At a Momentâs Notice
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t didnât take long for Maddie Moree to jump right into the fray. On her first day as the new veterinary social worker in the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center, she was called into action by a somewhat reluctant hospital worker. âThey knew it was my first day and were very apologetic about calling me,â Moree said. âBut thatâs why Iâm here. I must be available on a momentâs notice and be very flexible. âI can always catch up on the other stuff.â In her new role, Moree is responsible for a variety of tasks including crisis intervention with clients, following up with clientsâ post-euthanasia, staff training, and supporting the hospitalâs staff. âIâm not anyoneâs therapist,â Moree said, âbut I am that person in between where they are, and where they need to be.â An Iowa State graduate, Moree spent the past several years in a job drastically different from her appointment in the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center. She worked for the City of Frisco (Texas) Police Department, focusing on the mental health of the departmentâs employees, as well as serving as a crisis negotiator.
Photo: Dave Gieseke
âIâm not anyoneâs therapist,â Moree said, âbut I am that person in between where they are, and where they need to be.â
Despite being happy in her job, the Iowa native and her husband wanted to move back to the Midwest. But it had to be the right opportunity. Then she found the veterinary social worker position posted at Iowa State. âI wanted to find a job that I was just as passionate about as I was in Texas,â Moree said. âBeing able to build a program from scratch as well as being a huge animal lover made this a job I couldnât pass up.â âIâm very excited to see what this program can turn into,â she continued, âand anxious to get into the trenches and make this a successful program.â gd
âI loved my job, it was very challenging,â she said. âThat job taught me how to stay calm in stressful situations and Iâve found if Iâm calm it bleeds over to others.â Fall 2023 | Vol. 37 No. 1
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