Veterinary Social Worker

The Animal Medical Center, a full-service, not-for-profit veterinary specialty hospital and research and teaching facility on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, is seeking a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) to assist with activities related to client support and staff wellbeing. The LMSW would be reporting to the on-site Licensed Clinical Social Worker and working closely with the veterinary staff and administration.  The social worker’s primary responsibilities are providing direct client support including: (1) providing crisis intervention, emotional support and short-term counseling to clients, (2) consulting with veterinary staff to address communication challenges, ethical dilemmas, and complex social issues affecting care, and (3) assist with facilitating the support groups for pet loss and caregivers.  The LMSW will also assist the LCSW with the organization’s Quality-of-Life Initiative and collaborate with departments, teams, and individuals across the hospital to support staff wellbeing and promote a healthy workplace culture.  

Responsibilities include: 

• Assist the LCSW with administering the Pet Loss Support Program which includes facilitating a bi-monthly acute grief support group and a monthly long term grief support group. Responsibilities also include managing registration correspondence and adapting the content, flow, and structure of the groups according to need.
• Co-facilitate Caregiver Support Group for pet owners who have pets with chronic or life-limiting conditions. Assist with managing registration correspondence and adapting the content, flow, and structure of the group according to need. 
• Provide in-person crisis intervention for clients experiencing a mental health crisis or traumatic loss. Support clients before, during, and after their pet is euthanized.  Provide emotional support to clients with sick pets during vet appointments.
• Provide short-term counseling to clients around end-of-life issues, grief and bereavement, making treatment decisions, and managing caregiver stress.
• Consult with medical teams to address communication challenges with clients or to make an action plan in ethically complex situations involving euthanasia, end-of-life care, or animal abuse.
• Develop written literature for clients on caregiver stress, pet loss and the grief process, euthanasia, memorialization of pets, veterinary social work services, and the human-animal bond.
• Provide support to clients on the waitlists and assist with developing and facilitating additional pet loss support groups to meet the needs of the clients on the waitlists.
• As part of the Quality-of-Life Initiative (AMC’s staff wellbeing program), assist the LCSW with monthly wellness breaks, employee recognition initiatives, and recreational activities.
• When needed, co-present with the LCSW to veterinary interns on topics such as compassion fatigue, communication skills, mindfulness, conflict management, and work/life balance.
• Participate in weekly departmental meetings with the Chief Strategy Officer and Marketing Department and participate in other departmental meetings as needed.
• Maintain relationships with community stakeholders and other community organizations with missions to help pets and pet owners.
• Co-Host the annual Celebration of Life Pet Memorial Event in collaboration with the Usdan Institute.
• Maintain an up-to-date referral list of mental health providers with specialties in grief and loss, compassion fatigue, and trauma so that individualized, targeted referrals may be provided to clients and staff who are seeking longer term mental health care.
• Maintain the Social Work Services website which includes updating the support group schedules and routinely expanding and updating community resource listings.
• Maintain NY State LMSW license in good standing and ensure all services are provided in accordance with the NASW Code of Ethics.
• Will require working some evenings and weekends to meet the needs of the 24/7 Emergency Room. 

Qualified Individuals will have:

• A master’s degree in social work and licensing as a master social worker (LMSW) is required. 
• Post-graduate training in veterinary social work or veterinary social work certificate preferred. 
• Strong written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills. 
• Ability to take a leadership role and to plan and manage multiple projects at a time. 
• Ability to work independently and take initiative. 
• Ability to respond to the needs of clients and staff in an emotionally intense, fast-paced setting.
• Understanding of, and appreciation for, the human-animal bond.
• A love for animals and the ability to work comfortably in an environment where animals are present.
• Bilingual in Spanish a plus  

Excellence in veterinary medicine since 1910. AMC Offers:  

A Commitment to Lifelong Learning: Founded in 1910, the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center is the world’s largest veterinary teaching hospital, offering compassionate, collaborative, and cutting-edge veterinary care. Our commitment to innovation has led to the creation of one of the most advanced veterinary facilities in the world. 

State-of-the-Art Facilities: AMC is currently undergoing a major expansion and renovation. Once complete, this project will transform the hospital’s entire 83,000-square-foot space into a state-of-the-art facility unlike any other.  

Highlights include: A brand-new full floor surgical center, 1.5 Tesla Philips MRI (the exclusive high field MRI for small animals in NYC), 64-slice spiral CT scanner, Electroencephalography (EEG), Elekta Versa HD Linear Accelerator, In-house Laboratory, Ultrasound, Echocardiogram, and Mobile Cone Beam CT 

A multidisciplinary team of 140 veterinarians across 20 specialties: With over 20 specialties and services under one roof, our departments frequently work together to deliver the highest quality of patient care in the veterinary field. Our dynamic array of specialists means that we are the go-to place for complex cases. 

A Hospital in the heart of NYC: AMC is located in Manhattan, surrounded by leading research and teaching institutions such as Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical School, and NYU. Collaborative research opportunities abound, and our strong focus on education ensures a rewarding career for those passionate about mentoring and advancing veterinary medicine.