Evidence-Based Practice Across Systems

The primary responsibility for the Systems student will be to work on program development and evaluation for the University of Tennessee Veterinary Social Work (UT VSW) program. Additional responsibilities will focus on grassroots organizing in the Knox County community around the link between interpersonal violence and animal abuse issues. The skills you learn through this placement will prepare you for systems practice in a wide variety of social work settings.

This position includes:

• Implementing, analyzing and writing up the results of the yearly UT VSW Program Survey (this is our yearly program evaluation). In the fall the student will use data already collected. In the spring the student would help with data collection.
• Research grant opportunities and write a small grant.
• Coordinate the development of marketing materials for UT VSW with the help of UTCVM graphic designers.
• 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.
• Working closely with the community Companion Animal Initiative of Tennessee (CAIT) and the Community Coalition on Family Violence to raise awareness and unify community goals in combating human and animal violence.
• 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.