UPDATED 8/17 at 10:15am: Recording, full agenda and resources now available below!
Today's Agenda
- Bobby Mann, Human Animal Support Services: mann@americanpetsalive.org
- Mary’s Monday Motivation– Power of positivity – replace despair with hopeful, positive thoughts – work those atrophied muscles by smiling!
- National updates
- Sara Thompson, Positive Community Norms Communications Specialist and Senior Trainer for The Montana Institute - how the Science of the Positive framework could be applied to animal welfare and how even the most under resourced communities have strengths and assets that can we can help grow, leading to better outcomes for the people and animals we serve.
- Bethany Heins, Director, Strategy & Network Operations, Best Friends Animal Society® - staffing survey results
- Breakout Rooms: 11 HASS Elements https://www.humananimalsupportservices.org/about/elements-of-hass/
Resources referenced in today’s call
QUESTION OF THE WEEK ON Maddie’s Pet Forum:
“What changes has your organization made to be more inclusive?”
https://bit.ly/37FDgyt
Join the Open Arms Challenge! Registration begins on August 23
https://www.maddiesfund.org/open-arms-challenge.htm
Maddie’s® Candid Conversation with Dr. Lila Miller- August 24 @12n Pacific
https://maddiesfund-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEqf-2hpz8qHtOR_F97Bfuq1BXDfpklxnyC
Grant opportunities
Sara Thompson, Positive Community Norms Communications Specialist and Senior Trainer for
The Montana Institute https://www.montanainstitute.com Dr. Jeff Linkenbach
Book: The Small B!G: small changes that spark big influence https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_small_BIG/3a5gAwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover
Paige McGowan: Imagine if we promoted the things our communities are doing well. Examples: "Most pet guardians in our community spay and neuter" or "Most people leave their pet at home on a hot day". Every community could collect its own normative data (people's thoughts, beliefs, behaviors) and turn it into messaging that could be used to advance our respective goals. EVERY community, even the most under-resourced, have assets we could identify, and use to close gaps and improve outcomes for animals and people.
11 HASS Elements https://www.humananimalsupportservices.org/about/elements-of-hass/
- Lost Pet Reunification
- Pet Support Services
- Supported Self-Rehoming
- Intake-to-Placement
- Role of the Shelter
- Field Services and Public Safety
- Community Partnerships
- The Foster-Centric Model
- Remote Customer Service
- Case Management
- Volunteer Integration
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Join us Monday, August 16th at 8am PT for the Shelter and Rescue Support call. This will be a fun call with featured presenter, Sara Thompson, from The Montana Institute followed by an opportunity to meet with your peers! Check out the details below.
Session One: The Science of the Positive is the study of how positive factors impact culture and experience. It focuses on how to measure and grow the positive, and has been applied over decades with agencies, communities, and businesses. It is based on the core assumption that the positive is real and is worth growing – in ourselves, our families, our workplaces, and our communities (Linkenbach, 2007).
As animal welfare professionals, we can become so focused on the problems we are trying to solve that we miss the things our communities do well. The Science of the Positive reverses this problem-centered frame and gives us the tools to help our communities grow the healthy and positive beliefs and behaviors that already exist in our communities.
The framework also helps us correct misperceptions about what a community thinks or believes about itself, which ultimately helps change behavior leading to healthier and safer communities. When we start to look at the world through this positive, hopeful lens, it has a profound impact on the questions we ask, the data we collect, and the way we approach social change.
Sara Thompson, Positive Community Norms Communications Specialist and Senior Trainer for The Montana Institute, will discuss how the Science of the Positive framework could be applied to animal welfare and how even the most under resourced communities have strengths and assets that can we can help grow, leading to better outcomes for the people and animals we serve.
Peer Groups: After our amazing first session we will be heading to breakout rooms related to the HASS Elements. Each room will have a facilitator to help manage the fun! In this first meeting we will ask you to introduce yourself and name one thing you hope to learn from your peers in future meetings. Your comments and suggestions will be used to help plan presentations along with being key discussion topics for future meetings!
Register for the call here and catch up on previous Monday calls on the Community Conversations page here on Maddie's Pet Forum.
#Maddie'sCommunityConversations
#EducationandTraining#PeopleManagement(includingVolunteerIntegration)------------------------------
Kim Domerofski (she/her)
Community Manager
Maddie's Fund
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