About

Alisha recently moved to California from Kentucky. She received her Master of Science in Social Work from Spalding University. While completing her undergraduate internship with Jewish Hospital in Kentucky, she quickly learned the importance of social workers in the medical field. Prior to moving to California, she worked at the VA Medical Center as an in-patient medical social worker.

The role of a social worker in a veterinary hospital is similar to a social worker in a human hospital. A veterinary social worker is an active member of the veterinary healthcare team who focuses on areas such as end-of-life decisions, grief and bereavement, helping staff with stress management, and compassion fatigue. Alisha is excited to be part of Ethos Veterinary Health providing support and resources to our clients and staff.

When not at work, Alisha’s interests include traveling, hiking, kayaking, and vintage shopping. Her favorite self-care activity is painting. She lives with a lovable two year old aussiedoodle named Watson who has to say hi to all the dogs he meets on their walks and make friends with everyone at the dog park.

What is Veterinary Social Work?

Veterinary social work is a social work specialty that focuses on the human needs that may arise in veterinary medicine. Understanding the significance of the human-animal bond is critical to veterinary medicine and at VSH our social worker addresses the needs that may arise for both our clients and our staff members.

Social Work Services Offered:

• Pet loss/grief support (including anticipatory grief)

• Caregiver support (support for those caring for pets with chronic needs)

• Support when receiving a new diagnosis/new treatment options

• Support during decision making

• Assessing quality of life

• End of life decision making

• Facilitating family discussions around patient care

Our social worker will also provide additional external resources on the following topics:

• Navigating pet loss with children

• Ways to memorialize our pets

• Euthanasia at home

• Hospice care for pets

• Coping with guilt after pet loss

• Pet loss books and hotlines

Education

Spalding University - Master of Science in Social Work