THRIVE Cultivating Safe Teams AWARE

In 2021 the AVA surveyed over 2,500 veterinary stakeholders to understand the mental health and wellbeing of the veterinary workforce.  

• 66.7% of participants said they had experienced a mental health condition at some stage 

• almost half of all participants felt their work had a negative impact on their mental health.  

The research identified the common risks in veterinary work that compromise psychological health and safety as well as those aspects of work that protect our mental health and make working in the veterinary profession great.  

The research also highlighted the importance of bespoke workplace training for the veterinary profession to improve working conditions and prevent harm.  

In direct response to these findings, in 2023 and 2024 the AVA delivered a pilot workplace training, Cultivating Safe Teams, to 735 participants in 50 clinics across Australia, receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback.  

CST Aware aligns with the THRIVE strategic pillars - Prevent, Promote, Protect - as part of our veterinary industry Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Framework. 

Participants leave knowing: 

• Their legal and personal responsibilities to foster safe workplaces. 
• The psychosocial hazards that can be present in any workplace. 
• The specific factors that may drive the risk these hazards pose in veterinary workspaces. 
• The psychosocial protective factors at work that protect and enhance our mental health. 
• The current psychosocial hazards in their team and some initial strategies to address these. 

 Confidence and Intent to Act  

Knowledge Gain  

Team training and awareness sessions: 

• A 1-hour face-to-face workshop delivered in your clinic, or 
• A live online webinar with your team – ideal for remote or regional practices 

The information delivered in face-to-face workshops and online sessions is the same. 

For both online and face-to-face sessions please allow 2 hours total. This includes set-up, the one-hour training, and time for questions afterwards.   

We recommend a maximum of 50 participants per workplace session.  

On registering you will receive access to a participant workbook and be invited to sign an industry pledge stating your commitment to cultivating a safe and mentally healthy workplace. 

Cost 

Thanks to the generous support of our program funder—Zoetis Foundation, and sponsors Provet, and Vet’s Choice—we’re able to offer workplace training at a subsidised rate of $500 per session.  

The $500 fee is inclusive of: 

• Pre-training alignment conversation 
• 1 hour training session with entire team 
• Participant workbook 
• Post training Q&A 
• Access to bank of regularly updated resources 

For face-to-face workshops, there will be a fee to cover facilitator travel costs beyond Melbourne CBD. This amount depends on the training location and will be discussed at the time of booking. 

We are also offering regular webinars for individuals throughout the year – perfect for onboarding new team members, preparing leaders ahead of in-clinic training, or supporting solo practitioners and smaller teams. $45 per person 

I’m sufficiently AWARE, what next?

You can look into our Chartered Veterinary Practitioner module Wellbeing Science for Veterinarians, as once we know what to do for our own wellbeing, we can start to embed these practices in our teams. https://www.ava.com.au/education-events/education-and-events-search/event-detail/?eid=EV001944

We are currently developing the next phase of Cultivating Safe Teams which will be CST ACTION - this will be for who have completed AWARE and want more! Watch this space as we hope to have a pilot ready in early 2026.

We will also be running a THRIVE stream at the AVA Conference in May 2026.  This stream is designed to build on the Thrive pillars of Prevent, Promote, Protect and will have experts in these fields discuss evidence-based strategies and research to build safe and great workplaces. It will be suitable for anyone, not just vets. https://au.eventscloud.com/website/3071/

 I need some counselling support for myself or individuals in my team after training - where can I go?
https://www.ava.com.au/Thrive/how-we-help-you/ava-telephone-counselling-service/

Where can I find the online learning material, and access my pledge certificate?

We have many resources available for you at any time, as well as your printable pledge certificate, here: https://mylearning.ava.com.au/login/start.php

Do you need to be an AVA Member?

If you are a veterinary professional who is working in clinical practice, in industry, an academic setting, or any other veterinary specific working environment, we encourage you to book a session. You do not need to be an AVA member.

What’s involved?

Participating workplaces will need to provide appropriate facilities for training to occur onsite or online, relevant to the number of participants involved within their workplace.

Participating workplaces agree to dedicate up to 2 hours of training leave for team members participating in the program. This includes 1 hour of training, ½ hour question time and ½ hour to review the online resources.

How many people can participate in the workplace training?

Minimum of 3 and maximum of 50 depending on facilities. Please enquire about your specific needs via thrive@ava.com.au

Will there be resources provided?

Yes! All participants will be enrolled in the AVA’s My Learning platform to access a workbook, the pledge and additional resources including the THRIVE Mental Health and Suicide Prevention framework, videos and industry guidelines.

I have heard that there is a pledge involved, what is that about?

We are asking all participants and their workplace to commit to cultivating a safe and mentally healthy working environment by taking the Cultivating Safe Teams Pledge.

The aim is to unite participating workplaces involved in the program and to build on this across the broader profession.

Making a written commitment has been shown to increase the likelihood of change.

https://mylearning.ava.com.au/login/start.php 

These videos showcase our THRIVE Cultivating Safe Teams Pilot Program journey, which began in September 2023. We would like to acknowledge and deeply thank each veterinary team member who has been involved in bringing this important program to life.  

July 2024 - Program participants share their stories; highlighting the importance of a safe and mentally healthy workplace. 

December 2023 – End of year wrap-up; 11 weeks of training across 19 veterinary workplaces, reaching 268 veterinary professionals. 

September 2023 – Launch week highlights; a snapshot tour of the first group of veterinary workplaces to receive the pilot program training.

For more information, or if you have any questions, please email the Executive Officer for Wellbeing at thrive@ava.com.au