Licensed Clinical Social Worker/Licensed Professional Counselor

JIntegrity Veterinary Center is a privately owned 24/7 Emergency and Specialty Hospital in Northampton, MA. We are seeking a compassionate, experienced Social Worker to join our growing team. This is a unique opportunity to bring professional social work and mental health expertise into veterinary medicine and help create a healthier, more sustainable environment for both our clients and our veterinary professionals.

About the Role

Veterinary medicine is a rewarding but demanding field. High case volumes, emotionally challenging cases, and widespread staffing shortages have contributed to significant stress and burnout among veterinary professionals.

At the Integrity Veterinary Center, we believe supporting the people who provide and receive care is an essential part of excellent medicine. Our Social Worker will play an integral role in developing resources and providing direct support to our staff and clients during some of the most difficult moments they may experience.

This position will provide a combination of individual support, wellness programming, client education, support groups, and staff-focused initiatives.

ResponsibilitiesStaff Support & Wellness

• Maintain designated office hours for staff members seeking emotional support, guidance, or resources.
• Provide short-term interventions related to stress management, burnout, compassion fatigue, grief, and workplace challenges.
• Develop and implement wellness and burnout-prevention initiatives for the hospital team.
• Participate in semi-annual staff check-ins and help identify opportunities to improve team well-being.
• Provide support and guidance during particularly challenging cases or periods of increased workplace stress.
• Help mediate inter-staff conflicts and facilitate healthy, constructive communication when appropriate.
• Develop educational resources and programming focused on mental health, resilience, stress management, and sustainable practices in veterinary medicine.

Client Support

• Provide immediate, short-term support to clients experiencing grief, distress, or other emotional challenges related to their pet's illness, treatment, or end-of-life care.
• Provide individual intervention and support surrounding end-of-life decisions, euthanasia, bereavement, and complicated grief.
• Develop and facilitate client support groups, including groups focused on pet loss and bereavement and caregiving for pets with cancer or chronic illness.
• Connect clients with appropriate community mental health resources and longer-term services as needed.
• Develop client education materials addressing mental health, grief, coping with pet illness, bereavement, and related topics.
• Collaborate closely with veterinary clinicians and hospital staff to ensure compassionate, consistent support for clients.

Collaboration & Professional Development

• Work collaboratively with veterinarians, technicians, assistants, client service representatives, and hospital leadership.
• Help educate the veterinary team about grief, mental health, communication, and the emotional experiences of clients.
• Develop an understanding of veterinary medicine and the unique emotional challenges faced by veterinary professionals and pet owners.
• Participate in hospital initiatives designed to promote kindness, psychological safety, healthy communication, and a supportive workplace culture.
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries, confidentiality, and documentation consistent with the scope of practice and applicable regulations.

QualificationsRequired

• 2+ years of experience in social work and/or mental health counseling.
• LSWA, LSW, or Master's degree (MA/MS) in counseling or a related mental health field.
• Exceptional interpersonal and client communication skills.
• Strong multitasking, organization, and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent computer and documentation skills.
• Ability to work effectively with individuals experiencing grief, stress, conflict, or emotional distress.
• Willingness to learn about veterinary medicine and the unique challenges associated with veterinary patient care.
• Ability to work independently while also functioning as an integral member of a multidisciplinary team.

Preferred

• 4+ years of experience in social work or counseling.
• Experience providing grief and bereavement counseling.
• Experience developing, facilitating, or administering support groups.
• Experience working in a veterinary hospital, animal-related setting, or human healthcare environment.
• Experience with staff wellness, burnout prevention, workplace mental health, or employee support programs.

About Us

At Integrity Veterinary Center, we believe that providing exceptional patient care starts with taking care of the people who provide it.

We are committed to building a healthy, sustainable, and respectful working environment for our entire team. We recognize that veterinary medicine can be emotionally and physically demanding, and we want our workplace to be one where people feel supported, valued, and able to build a long-term career.

Our culture prioritizes:

• Work-life balance, including 3 weeks of vacation.
• Fair and competitive wages.
• Kindness and mutual respect throughout the hospital.
• Zero tolerance for abusive or disrespectful behavior from clients.
• Honest and open communication between team members and leadership.
• A commitment to ongoing learning, professional growth, and personal well-being.

This role is an opportunity to help us build these values into the foundation of our hospital.

To learn more about IVC, go to our website:

Why Join Integrity Veterinary Center?

You will have the opportunity to help shape a new specialty hospital and develop a social work program within veterinary medicine from the ground up. Your work will directly impact both the clients navigating difficult experiences with their pets and the veterinary professionals who care for them.

If you are passionate about social work, mental health, grief support, and helping people through challenging moments—and are excited about applying those skills in a veterinary setting—we would love to hear from you.

To apply: Please submit your resume and a cover letter describing your experience and interest in supporting clients and veterinary professionals at Integrity Veterinary Center.

Please email a cover letter and resume to [email protected] to apply!

Pay: $62,000.00 - $70,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k) matching
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance

Work Location: In person