Careers in One Health: Social Workers Roles in Caring for Humans and Their Animal Companions

Social workers play a critical role in the wellbeing of communities – trained to help individuals, families, and groups effect positive change and address barriers that stand in the way of optimal life and wellbeing. In addition to a focus on people, many social workers include animals in their definition of systems and family units, leading to endless ways they have successfully incorporated animals into their work.

This book offers insights from pioneers as well as practitioners in the field who have created their niche within this growing area. Coming from the philosophy that we cannot work towards what we do not know exists, this book offers knowledge, pathways, and advice from those who have succeeded in including their love for animals into their careers, shining a light on the path for those who share similar passions.

The book can be used as a supplemental textbook in undergraduate and graduate social work academic programs as well as a resource for social workers in the field looking for ways to expand their work.

Lori R. Kogan, PhD, is a professor of Clinical Sciences at Colorado State University. She is the chair of the Human-Animal Interaction section of the American Psychological Association and Editor-in-Chief of the Human-Animal Interaction journal, an open-access, online publication published by CABI. She has published numerous journal articles and books including Pet Loss, Grief, and Therapeutic Interventions: Practitioners Navigating the Human-Animal Bond, and Clinician's Guide to Treating Companion Animal Issues: Addressing Human-Animal Interaction. She is currently engaged in research pertaining to the intersection of the human-animal interaction and veterinary medicine.