January 30, 2023
D2C Q4 2022: Guidance, Training and Outreach
1. September 1, 2022
Conference/Training – Webinar*
*hosted by PRIM&R
Title: Compassion Fatigue and Building a Compassion Resiliency Culture
Van Hooser, J. Preston1 – 1. Office of Animal Welfare, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
Description: Acknowledging, respecting, and preserving the bond between research animals and their human caregivers is vitally important for the well-being of all participants in the research enterprise. In this webinar, attendees will learn about compassion fatigue and its impact on the animal research community. Steps that organizations can take to monitor and address stressors experienced in animal care settings, to identify compassion fatigue, and to implement effective countermeasures that have been identified in similarly emotionally taxing workplaces will be presented. The importance of developing a compassion resiliency culture will be discussed, along with tools and strategies to create this culture and validate and strengthen the human-animal bond. Time will be available for participant questions and discussion.
Number of Attendees: Global Webinar
2. September 13, 2022
D2C Outreach – Reflection
Reflection – WaNPRC Arizona Breeding Colony (ABC)
Number of Attendees: 25-30
3. October 23 – October 27, 2022
Conference/Training – AALAS 73rd National Meeting Poster Presentation
Title: Biomedical Research & The Roadmap to Resiliency: Can You Become Resilient?
Perrotta, Francesca B.1, Bellanca, Rita U.3, Nguyen, Holly M.2, and Van Hooser, J. Preston1 – 1. Office of Animal Welfare, University of Washington, Seattle, WA; 2. Department of Urology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA; 3. Washington National Primate Research Center (WaNPRC), University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
ABSTRACT BODY: Laboratory Animal Professionals (LAPs) include all persons involved with animal research at any level. Such professionals experience many positive and rewarding interactions when caring for and working with research animals while contributing to scientific and medical advancement. However, these professionals may also experience conflicting feelings and exhaustion when the work is stressful due to limited resources, making end of life decisions, dealing with conflicting priorities, and their own capacity for emotional investment in the human-animal bond which is characterized as compassion fatigue. The first step to becoming resilient against compassion fatigue is learning how to take care of oneself. The Roadmap to Resiliency with its signs, detours and destinations, is presented as a guide to lead LAPs on a path towards resiliency. The authors will share successful strategies to evoke or bolster resilience in the following six dimensions: Physical, Interpersonal, Emotional, Cognitive, Behavioral and Spiritual. The Roadmap to Resiliency will map routes to physical health through multiple self-care strategies, emotional well-being through interpersonal connections, mental satisfaction through the discussion of ethics, as well as suggest specific action plans on how to safeguard mental health in this line of work. By providing a multimodal approach, LAPs can benefit from these step-by-step resiliency strategies to maintain personal health. The objective being that they may be able to function more effectively and gain satisfaction in their essential work of caring for animals, humans and for science. Can one become resilient? The Roadmap to Resiliency will serve as a training tool/resource to enhance the Laboratory Animal Professionals’ level of resilience by helping them to cope with the past to better their futures.
Number of Attendees: 3,000-4,000
4. October 23 – October 27, 2022
Conference/Training – AALAS 73rd National Meeting Poster Presentation
Title: Cross-pollination across Animal-care Related Fields: Learning Together to Develop a Culture of Care for Human and Animal Wellbeing
S Brando2,3, S Thompson-Iritani1 – 1. Office of Research, University of Washington, Seattle, WA; 2. Animal Concepts, Barcelona, Spain; 3. University of Stirling, Spain, Teulada, Spain \.
ABSTRACT BODY: A culture of care involves creating healthy workspaces, attention to psychological wellbeing, benefits of gratitude and mindfulness, addressing bullying and toxicity, and systemic causes of stress and burnout. It is equally important to hold space for people to grieve, have rituals, and feel connected. Animal care professionals across different disciplines, such as laboratories, shelters, zoos, aquariums, sanctuaries, and farms, can learn from one another and provide support when dealing with the satisfactions (joys) and occupational stressors (sorrows) of their work. There are commonalities amongst the joys which may be supporting good animal wellbeing, the connection with the animals, species conservation, connecting to the public, animal and environmental protection, and contributing to other goals such as research and education and the sorrows which may include extended workloads, dysfunctional teams, limited time and budgets, grief, loss, and euthanasia. The authors will expand on previously presented frameworks that emphasize the interconnectedness and demonstrate how they can be used across the disciplines to identify personnel and the important role that each of us play in our animal care programs. While differences between the professions exist, there are also large overlaps grounded in common humanity. The knowledge that we are not alone, that we have a larger support network, that life is all about relationships and connections, and that we can find support and strength in each other unites us. The cross-pollination of stories across these disciplines and fields, as well as learning and contributing different proven strategies and methods will benefit all of us, both the animals and the people in these professions. What all people need most is to feel a sense of belonging and support and a deep and true culture of care and understanding in the workplace.
Number of Attendees: 3,000-4,000
5. November 3, 2022
D2C Outreach – Mental Wellness
Reflection/Request for Assistance/Mental Wellness – WaNPRC Arizona Breeding Colony (ABC): How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard
Image of the collage D2C made for the staff at the Arizona Breeding Colony in AZ. It is a 20 x 30 inch vertically framed collage of 15 photos with their preferred phrase “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard” and today’s date at the bottom). I want to thank Holly and D2C for their help with this project – it turned out beautifully and will surely bring comfort and smiles to the team on site for years to come.
Additionally, D2C ordered the rock kits, stencils, markers and sealer we talked about at our last convened meeting. These items are scheduled to be delivered to the team in Arizona tomorrow (except for one stencil set of which will be delivered Mon 11/7. I want to thank Rita and Kelly for all their help and time with this project and narrowing down the choices. I’m confident the team at ABC will enjoy this project and be able to create a beautiful rock garden to pay tribute to the animals being shipped out today, and others.
Number of Attendees: 25-30; Number Impacted: UW Lab Animal Science Community / WaNPRC
6. November 5, 2022
Conference/Training – IV Simpósio Internacional de Saúde Única: Qual é o futuro da Saúde Única PUCPR – Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Curitiba – PR , Brazil
Title: The Future of One Health Post Pandemic Era.
Pettan-Brewer, Christina1 – 1. Department of Comparative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
The Main topic focused on Bioethics and health to human, animals and plants (One Health and well-being). Presented about UW D2C including the link of the website and One Welfare/One Well Being/One Health approaches, which is usually a general view of all integrated health.
Number of Attendees: 3,000 (Hybrid – virtual and in person)
7. November 15, 2022
D2C Outreach – Training & Development
Bellanca, Rita U1 – 1. Washington National Primate Research Center (WaNPRC), University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
Title: CARE Working Group Update: 2020-2022.
Number of Attendees: 50-100
8. December 1, 2022
D2C Outreach – Mental Wellness
Reflection/Request for Assistance/Mental Wellness Support – Department of Comparative Medicine (DCM) ARCF (Apollo | Rocky)
Number of Attendees: 27-30
9. December 12-15, 2022
Conference/Training – PRIM&R’s Annual Conference
Title: Plenary II: Caring for Our People, Caring for Our Animals – Supporting Compassion Fatigue Resiliency
Bellanca, Rita U1, Johnson, Crystal2, LaFolette, Megan3, MacAllister, Rhonda4, Wilder, Temeri5 – 1. Washington National Primate Research Center (WaNPRC), University of Washington, Seattle, WA; 2. Division of Comparative Medicine, Georgetown University; 3. The North American 3Rs Collaborative; 4. Oregon Health and Science University; 5. NIH/NIAID/CMB.
Number of Attendees: 225-250
10. December 19, 2022
D2C Outreach – Training & Development
Bellanca, Rita U1, Pettan-Brewer, Christina2 – 1. Washington National Primate Research Center (WaNPRC), University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 2. Department of Comparative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
Visiting faculty from IPB University in Indonesia to discuss D2C compassion in resiliency program and strategies for implementing. Also discussed One Health and One Welfare and the lab animal user community.
Number of Attendees: 15-20
