Suicide prevention and supporting your team after a challenging event in practice – two of the toughest challeneges facing the profession – will be tackled head on at Veterinary Management Group (VMG) Congress 2023.
The event will take place on Thursday 8 and Friday 9 June at the Crowne Plaza in Stratford upon Avon.
Studies have shown that the prevalence of suicide in the veterinary profession is up to four times greater than the general population.
While mental health issues within the profession are being discussed more openly, suicide remains a difficult subject but colleagues can play a vital role in detecting if a team member is struggling.
For this reason, increasing understanding of the signs to look out for and best practice on prevention and intervention is essential.
To tackle this problem, VMG Congress includes a suicide prevention training workshop led by Kevin Moore and Bob Kitchin of Big Dog Little Dog, and Sherry Adams, CEO of We Mind & Kelly Matters.
Together, they will help delegates understand:
- Suicide ambivalence, the suicidal mind and early signs to be alert for
- Warning signs transmitted during suicide crisis and how to approach a colleague about suicide
- Myths and good practice in suicide prevention and intervention
Sherry Adams will be on hand after the workshop to answer questions and, in her role as a Samaritan’s Listener, will be available to anyone who wants to talk.
Finding the right way to support and debrief your team after a challenging event can be fraught with difficulty, so Amy Martin, RVN, director of Holly House Vets, will lead a session on this during VMG Congress 2023.
She aims to help veterinary leaders learn how to stay resilient enough to retain their compassion while working in a demanding profession.
Full details of the programme and ticket pricing is available on the VMG Congress 2023 website.
Commenting VMG director Liz Somerville said: “All of our sessions will emphasise practical steps that our delegates can take, whether to improve the profitability of their business or well-being, mental health and career opportunities within their teams.
“Individuals working in the veterinary sector sometimes have to confront the most difficult and painful challenges so providing specific support and guidance on handling these situations was a priority for us as we developed the programme.”
