Last updated: 15 Apr, 2024
Published on: 29 Feb, 2024
Mental Health Resources for Rescue and Shelter Workers
Do you love helping pets find homes every day but feel the work taking its toll on your mental health? While rescue and shelter work can be extremely rewarding, we also know that it comes with its own set of unique challenges. Caring for sick, neglected and abused pets, exposure to humane killing and euthanasia, as well as human suffering, financial stress, staffing challenges, time constraints and dealing with conflict can all understandably contribute to a feeling of anxiety, overwhelm and burnout, as well as Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) or Perpetration Induced Traumatic Stress.
Compassion fatigue and burnout are widespread in the rescue sector, with 93% of PetRescue members surveyed experiencing it (source: PetRescue 2021-22 State of Pet Adoption Report).
The ‘coping cups’ theory (below) provides a simple visual to demonstrate that if people do not process trauma and stress, it is carried into the day-to-day and reduces their capacity to cope. This visual also provides an explainer of how the various forms of work-related stress (Secondary Traumatic Stress, Perpetration Induced Traumatic Stress, Compassion Fatigue, Burnout) all fit together.
Below, we’ve gathered some mental health resources and support tools that may help you and your team. These include articles, flyers, presentations, webinars and courses.
Compassion fatigue
Compassion fatigue refers to the emotional and physical exhaustion and the reduced ability to empathise that folks may experience when regularly exposed to the suffering of pets. Symptoms of Compassion Fatigue can include guilt, anger, frustration, depression, reduced empathy, emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and physical symptoms such as fatigue, headaches and trouble sleeping.
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The Humane Society of the United States: Compassion Fatigue Resources (website)
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Human Animal Support Services: Navigating Compassion Fatigue in Animal Welfare: How to Combat Burnout and Enhance Resiliency (webinar)
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Brian A. DiGangi via Maddie’s Fund: Compassion Fatigue: Diagnosing the Doctor, Healing the Healer (webinar - focus on animal healthcare workers)
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Doug Fakkema: The Four Phases (article)
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J. Eric Gentry & Anna B. Baranowsky: Compassion Fatigue Treatment & Resiliency – Programs with Legs (journal article)
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Jessica Dolce: Compassion Fatigue Strategies at the University of Florida (course). Please note this is a paid resource; you can find a list of accessible free resources here.
Debriefing
A formal or informal ‘debriefing’ after a challenging or traumatic event can help you and your team process and cope with any emotions that arise.
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Low Impact Debriefing: Preventing Retraumatization by Françoise Mathieu (article)
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Maddie’s Fund: Low Impact Debriefing 101: Sharing Our Stories Safely (webinar)
Self-care resources
Developing self-care strategies for yourself and your team is the best way to address compassion fatigue, and transform it into compassion satisfaction.
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Françoise Mathieu: Transforming Compassion Fatigue into Compassion Satisfaction: Top 12 Self-Care Tips for Helpers (article)
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Indigo Daya: Coping skills (flyer)
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Jessica Dolce: S.T.O.P. One Minute Breathing Space (tool)
General mental health resources
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Dr Diana Rayment: Managing Compassion Fatigue and work-related stress (slides)
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Taylor Miller via Maddie’s Fund: Fatigue in All Its Flavors: Decision, Compassion & Ethical/Moral Fatigue (webinar)
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Compassion in Balance: Free Resources for Organisations (resources)
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ProQOL: Professional Quality of Life Tool: this self-assessment tool and associated resources are to assess anyone in animal welfare at risk of burnout (resources)
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TEND Toolkit: a searchable database of tools and education to support professionals working in complex workplaces (resources)
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Karen Green: Conflict Resolution for the Animal Welfare Field (article)
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Black Dog Institute: Mental Health Check (tool)
Is there something else you’d like to see? Please get in touch if you have feedback or suggestions here.
Image credit: Arina Krasnikova