1. Service Animals in the Workplace: Best Practices for Veterans and Employers
Ms. Erin Allen, MSSW, LSW
Argus Institute, CSU VTH
Dr. Kelly Mann (USA, Retired)
Postdoctoral Fellow, CSU VTH/ACC

2. Agenda Introductions Terms and definitions VTH resources Discussion
Kelly Mann, DVM (USA, Retired)
Erin Allen, MSSW, LSW
Audience
Terms and definitions
VTH resources
Discussion
Practices that would enrich the quality of life for Student-Veterans and their Service or Companion/Assistance Animals in our community.
Summarize and follow-up

3. Terms and definitions
Service Animal = a dog (or miniature horse) that has been individually trained to perform a specific task or service for a person with a disability.
Companion or Assistance Animal = animals that help a person with a disability alleviate one or more symptoms of their disability while in their home.
Animal-Assisted Therapy = the planned inclusion of an animal in a patient’s treatment plan.
Animal-Assisted Activities = the use of animals in recreational and visitation programs to help people with special needs.

4. Our mission: To honor the human-animal bond by providing compassionate support and advocacy for people who care for animals.

5. Hospital Services Client support– working with the health care team:
Emotional support during appointment
Assisting during crisis/emergencies
Providing updates during surgery and high risk procedures
QOL discussion/assessment
EOL decision making
Guiding parent-child discussions
Grief counseling
Support during and after euthanasia
Staff and student emotional support

6. Education In the moment teaching Hospital service rounds
with students, nurses and clinicians
Hospital service rounds
Oncology service: weekly since 1984
others on request
In-service workshops
Compassion fatigue
Self care
Supporting the emotional client
Communication skills
Suicide assessment skills

7. Community Outreach Pet Memorial Pet Aging Seminar Series
Memorial Wreath-making workshop
Pet loss support group
Grief support line

8. Community Outreach Path of Honor Educational Workshops
Local veterinary clinics
Conferences
Front Range Community College
C.S.U. courses
Pet Hospice

9. CSU Pet Hospice
Mission: To provide passionate end-of-life care for pets
and emotional support and education for their families
Started in 2004
First and only pet hospice in a VTH setting
207 families served
190 student volunteers trained
“I received genuine caring and important guidance from my hospice volunteers. I know getting through this period would have been much more difficult without them.”

10. Discussion
What benefits are derived from Service/Companion/Assistance Animals?

11. Discussion
Share a positive experience involving a Service Animal in the workplace.

12. Discussion
Describe a negative experience involving a Service Animal in the workplace.

13. Discussion
Offer a suggestion that would improve your life or your Service Animal’s quality of life in the workplace, on the CSU campus or in our local community.

14. Discussion
Have you had any personal experiences with Animal- Assisted Therapy or Animal- Assisted Activities within or outside of your military service?

15. Summarize and Follow-up
Next steps
Contact information

16. Contact information
If you are at the CSU VTH: Ask for your medical team to introduce us or have a receptionist page us.
If you are outside of the CSU VTH: Call our clinic line at: (970)