Petfinder.com forums :: View topic - 10/6

Last edited by Petadmin on Mon Oct 06, 2008 3:02 pm; edited 2 times in total

This month we are Welcoming Patricia Smith from the Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project.
Its been a long summer, and we are in the middle of a hectic hurricane season looking forward to the Holidays. So how do you balance the stress of work with the stress of daily life and family? How do you recognize the signs of compassion fatigue in yourself and in your co-workers, employees and volunteers?
Are you looking to volunteer for an animal welfare organization but are concerned about getting your heart broken?

Please welcome Ms. Smith so she can address these and your many other questions. In the meantime, please read below to learn a little more about Ms. Smith and what she does.

Patricia Smith is a certified Compassion Fatigue Specialist with 18 years of training experience. As Training and Development Manager at Humane Society Silicon Valley, she created and implemented a shelter-wide Compassion Fatigue project. She taught courses on the subject for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and presented Compassion Fatigue workshops nationwide as a consultant for American Humane.
Clients include: the State of California social services agencies; Ronald McDonald House at Stanford; Dominican Hospital, Jacob’s Heart and Hospice Caring Project, Santa Cruz; Indianapolis Animal Shelter, Indiana, and the Veterinarian Oncologists, San Jose.
Currently, she is authoring Student and Presenter training manuals, which will be available soon. As Founder of the Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project, she writes, speaks, and facilitates workshops in service of those who care for others. You can visit her website to learn more at: www.compassionfatigue.org

Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 11:52 am Post subject: Posting

Hi Folks! We hope you bring lots of great questions to this topic this week. Because this may be a sensitive topic for some if you have a question that you would like to ask but do not want others to know it was your question feel free to email your question to messageboard@petfinder.com and an administrator or myself will post the question for you.

Have a great week everyone!

Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 12:00 pm Post subject: volunteer fatigue?

I have been volunteering at my local shelter actually helping them update their Petfinder sites. I try really hard not to get attached, but it doesn't always work out. I am thinking about cutting back on my volunteering because its just so hard to see the pets disappearing but not as a result of adoption. I hate to let them down because if I am not there to volunteer they don't have anyone else to update. Is there anything you suggest to put blinders on so to speak or to deal with it all better? I can't imagine what the staff deal with on a daily basis when I am there only once a week and feel like I want to break.

Answer from Patricia Smith
Hello,
First of all, thank you for wanting to help at your local shelter. People who care for animals risk the highest levels of compassion fatigue due to the difficult nature of the work. There is nothing "wrong" with the way you are feeling. In fact, you are extremely aware to know that visiting your shelter could be harmful to your health - and it can. Two things: first, you might want to take a break. Take time to fill yourself up with things that please you. Perhaps hiking in nature, or walking along the beach. Or being with people that make you smile or reading a book that delights you. Whatever it is that makes you feel happy and fulfilled. If you can do this, when you return to the shelter to help out, you will actually have something to give. Compassion fatigue happens when caregivers are depleted. Second, as far as feeling guilty, that, too, is a very common emotion for those with compassion fatigue or those at risk. Helping one little animal is all you are asked to do. It is not your "job" to save every animal. That task belongs to society and until society changes how they view the earth and its inhabitants, there is nothing you can do except help one little soul find a good home. Mother Teresa said: If you can't feed one hundred people; feed one person.
You are doing wonderful work on behalf of our little furry friends!
Patricia

Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 6:54 pm Post subject:

I feel like sometimes I have become heartless in some ways. Since I do pull dogs for our rescue occasionally, I have learned to walk in and walk out with the dog I am there for. There is a lot of guilt involved when I can't save a dog or cat that I feel really needs it. I know I can't afford to take in a foster independently, especially if I want to make sure they are completely vetted before adopting them out. So I feel like I am not saving all of the animals that I should be able to save. I have "only" been involved with rescue for 5 1/2 years, so I am not sure that this could be termed as Compassion Fatigue.

Answer from Patricia Smith

Hello,
You sound healthy. It appears that you are focusing on the one litlte animal you CAN offer a new life and that's a good thing. If we focus on those we can't help, we will definitely be at risk for compassion fatigue. You are doing what you can to help change society's disregard for animals. And you've been able to continue doing this work for 5 1/2 years! I'd call you very successful and certainly doing your part. Congratulations!
Sincerely,
Patricia

Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 9:12 am Post subject: What to recognize in employees

Posting for another person:

Hi Patricia! Thank you for being here! I have been the manager at a shelter for the past 10 years. And of course as you well know, turnover is my biggest issue. But not just turnover in employees, its turnover in volunteers and even board members as well. Its not really a question of dedication or the quality of the people. Its mostly because we are a small shelter and we do everything we can to get animals adopted but we just don't have the adopter base we would like. So unfortunately what does not get adopted or go to rescue...well you know. What can I do to improve retention? Is there something we could do internally? What are the signs to look out for? Are there programs that come to your shelter? Thanks!

Patricia Smith's Answer
Hello,
And thank you for putting in ten solid years of animal welfare work. You are to be commended for your service as well as your insights. Yes, keeping a small shelter viable is a real challenge. Having worked at a shelter, I am aware of the high turnover rates, loss of board members and volunteers. And as you mentioned, it's not due to lack of commitment. I truly believe the biggest block to retaining good staff and volunteers is stress, burnout and ultimately, compassion fatigue. Day after day, knowing that perfectly healthy animals are being euthanized is heart breaking. No matter how much we care, the animal overpopulation and abuse continues.
There are two kinds of change that could be helpful. One is SYSTEMATIC change...that is finding real ways to aid your staff/volunteers in dealing with the trauma they are certainly experiencing. Incorporate such processes as allowing staff to debrief and share their feelings when something stressful occurs in the shelter. Second, is the need for SYSTEMIC change -- and that is change from within. In order to know what those changes will be to improve your shelter morale, you need to call all of your staff, volunteers and board members together and ASK: What can management do to make change that makes a difference? I would recommend not mixing the groups. Invite staff to a meeting, then the volunteers and then board members. This will allow for honest, open communication. Once you have their suggestions, you must work as a team to find ways in which to implement those changes.
Remember, baby steps! Changes on those two levels won't occur in a week. This is a long term project that will reap rewards if you are able to pull your team together in service of our dear little animal friends. Good luck!
Patricia

Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 1:05 pm Post subject:

I'm not sure how much this relates to compassion fatigue itself but I wanted to contribute something to the moderated topic, and it is something I'm curious about.

I volunteer with my local shelter for pet therapy days, which are about 2 days out of the month. They also have other volunteer options, like dog walking, event manning, etc, but at this point I'm just giving what I can to the shelter.
I would like to volunteer to do the dog walking at some point, but I feel immense guilt, knowing my dogs are at home, while I'm walking these dogs and I feel like I'm giving a shelter dog a chance by taking them out on a leash. My own dogs get a walk everyday unless I run out of time and they get a once or more a week time to play at the local ballfield, unleashed.
I guess, how do you rationalize what you are doing for them versus your own animals? I did adopt my one dog from that shelter, so i try to view it as giving back.

Now, another question- a friend who is interested in the pet therapy program and volunteering with the shelter, went with me recently to a session (her first, my second). The woman who is currently doing it, is older, a little feebleminded etc. She is about to give the program up.
Our main goal when going out, is to give the citizens in the nursing home time to visit with the animal and benefit from their temporary presence, and the second- especially for myself- is to find the dog a home. The residents can't help in that but the employees at the nursing home always have a very strong and positive reaction to the dog, especially taking note of where the dog is residing now (the shelter). I make sure and tell them about the dog needing a home, and all the stats. So does the older woman who is with me.
I understand we are there to do pet therapy but my friend has said that she doesn't believe in going there to try to get the pet adopted out (in so many words) but I think, what does it hurt? Do you think we are sabotaging ourselves or is my friend not being objective enough about the program?

Also- last question!! I am volunteering with a breed rescue group where I adopted my one dog from. I, unfortunately, found out too late that they have some issues that makes me uncomfortable with certain members of the group. It's a very "political" group. They have recently alienated certain members (including my friend who i spoke of above), and seem to have very strict rules for a rescue (i was chided for asking questions about the adoption organization on a forum). I am still attending events with this group, and try to have positive interactions with members, like the founder and others of the inner circle, but find myself trying to stay neutral, between my friend and then the ppl in the group. I want to help the animals, thats all. They also strictly ban members from organizing events like meetandgreets who are also affiliated with other rescues.
Are groups like this common in the animal world? Would it be a wise idea to continue on with this group? Right now, I am just watching what I say or do, but I have decided to become active in another rescue also. I don't plan on telling them, but I also don't plan on organizing events with the group. I feel like anything I do might be deemed "not good enough".

Sorry for all the questions, but I wanted to hear answers to questions bothering me lately!!

Patricia's Answer
Hello,
Thank you very much for bringing your concerns to this Petfinder forum.
Let's take each of your comments one at a time because you have raised
excellent questions. While you may not be suffering the ill effects of
compassion fatigue, you used a number of "key" words that lead me to
believe you are at-risk.

1) Guilt - You are doing wonderful work by caring for your own dog and
wanting to help shelter dogs as well. When we see the world through
compassion fatigued eyes, we see depletion, never enough and lack.
When we see the world through healthy caregiving eyes, we see
plentiful, abundance and endless resources. The truth is that you have
the time, energy and devotion to do both - care for your own dog AND
give some time to shelter dogs -- if you chose that as your priority.
Those of us with compassion fatigue did not have healthy modeling
where we learned how to set priorities and develop strong, healthy
personal boundaries. We were so hypervigilant about caring for those
around us that we never learned to "be present and enjoy the moment."
If you indeed want to be both a companion to your dog and a part time
companion to shelter dogs, try to "be 100% present" to both. There is
no guilt involved. From what you've said, you have so much to give.
Give it with love and compassion and, in the meantime, give yourself a
pat on the back! You are actually doing the work whereas most people
only talk or think about doing it.

2)Sabotaging your Mission - Again, you and your friend are doing a
wonderful service to the folks at the nursing home. But in order to
stay healthy and provide caregiving from a place of abundance, you
both will need to reassess your Mission. Is your Mission to visit the
residents and bring some joy into their lives? Or do you have another
agenda, which is to get the animals adopted out? If your Mission is
the second one, you will have trouble keeping focused on both the
residents and their enjoyment of your visit and also cause stress in
the dogs you bring onsite. Defining your boundaries is at the heart of
this dilemma. The healthiest outlook you can have is to bring joy to
the nursing home residents. If one of the dogs is adopted out, then
that is frosting on the cake! One other thought, your friend needs to
decide her motives and desired outcomes. You must do the same for
yourself. They may not be the same.

3)One of the best things about wanting to help our furry little
friends is that we have many, many choices as to where to put our
energies. I have friends who work at "no-kill" shelters, some who work
with Guide Dogs for the Blind, some who bring dogs to homeless
shelters and prisons, and some who just send as much money as they can
to help their local shelters. Each and every one of my friends feel
very good and positive about they are doing to make a difference.
There are plenty of organizations and associations to fit the needs of
every animal lover in the country! My point: Why spend time with an
organization whose mission doesn't line up with your own mission? You
don't sound like a "political" person. You sound like a lovely, caring
person who wants to do some good in this difficult world we live in.
Think about leaving the group you mentioned and research other groups
until you find one that fits YOUR needs. Give yourself permission to
be happy and healthy in the caregiving work you choose to do!
The very best of luck to you!
Patricia

Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 9:09 pm Post subject: Note From Patricia

Hi Cary and Petfinder.com fans,
Thank you very much for inviting me to take part in your Moderated
Forum this week! I have enjoyed it immensely and I hope I have made
you all aware of Compassion Fatigue. You can always reach me at
www.compassionfatigue.org. I hope you will all join the Compassion
Fatigue Awareness Project and take part in the new Forum. Again, thank
you for your great questions and thank you for all of the good work
you do on behalf of our dear little animals.
Take good care!
Sincerely,
Patricia

And we thank you Patricia for everything, especially dedicating yourself to the health and well being of shelter and rescue workers & volunteers.

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