path is dirt and can be muddy in different areas.

Clothing: Light layers, comfortable walking shoes. Sunscreen and bug spray will be available, bring your own water bottle
Being an urban campus, there are lots of options: garage, lot, or street. More importantly, be sure to read the signs if you’re required to pay. Most street parking uses mobile apps to pay. There are university run lots and private owned lots - either are fine.
If you use “Rhodes tower” in your gps it’ll route you to either 19th or 22nd and Euclid - there’s an entrance on either side and then you can walk to the Student Center.
A map with all campus parking locations and lots of information can be found here: https://www.csuohio.edu/parking/visitor
Event Location
Student Center: 2121 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44115




We will be joined by our amazing keynotes each day of the Summit:
Thurs, Award Dinner: Dr. Zenithson Ng
Friday: Dr. Aubrey Fine
Sat: Angie Aurora, MSW, RSW
Check In and Breakfast at 7:30 AM, Keynote: Dr. Aubry Fine at 8:30 AM
Applying the Principles of Motivation Interviewing in Veterinarian-Client Communication: An Approach for Reducing Practitioner Burnout
Sept 13 | 9:55 am to 10:55 am | Room A
Katy Schroeder, PhD, NCC
The educational goal of this workshop is to increase knowledge of approaches to positive veterinarian-client communication as a means to build client satisfaction, and support veterinarian occupational wellness
Climate Change and the Human-Animal Bond: Social Work’s Role
Sept 13 | 9:55 am to 10:55 am | Room B
Bailey Fullwiler and Aviva Vincent, MSW, PhD
The educational goal of this workshop is increase social worker's awareness of the intersection of climate injustice and the human-animal-bond while providing useful research and resources to meet those news challenges within their practice
“You Do What at Your Internship?” Formulating a MSW Internship Program at Your Animal Hospital: The Dos & the Don’ts
Sept 13 | 9:55 am to 10:55 am | Room C
Taylor St Onge, MSW
The educational goal of this workshop is to help current veterinary social workers with established veterinary social work programs create an MSW internship program, which will in turn not only aid their hospitals with additional social work support, but will also help educate the future generations of social workers.
Fostering Collaborative Care and Community Impact: The Synergy of Veterinary Social Work and Veterinary Chaplaincy
Sept 13 | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | Room A
Rocky Lucas, MSW, LICSW, and Scott Campbell Veterinary Chaplain
The educational goal of this workshop is for participants to consider how the collaboration between veterinary social work and veterinary chaplaincy can increase the overall support available to students, faculty, clients, and other stakeholders
New Veterinary Wellbeing Research: How to Reduce Stress and Avoid Burnout
Sept 13 | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | Room B
Addie Reinhard, DVM, MS
The educational goal of this workshop is to inform participants on the most recent results from the latest Merck Animal Health Veterinary Wellbeing Study.
Burro Assisted Services: The Values and Disadvantages of Working with NonDomesticated Animals in an EAS Setting
Sept 13 | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm| Room C
Kalina Fernandes and Caitlin Budde
The educational goal of this workshop is for attendees to grow their understanding of the incorporation of mustangs and burros into social work settings, with a lens toward animal welfare through discussion of how industry terminology can impact program participants
Keeping Families Together: A Panel Discussion
Sept 13 | 1:00 pm to 2:30pm | Room A
Zoe Agnew-Svoboda and Allie Phillips
The educational goal of this workshop is to help attendees learn how they can help domestic violence victims with pets nd safe housing and help their community create a pet-inclusive domestic violence shelter.
Professional Competencies in Animal-Assisted Interventions
Sept 13 | 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm | Room B
Dr. Taylor Chastain Griffin
The educational goal of this workshop is inform participants of the competencies required of professionals who partner with therapy and/or facility animals in practice.
Balint Groups for Wellbeing: Combating Burnout, Reducing Stress, and Building Support
Sept 13 | 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm | Room C
Scott Campbell Veterinary Chaplain
The educational goal of this workshop is to deepen participants' understanding of empathetic communication and the emotional dynamics within veterinary healthcare interactions through the Balint group method, enhancing their ability to foster meaningful connections This session is open to all and has no limit, but is a prerequisite for his Balint Groups In Action on Saturday.
Addressing Secondary Traumatic Stress in Animal Care Work
Sept 13 | 3:00 pm to 4:00pm | Room A
Angie Arora, MSW, RSW
The educational goal of this workshop is to introduce participants to the causes and impacts of secondary traumatic stress on animal care professionals, and methods to address it to improve professional wellbeing.
Sept 13 | 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm | Room B
Tiana Kelly, DSocSci, MA, LPC, NCC
The educational goal of this workshop is to enhance knowledge surrounding suicidality in veterinary medicine and learn skills to care for oneself, intervene when others are in distress, and promote healthy workspaces.
The Link Between Human-Animal Violence: A Panel Discussion
Sept 13 | 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm | Room C
Aviva Vincent, MSW, PhD, Vicki Deisner, and Virginia Behmer Porter
Animal abuse frequently is an indicator of family violence and community Ohio's cross-reporting law requires social workers, counselors, therapists, and veterinarians to report animal abuse, and humane enforcement to report child abuse, and has become a national and international model for intervening early in the escalation of family and community violence
Recommendations for Uniform Terminology in Animal-Assisted Services (AAS)
Sept 13 | 4:30pm to 5:00pm | Room C
Amy Johnson Binder and Nancy Parish-Plass, MA, LSW
An explanation will be provided of the complications created for service providers, clients, research and training programs by the current terminology in the area of what has been referred to as Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI), but recommended to be named Animal-Assisted Services (AAS).
The Narrative Importance of Animals in the Lives of Those who have Witnessed or Caused Animal Harm
Sept 13 | 4:00 pm to 5:00pm | Room A
Kate Nicoll, LCSW
Waiting on session information
Ethics Rounds for Veterinary Teams: A Key Wellbeing Support
Sept 13 | 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm | Room B
Anne Quain, JoAnn Slack, DVM, DACIVM, and Page Buck, LCSW, PhD
The educational goal of this workshop is to offer participants the opportunity to learn about the way that ethics rounds can support wellbeing on veterinary teams
Check In and Breakfast at 8AM est, Keynote: Angie Arora, RSW at 9 AM
Paid Attention! Engaging Staff with Psychoeducation on Paid Time
Sept 14 | 9:55 am to 10:55 am | Room A
Kelly Brekmen, MSW
The educational goal of this workshop is to increase knowledge of approaches to positive veterinarian-client communication as a means to build client satisfaction, and support veterinarian occupational wellness
Animal-Assisted Crisis Response
Sept 14 | 9:55 am to 10:55 am | Room B
Yvonne Eaton-Stull, DSW, LCSW
The educational goal of this workshop is: Participants will learn about animal-assisted crisis response (AACR) and gain an understanding of the pre-requisites, certification, training, continuing education, application and benets of AACR.
When Interpersonal Trauma Closes the Door to Play Therapy, Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy Opens a Window: Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy for Developmental Trauma through the Lens of Interpersonal Neurobiology of Trauma"
Sept 14 | 9:55 am to 10:55 am | Room C
Nancy Parish-Plass, MA, LSW
The educational goal of this workshop is to understand the mechanisms behind the field of Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy that help children sufferings from developmental trauma process their experiences of maltreatment and develop the capability for healthier relationships.
Exploring Attachment, Moral Injury, and Wellness in Animal Care Workers: Insights from Survey Research
Sept 14 | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | Room C
Jamie McNally, PhD, LPC
The educational goal of this workshop is to equip participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to identify potentially morally injurious events, analyze the factors contributing to moral distress and mental health outcomes, distinguish between moral injury, compassion fatigue, and burnout, and explore key variables for future research and intervention development to support the mental well-being of animal care workers.
When Is It Time: Quality of Life Discussions and the Role of A Veterinary Social Worker at the End of Life
Sept 14 | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | Room B
Joanne Fuller
The educational goal of this workshop is that attendees will be able to have quality of life and end of life discussions and knowledge to support clients in the last days of the lives of their pets.
The International Association of Veterinary Social Work- Board of Directors Info Meeting
Sept 14 | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | Room C
IAVSW Board of Directors
Join us to engage in conversation about the upcoming elections, how to get involved and learn more about what we are doing as an organization! We will cover how to utilize our new platform, so you can get the most out of it, how to engage in our working groups, and more This is an opportunity to share your thoughts and ideas and to hear what we have plans for the 2025 year
Using the VSW Experience to Close the “PAWS Gap” in Social Work Training and Practice
Sept 14 | 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm | Room A
Phil Arkow
The educational goal of this workshop is to encourage more schools of social work to recognize the significance of human-animal interactions in pre- and postprofessional training, utilizing the existing experience of the specialized Veterinary Social Work Field.
Current Practices in Veterinary Social Work: A Survey Review from Professionals Supporting the Human-Animal Bond
Sept 14 | 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm | Room B
Laurie Maxwell, MSW and Mary Rauktis, PhD
The educational goal of this workshop is to describe what the field of VSW currently looks like from the perspective of VSWs and to solicit thoughts from the participants on the next steps for VSW education and practice.
Balint Groups for Wellbeing: Combating Burnout, Reducing Stress, and Building Support
Sept 14 | 1:00pm to 2:30 pm | Room C
Scott Campbell Veterinary Chaplain
This is the application of Balint Groups, building off of Scott Campbells discussion from Friday We will have 2 groups that are limited to 14 attendees per group, and that last 45mins each.
Embedded VSWs in Action: A Panel on the Private ER & Specialty VSW World (Panel)
Sept 14 | 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm | Room A
Chelsey Nisbet, LCSW, Neil Staplin, LCSW, and Taylor St Onge, MSW
The educational goal of this workshop is to offer invaluable insights into the distinctive role of VSWS within this specialized environment; panelists will explore various facets of their profession, sharing firsthand experiences and professional insights.
Caging Hope: Unleashing Change, Decreasing Stress and Enhancing Resilience with Therapy Dogs Behind Bars
Sept 14 | 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm | Room B
Yvonne Eaton-Stull, DSW, LCSW, Chris Streidl, PhD, LCSW, and Therapy Dogs: Ardis Walsh and Oliver
Participants will learn about risk assessment and precautions necessary in providing animal-assisted therapy in correctional settings and describe benefits of this treatment to those who are incarcerated
Expanding Veterinary Social Work: How Social Work at WisCARES Community Veterinary Clinic Serves Low-income and Homeless Pet Owners, Veterinary Staff, and Veterinary Students
Sept 14 | 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm | Room C
Jennifer Brooks, PhD, CISW, Ruthanne Chun, DVM, DACVIM, and Elizabeth Alvarez, DVM, DABVP
The educational goal of this workshop is for attendees to learn about veterinary social work in an access to care veterinary clinic.
Creating Community Partners in Veterinary Social Work
Sept 14 | 4:00 pm to 4:30 pm | Room C
Marianna Spiotta, LMSW
The educational goal of this workshop is for participants to learn about the process of conducting community outreach to shelter workers.



The following link has information for meeting attendees to plan their transportation in Cleveland.

Facilities (Garages / Surface Lots):
Parking Meters:
https://www thisiscleveland com/planning-tools/visitorservices/getting-around-cleveland

https://marketing thisiscleveland com/
https://park parkmobile io/oh/cleveland/cleveland-ohio

Maps:
Schedules:


https://www riderta com/maps
https://www.riderta.com/routes
Cleveland's Regional Transit Authority runs free trolley buses on weekdays. RTA also operates a rail line between Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and Tower City Center every 15 minutes

The following links contains access to transit maps and schedules:
B-Line Trolley:
Bus Schedules:
Bus Map:
https://www riderta com/b-line
https://www riderta com/routes
https://www.riderta.com/Map

Red Line:
Blue Line:
Green Line:
https://www.riderta.com/redline
https://www.riderta.com/blueline
https://www.riderta.com/greenline
To view the full map of the Rapid Transit System click here

Multip le bike sharing options are available through Cleveland, including ebikes, scooters, and rentals
Fridrich Bicycle: Ohio City Bicycle Co-Op:
https://www fridrichs com/ https://ohiocitycycles org/

h i n g s t o d o i n
l e v e l a n d


We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy! Pay homage to rock icons and see video, artifacts and memorabilia at the legendary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Recently updated with $15 1 million in bold renovations, the Rock Hall now has even more to gawk at

C U L I N A R Y M E C C A

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Picasso, Monet, Warhol – free. Yeah, you heard us right One of the most prestigious cultural institutions in the country offers free admission to its stunning permanent collection


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With more than 3,000 animals located throughout 165 rolling wooded acres and the two-story RainForest full of exotic creatures and striking plant life from across the globe, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and RainForest is not your typical zoo


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A weekend getaway is all about getting In Cleveland, you’ll find plenty of recreational Erie, National Park and within thousands of acres of green space in the Cleveland Metroparks outside life’s familiar four walls opportunities on the great Lake throughout the Cuyahoga Valley