At Mars Veterinary Health, caring for our Associates is a top priority. September marks Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month in the U.S., with World Suicide Awareness Day on September 10.
As veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and paraprofessionals, this is a topic all of us need to understand and then proactively and consistently work to address.Across the veterinary profession, the numbers are too staggering to be ignored. A survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) indicated that a staggering 1 in 6 veterinarians has contemplated suicide. As a business, and as an industry, we need to raise awareness of the importance of mental health and self-care, and ensure we are all playing a role in making it OK to not be OK.
To come together in honor of World Suicide Awareness Day, we’ve held an MVH Global Webinar to discuss the issue, where we are joined by members of our Mars Veterinary Health family as well a guest speaker from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention including:
- Jen Welser, Mars Veterinary Health
- Molly McAllister, Banfield
- Christine Moutier, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
- Séverine Tasker, Linnaeus
- Jimmy Barr, BluePearl
- Marie Kerl, VCA
