How “Not One More Vet” is Revolutionizing Veterinary Well-Being

It’s the unsung heroes that often have the hardest times. Some of these unsung heroes are veterinarians and others who work in the veterinary medical community. They are two to four times more likely to take their own life when compared to the rest of the population. It’s a tough job and often thankless, as people in the vet community deal with the death of animals every single day. For many, working with pets seems like a dream job. In reality, however, it requires an endless well of compassion, patience, and resolve that can drive many into mental health crises.

Merck Animal Health’s fourth Veterinary Wellbeing Study indicates progress in addressing mental health challenges among veterinary teams. Increasingly, organizations have sprung up that have a vested interest in providing mental health support for people in the industry. Take Not One More Vet (NOMV), for example. Founded by Dr. Nicole McArthur on October 1, 2014, in response to the untimely passing of world-renowned veterinarian Dr. Sophia Yin, Not One More Vet seeks to address the distinct mental health challenges vets face. “You can start your day with a kitten and end your day with a harmed animal,” says Gigi Tsontos, Executive Director of Not One More Vet (NOMV). “It’s a very up-and-down space. Also, we know that there’s a lack of veterinary industry professionals right now, so people are strained to keep the workflow moving, which causes stress to mental health.”

NOMV started as a Facebook Group, but in the 10 years since its founding has grown into a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, providing peer support, education initiatives, and other forums for people in the industry to converse. A licensed clinical social worker with a background in non-profit administration, Tsontos joined Not One More Vet as its executive director in January after the previous executive moved on to another project. “I work with mental health and well-being in a variety of settings that have been involved with veterinarians and the vet industry in some way for a long time, so it worked out,” Tsontos explains.

There are a variety of issues the veterinary community faces, and there are many types of veterinarians as well. Some specialize in small animals while others work with large animals. There are ranch and feed yard veterinarians. That’s why it’s important to provide adequate support to all aspects of the industry. As for Not One More Vet, the organization seeks to make an actual impact on the people it serves. “[We want to] make sure we’re reaching as many of those as we can with good quality information and support to help improve the well-being in this community,” Tsontos adds.

NOMV does this through a multifaceted approach that touches on every level of the industry. Besides its forums, the organization offers what it calls CLEAR Blueprint. This practice certification program, created by NOMV and supported by Merck Animal Health, provides a scalable and adaptable assessment for people in the veterinary field that promotes a culture of compassionate care and well-being. Besides providing training modules and activities, the assessment touches on everything from finances and work-life balance to communication strategies.

Once the assessment is completed, NOMV can provide better advice to solve problems. One program it worked with figured out how to slightly adjust fees for office visits. This improved the salaries of veterinary staff and fostered a better working environment. As Tsontos notes, finances and well-being are often intertwined. NOMV’s services don’t just reach top veterinarians either. “We do support everybody who works in the veterinary community. So if you are a support staff answering phones all the way to practice owners, veterinarians, or anyone working within the realm, our services are available too,” Tsontos adds.

Not One More Vet’s commitment to the mental health of industry professionals has helped it grow from a single Facebook group into a global initiative, counting at least 40,000 people from across the world using its forums. NOMV’s volunteers speak or do webinars 300-400 times a year. Plus, its peer-support Lifeboat Program has over 1,000 participants. While concrete numbers are hard to come by, these select programs illustrate the positive reach of Not One More Vet. Plus, this more nebulous sense of exposure has its benefits. As an educational program, NOMV expands its impact through the proverbial six degrees of separation, whereby an interested party learns about the organization, shares its material with someone else, and so on. This helps get much-needed eyes on the little-known problem of mental health in the veterinary industry.

Not One More Vet has grown considerably in the last decade and shows no signs of slowing. Besides reducing the rate of unnecessary deaths, Tsontos hopes to see the organization grow and reach more people in the industry dealing with mental health issues. As for the future, she foresees NOMV being strong, available, and listening to the community’s concerns. “We’re helping create a veterinary medical industry that promotes well-being and mental health and really helps the profession grow,” she explains.

For too long, people in the veterinary industry faced mental health problems and had trouble finding resources and support. Fortunately, organizations like Not One More Vet lead the charge in getting people in the industry the help they need.

To learn more about Not One More Vet, visit nomv.org.