Veterinary Social Work

Dr. Buck, trained at the University of Tennessee through the Veterinary Social Work Program, serves as a consultant to the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine to support the wellbeing of all members of the veterinary community. At Penn Vet, Dr. Buck meets with veterinary students, interns, residents, and staff to address issues of workplace stress that often accompany veterinary medicine. She is committed to developing ways that social workers can partner with the veterinary community to support all humans involved in the care of animals.

Page teaches courses on both mental health and animal-assisted interventions to graduate students, often including them in her research work. With her colleagues at Gateway HorseWorks, she is exploring the potential for equine-assisted psychotherapy to promote pro-social connection for adolescent girls and women in the criminal justice system. Other projects include a study of the impact of the human-animal bond on family systems managing children with autism spectrum disorder and a study of the importance of companion animals for individuals without shelter.

She recently published an article in Advances in Social Work, Equine-assisted psychotherapy: An emerging trauma-informed intervention. Her work on animal-assisted activities for children with autism has been highlighted in the Philadelphia Inquirer, on PHL17, and most-recently highlighted in the “Horse Power” section of Noelle Floyd.

As a consultant, Page offers organizations a range of services: Brainstorming animal-assisted interventions appropriate to the setting; Developing a plan for implementation; Overseeing implementation; Problem-solving; Designing data collection processes; Applying for funding.