Support Services for Animal Care Professionals (SSACP) is a non-profit organization focused on the development of training opportunities for enhanced compassionate care in areas including stress, trauma and coping. SSACP provides over 20 workshops and specialized presentations yearly to shelters, vet practices and industry conferences. SSACP also provides consulting services to organizations such as the Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Popular SSACP Presentations

Anger Mismanagment
A private self-assessment of personal anger triggers and style in animal welfare work. Learn the factors that increase anger and ways to de-escalate your own anger and defuse charged situations.

Breaking Isolation
When, where, and how to talk to talk with others about your work in animal welfare.

Self, Volunteer and Board Relationship Building
A training to break down barriers within your organization for better cooperation, respect, and a more positive working environment.

Critical Incident Debriefing
Trained facilitators provide confidential debriefing to staff following a crisis.

Specialized SSACP Workshops and Other Training

Compassion Fatigue and Burnout Workshop
Highlighted in Animal Sheltering Magazine, published by the Humane Society of the United States, SSACP's highly praised Compassion Fatigue and Burnout Workshop helps animal care professionals deal with the feelings that often lead to fatigue and burnout. The workshop provides a safe, confidential, supportive environment to address these feelings and restore hope, energy and enthusiasm.

Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Workshop
A structured process used by public safety officers such as police and firefighters after exposure to traumatic events. Also appropriate for ACO's, shelter workers and veterinary staff when they are faced with difficult situations such as a raid on a collector, continual exposure to animal abuse, fire, illness, death (including extended periods during which many animals are euthanized), or natural disasters.

Tips and Tricks for Dealing with the Public
Provides psychological insights and approaches for interacting with resistant or confrontational clients. These tools give staff a strong edge in dealing with the public, enabling them to maintain professionalism and enhance the probability of a positive outcome. This is a half day presentation.

What People Are Saying

"Finally, a class that was worth the time."
-- Bill Godek, Chief Animal Control Officer - Kenai Animal Control/Shelter, Alaska

"Our staff walked away from the workshop with a new-found sense of personal empowerment...
Thank you for helping me keep the compassionate and caring people who are so critical in helping helpless and homeless animals."
-- Tom L. Colvin, Exec. Dir., Animal Rescue League of Iowa, Inc.; Pres., Iowa Federation of Humane Societies

Valuable Resources
The resources listed below are intended to help you gather information on available workshops and other SSACP resources designed to benefit your professional work. All items are available in PDF form. You will need a PDF viewer application, such as Adobe Acrobat to view them.

The SSACP Partners

Carol Brothers, PhD, is a psychologist in private practice for over 27 years. She has a specialty in grief and trauma and was trained by the staff of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, MD. She has been developing and facilitating Workshops for Animal Care Professionals nationally and internationally. She is a member of the Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Team and the Maryland State Disaster Team and trained Critical Incident Stress Debriefer. She has provided debriefings for responders including animal rescue workers in the Katrina aftermath. She was named one of Maryland's Top 100 Women in 2003 and again in 2005 for her work in these areas.

Nancy Mullins, MA, is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She has presented workshops for 20 years on grief, loss, trauma and abuse, both nationally and internationally with experience in areas including Oklahoma City, Northern Ireland and Zimbabwe (12 years as a member of the staff of Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross.) She is a partner in SSACP, leading and staffing workshops on Compassion and Fatigue Burnout and other topics for animal care professionals. She has trained in Critical Incident Stress Debriefing. She is also a devoted pet lover and facilitates workshops on pet loss for pet owners.

Contact

Carol Brothers, PhD
828-684-7075

Nancy Mullins, MA
413-268-7342