Free therapy in Florida? FVMA launches “Inspire” program aimed at improving well-being in veterinary medicine

Most veterinary professionals are acutely aware of the higher-than-normal incidence of mental health issues in the profession. Repeated studies show burnout, anxiety, and other psychological stressors exist at a higher rate than what the general population experiences.   

But it’s not all doom and gloom. With this issue in the spotlight, an increased level of awareness has brought some change to the industry. The number of employers offering mental health insurance coverage and employee assistance programs (EAPs) has increased in recent years. While there is still work to be done, organizations like the Florida Veterinary Medical Association (FVMA) are working to fill the gaps they see—this is where the Inspire program enters the conversation.   

From idea to reality   

The idea to create the program did not come about overnight, Phil Richmond, DVM, CAPP, CPHSA, CCFP notes. Richmond serves as the chair of the FVMA’s professional wellbeing committee. A couple of years back, he and others began looking into veterinary professionals’ biggest barriers to accessing mental health help.  

 “We really wanted to have an effective way of increasing access to mental health professionals,” Richmond said. “We identified where cost certainly was one, the stigma of mental health, and then sometimes, mental health professionals just didn’t understand veterinary-specific issues.”

With those hurdles identified, Richmond began reaching out to those who were both veterinary professionals and mental health professionals. He also started to work with veterinary social workers to create a comprehensive network of individuals familiar with mental health and veterinary medicine. From there, they developed a two-pronged program. 

The first pillar of the program is getting help to the roughly 10-20% of veterinary professionals who are in physiological distress; with the three free sessions they offer to Florida residents, that rounds out the first goal of the program.  

There’s also a secondary goal. That second pillar focuses on building up the safeguards within veterinary medicine to help prevent those issues from arising in the workplace.  

“We created a certificate in creating wellbeing in veterinary workplaces,” Richmond said. “Our first cadre has their impact project presentations [ready to present]. So, I’ve got about 20 veterinary professionals and veterinary leaders in the state of Florida who are now trained in wellbeing.”  

That first cohort looked at evidence-based practices that can be applied to the day-to-day work of practice staff. The group was comprised of staff from across the veterinary spectrum who have been advocates for wellbeing in the profession and are also in positions that can help move the Inspire initiative forward.   

“It’s lifting up those that need it and then creating joy, creating fulfillment in the profession as well,” he added.   

 The hope is that, as more groups go through the program, the overall focus on wellbeing increases and the different findings can serve as examples for practices looking for additional tools, which these new certified leaders can help implement in practices in Florida. Richmond added that they are hoping to have another certificate class in 2025, but an official registration period has not started.  

Accessing the resources  

If you’re a veterinary professional in Florida, you can access up to three free therapy sessions through FVMA’s Inspire program using their intake form. Richmond said they have multiple veterinary mental health professionals ready to help, but he hopes that their outreach efforts will cause program will grow beyond that. Finding themselves in a situation where they need to bring in more helpers is the dream. 

 In addition to their current lineup, he said, “We also have a deep bench of three other veterinary mental health professionals. If this blows up like we think it’s going to, we wanted to make sure we had people in reserve that we could bring up to the plate pretty quickly.”   

Richmond notes that this was a group project made possible by the work of many individuals and organizations working in conjunction, all with the focus of increasing the overall wellbeing of veterinary professionals.   

“The core spirit of the program is not just lifting up the ills of the profession, but also maximizing the beautiful parts of the profession and being intentional about bringing those to the forefront,” he said.  

Interested? Learn more by visiting Inspire’s homepage on the FVMA website.   

Photo credit: © Nadija Pavlovic via Getty Images Plus 

Disclaimer: The views expressed, and topics discussed, in any NEWStat column or article are intended to inform, educate, or entertain, and do not represent an official position by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) or its Board of Directors.