Vet Support Ireland is an initiative designed to help support vets, vet nurses, and workplace support staff in their mental health and wellness.
The free-of-charge peer service provides confidential non-emergency support for the profession in Ireland by listening, supporting, and signposting.
A number of trained supporters, which are either vets or veterinary nurses, man the service by offering a “safe, empathetic, non-judgmental listening ear” on a completely voluntary and strictly confidential basis.
They have undergone initial and ongoing training, which allows them to help worried and distressed colleagues, understand what is going on for them, and then encourage them to move forward – one step at a time.
Vet Support Ireland
Vet Support team members believe that since they are either vets or nurses, the service has an “immediate potential advantage” in terms of empathy with a colleague who is worried for whatever reason.
The service builds on the success of the RCVS and BVA Vet Futures Action Plan and aims to combat and reduce the incidence of poor emotional health within the wider veterinary community.
Avail of support to help you, for example, manage overwhelm, anxiety or stress, change distress into decisions, help develop achievable goals, enable decision-making and self-development and help find a healthy work-life balance.
If you log onto the website, you can find details about each of the supporters, with a short bio and contact information.
You can contact any member of the Vet Support team directly or email – [email protected] – where the service commits to guaranteeing a reply to your mail within 24 hours.
Visit the website of Vet Support Ireland, www.vetsupport.ie
Other articles on That’s Farming:
- ‘I’ve lost a friend about every five years to suicide’ – vet of over 30 years
- Over 40% of vet professionals experience ‘abnormal’ stress levels
- Vet survey highlights poor work-life balance, wages & working conditions
- ‘We are all too aware of the number of vet professionals who have sadly lost their lives to suicide
