Sarina Lyall (MSSW Clinical Intern) is originally from Fredericksburg, VA. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from High Point University in High Point, NC. Sarina is the mommy of a 3 year old cat named Jasper. She has volunteer experience with Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro, NC. Her interests include grief and bereavement support and support for caregivers of the terminally and/or chronically ill. As a Veterinary Social Work intern, Sarina is interested in learning more about the human/animal bond, animal assisted therapy, and compassion fatigue support. In the future Sarina plans to earn her LCSW and hopes to utilize animals as an aide in her work with grief and bereavement support. Sarina is expected to graduate with her MSSW in May 2009. 
Amye Lewis, BS (VSW Clinical Intern) has a bachelor's degree in Behavioral Sciences from Chaminade University in Hawaii . For the past three years, Amye has supervised homeless services department with a local non-profit mental health organization. Amye has interned as a school case manager and recently interned for six months with an adult mental health peer support center as their housing/resource counselor. Amye also has a special connection with rescuing abused animals which has lead her to adopting two dogs, Lil Girl and Ernie. Amye comes to UT Veterinary Social Work Program with the hopes of leaning more about animal rights, the animal-human bond, and gaining clinical experience with the therapeutic process. Amye hopes to graduate with her MSSW in May of 2009 and continue working with the homeless population in a more clinical role. Evidence-Based Interpersonal Practice Concentration
The primary responsibility for a 2nd year students in the Interpersonal track is to provide crisis intervention, short-term and/or ongoing counseling services to owners who have an ill animal, may be anticipating a loss or have lost a companion animal. Secondary responsibilities include supporting and teaching veterinarians about the applicability of social work skills in a veterinary setting. This placement is much like a placement in a human hospital.
This position includes:
- Assessment, short-term and ongoing counseling and grief support (in person or via telephone sessions).
- Helping owners with euthanasia decisions.
- Being present with owners during euthanasia of their companion animals.
- Providing crisis intervention on-site with owners who have intense reactions to euthanasia or diagnosis of illness of their companion animals.
- Providing supportive services for owners with little social support who look to the Veterinary College as a support system.
- Finding community resources for owners who have other needs (support groups, etc….).
- Co-Facilitating bi-monthly Pet Loss Support Group meetings.
- Developing and maintaining up-to-date pet loss resources.
- Providing education and support to veterinary students, interns, residents, and faculty about the grief process, communication and social work skills.
- Acting as a liaison between the client and veterinarian team to help facilitate non-medical communications.
- Providing a minimum of one in-service training for the VSW Spring Educational Series on a human-animal bond or human side of veterinary medicine topic of your choice.
- On a weekly basis, attending educational meetings to learn more about specific topics, skills and intervention techniques salient to both the social work and veterinary professions.
- Other duties as assigned.
Students chosen for field placement in UT VSW for the school year will have demonstrated a good academic record, be adult learners, have an interest in the human-animal bond, be self-starters, independent workers, and have strong interpersonal and consensus building skills.