Your Health & Wellness Matter
We're proud to be veterinary professionals. But before we care for our patients, we must take care of ourselves. The Veterinary Well-being Program is our effort to inspire, create, and maintain a healthy, engaged workforce and supportive culture.
“People who are carers have the tendency to self-blame or feel guilty if they need to take a break. There’s an inherent toll in what our care involves.” - Debrah Lee, LCSW
The Veterinary Well-Being Program was established to provide support to our staff. There are daily challenges inherent to veterinary medicine that are also contributing factors to compassion fatigue and burnout. In addition to providing resources and support for immediate stressors, the Well-Being Program seeks to create proactive approaches to better support employee well-being.
On-Site Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Debrah Lee, LCSW, will support you as you engage intentionally with your well-being. She will help you find a therapist, discuss stress management, and hold space for you to give voice to the challenges that arise in the industry.
Internal Resources
A resource page dedicated to our well-being and mental health resources that is updated regularly which DoveLewis staff can look through at any time.
B.A.R on the Floor
A personal and professional development series that focuses on our well-being and success as employees which are impacted by our emotional intelligence, resiliency, and how we respond to conflict.
Employee Assistance Program
We provide confidential access to professional counseling services for help in confronting such personal problems including family trouble, financial difficulties, and emotional distress.
atDove Well-being Resources
Home of the popular online training platform, atDove, we have created a suite of wellness resources to help not only our own team but for veterinary teams across the world.
Financial Wellness Tools
Planning for the future can be intimidating. We offer workshops and coaching to help you feel more secure in your financial decisions.
Grief Support
One of the first programs of its kind in the United States and the only one serving the Pacific Northwest, we've helped thousands of grieving pet owners in our nearly 40-year history. Grief support is a free community support that helps people along their process of grieving a beloved pet.
Therapy Dog Visits
Our Portland Area Canine Therapy Teams (PACTT) come to visit us too! We get to enjoy a little break during our shifts with our weekly visits from our expertly trained dogs and their committed handlers.
Feel Supported in Your Career
In the News
“I think there’s a lot of comfort and healing that can come in once you address that piece of isolation that I think a lot of us are feeling,” Lee said. Read Debrah Lee's interview in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Breathing Box: A Tool for Well-being
While it may seem impossible to take care of yourself in these uncertain times, there are a few simple ways to take a moment for you. A few times throughout the day, try this structured breathing exercise to regain your focus.
Managing Stressful Moments
Patients. Clients. Being short-staffed. Learn from Veterinary Well-being Program Director Debrah Lee, LCSW, about some strategies to help during those stressful moments on the floor.
Resiliency Strategies
When your conversations, news feed, emails, and social media are all consumed by the same topic, it is more important than ever to focus on the things that are still good. Learn from Veterinary Wellbeing Program Director Debrah Lee about how to recognize what you can control, and let go of what you can't.
