OUR FIRST FALL 2026 CE PROGRAMS ARE OPEN FOR REGISTRATION: ENROLL TODAY!
OUR FIRST FALL 2026 CE PROGRAMS ARE OPEN FOR REGISTRATION: ENROLL TODAY!
ACE Foundation Programs
Veterinary social work is an emerging interdisciplinary field that bridges the gap between human and animal well-being. This presentation will introduce clinical social work professionals to the foundational concepts, roles, and ethical considerations within veterinary social work. Attendees will gain insight into the history and scope of this specialty practice, exploring key areas of intervention such as grief and bereavement support, animal-assisted interventions, compassion fatigue, and the human-animal bond. The presentation will also highlight collaborative opportunities between veterinary teams and social workers to enhance outcomes for both clients and their animals. By sharing practical strategies for integrating veterinary social work principles into clinical practice, participants will develop a deeper understanding of how social workers can support both people and animals in veterinary settings, aligning this specialty with the core values of clinical social work.
*NYSSCSW Discount applies to NYSSCSW current members only.
**Student Discount only applies to full time students currently enrolled in social work and MHP master level programs.
If this is your first time taking an ACE Foundation program not not shared with the NYSSCSW, you will be prompted to make your complimentary account on the ACE Foundation Learning Center platform, where you will be able to access all current and future programs and course materials from your dashboard. You will be asked to set a password for your new ACE Foundation Learning Center account.
Registration is now closed!
St. Thomas Aquinas College
McNelis Commons, Private Dining Hall
125 NY Rt. 340
Sparkill, NY 10976
The Advanced Clinical Education (ACE) Foundation of the NYS Society for Clinical Social Work, Inc. is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0028; licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0045; licensed psychoanalysts #P-0017; licensed psychologists #PSY-0121; licensed social workers #SW-0056; and licensed creative art therapists #CAT-0120.
Out-of-state providers are welcome to request a certificate upon completion of the presentation evaluation but must check with their own state licensing boards to inquire about whether or not the certificate is recognized as transferrable for CEs in their state’s jurisdiction.
By the end of this continuing education activity, participants will be able to:
1. Identify the foundational concepts and scope of veterinary social work as a specialty within clinical social work.
2. Describe key areas of intervention, including grief and bereavement support, animal-assisted interventions, compassion fatigue, and the human-animal bond.
3. Recognize the ethical considerations and professional roles of social workers in veterinary settings.
4. Explore collaborative strategies for integrating social work practice with veterinary teams to enhance client and patient outcomes.
5. Apply practical approaches for supporting both people and animals in veterinary environments, aligning with the core values of clinical social work.
Psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, licensed psychoanalysts, nurse practitioners and family and marriage/couple therapists, mental health counselors and licensed creative art therapists.
This seminar is appropriate for clinicians with all levels of experience.
Dr. Katherine Compitus is a Colombian-American doctor of clinical social work, licensed bilingual clinical social worker, biopsychologist, and educator with over 20 years of teaching experience at institutions such as NYU, Columbia University, and Fordham University. She is currently a clinical assistant professor at NYU Silver School of Social Work, where she is also the coordinator of the Rockland & Westchester campuses and the director of the post-masters program in Veterinary Social Work. She is trained in modalities including psychodynamic psychotherapy, CBT, DBT, EMDR and Hypnotherapy. Dr. Compitus is the founder and chairman of Surrey Hills Sanctuary, a nonprofit micro-farm sanctuary providing veterinary social work and animal-assisted therapy services in New York State. She has an expert blog called Zooeiya on PsychologyToday.com and she is the author of The Human-Animal Bond in Clinical Social Work Practice (Springer, 2021) and Animal House: A Clinician’s Guide to Animal Hoarding (Oxford, In Press), Her research focuses on Veterinary Social Work, particularly trauma studies within the human-animal bond. Dr. Compitus is also an active advocate for health equity and social justice, especially for marginalized communities and people with pets.
Contact Hours will be awarded once the entire course is completed, as evidenced by signing in and out and completing a course evaluation. Instructions for evaluating the presentation will be emailed within 5 days of the course date. Once evaluation is complete, CE certificate will be emailed to you.
ACE welcomes participants with diverse abilities. Please contact Kristin or Debbie at info.acefoundation@gmail.com, at time of registration, to request accessibility accommodations. Accommodation requests are considered in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities ACT (ADA), Section 505 of the Rehabilitation ACT.
Cancellations made at least five days before the event will be refunded less a 10% cancellation fee. For cancellation please call 1-800-288-4279, or email us at info.acefoundation@gmail.com.
Should Inclement weather occur, we will be notifying all registrants via the email by which the registrant signed up. Please be sure to check your email before you leave for the course.
Please visit our FAQ page to review our frequently asked questions.
