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Dana
Nov 28, 2021
In MEETING MATERIALS
Meeting Agenda Meeting Slides Meeting Recording (coming soon) Member Highlight Peter B. Gudaitis, New York Disaster Interfaith Services Email: pgudaitis@nydis.org Danielle Emery, Urban Resource Institute Email: DEmery@urinyc.org Katie Campbell, RedRover Email: kcampbell@redrover.org Kristina Vesk, Cat Protection Society Email: kristina@catprotection.org.au Michelle Lem, Community Veterinary Outreach Email: michelle.lem@vetoutreach.org Jodi Peterson-Stigers, Interfaith Sanctuary Email: jodi@interfaithsanctuary.org Stacey Coleman, Animal Farm Foundation Email: scoleman@animalfarmfoundation.org Research Highlight Michelle Cleary, RN, PhD Central Queensland University, Australia Email: m.cleary@cqu.edu.au Working Groups We are seeking ways to have broader representation across staff roles in the Co-Sheltering Collaborative. Email chloe@mydogismyhome.org with questions. Co-Sheltering Collaborative Staff Participation Survey - Recruiting members from homeless shelters across all staff roles. Co-Sheltering Collaborative Community Participation Survey - Recruiting members from the community who have personal experience with housing insecurity. We are also looking to create/update our Pet-Inclusive Pledge. Interested parties should email chloe@mydogismyhome.org with your name, email, and the word “pledge” in the subject line. The basic information on our Pet-Inclusive Pledge is below: With a strong history rooted in racism that is still persistent to this day, Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) has a disproportionately negative effect on BIPOC individuals as well as others experiencing the negative effects of long-lasting systemic racism and prejudice. Additionally, those living in less affluent areas, those in supportive or public housing, those in private rental housing, and those experiencing housing insecurity in any other way are more vulnerable to the effects of additional state, local or landlord restrictions regarding companion animals in housing. When a family does not have the resources or ability to relocate and "getting rid of the dog" is not an option, keeping a beloved animal family member of a particular breed becomes a serious risk to housing security and is an unfair and unnecessary burden. We encourage members of the Co-Sheltering Collaborative to become familiar with the history of BSL as well as the current information demonstrating its inaccuracy and inefficacy, in order to understand how it may be impacting the communities in which you work. When available, we encourage members to sign our pet inclusivity pledge opposing BSL and other barriers to access.
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Dana
Dec 13, 2020
In MEETING MATERIALS
Meeting Agenda Zoom Recording Presentation Slides Member Highlight Iliana Belinc, Founder and Executive Director - PalsNPets Email: iliana@palsnpets.org Presentation Slides Research Highlight Kristina Vesk, Chief Executive Officer - Cat Protection Society Email: kristina@catprotection.org.au Presentation Slides Racial Justice Working Group (Review) The Racial Justice Working Group has been developed to advance racial justice and to uphold the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion: Internally, within the Co-Sheltering Collaborative. Externally, within the broader fields of the animal and veterinary care sector; the homeless services sector; and the interdisciplinary fields which encompass both human and animal welfare. Our Roadmap: Values, Vocabulary, and Our Commitment to Action Staff Participation Survey: The Co-Sheltering Collaborative strives to have diverse representation at its meetings and within its working groups. In order to create strong resources reflective of the needs of people experiencing homelessness with companion animals and the systems meant to serve them, we are recruiting members from homeless shelters across all staff roles. However, we understand that participation in the Co-Sheltering Collaboration discussions might be difficult for a variety of reasons. Please complete this short survey to help us understand what kind of support you need to participate in the Co-Sheltering Collaborative. Please be honest and dream big when answering this survey. We want to hear your honest comments. Reflection Query Process: In order to create a space for collective introspection and to recognize how our own identities may impact our work and relationships, we developed a reflection process which is used to commence each of our meetings. The process is simple and uses the Quaker “query” tradition to facilitate reflection. We encourage all Collaborative members to contribute to our collection of queries: Reflection Query Submission Form. Upcoming: Query Process Training Video for Facilitators Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - In Practice DEI Assessment Tool (source: AAVMC - Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges) Cat Protection Society DEI Assessment Tool Presentation (Kristina Vesk)
Low Fee/No Fee Racial Justice Resources equityXdesign SVPLA: Anit-Racism for White People; Racial Equity in Homelessness Initiative Racial Justice Working group meetings are scheduled weekly via Zoom Thursdays at 4-5pm ET. Please email collaborative@mydogismyhome.org if you are intersted in joining future meetings. Resources & Staff Training Working Group Member lead: Leslie Brooks, DVM, MPH (SOAR Initiative) Email leslie.sadeghi.brooks@gmail.com The Resources and Staff Training working group has been working on finalizing the content and format for our document: Service Animal, Assistance Animal, or Pet/Companion Animal? Targeted for housing providers to help streamline and support co-sheltering programs, especially when housing providers may often experience confusion or uncertainty about these classifications. Current Version: Service Animal, Assistance Animal, or Pet/Companion Animal? Pending edits: Define legal definition of “disability”; Define legal definitions of “common household pets”
My Dog Is My Home: Conference Announcement Hear from experts in the fields of housing, social services and animal welfare on everything from supporting the human-animal bond and advocacy for low-barrier policies to animal health and safety and building community partnerships. Enjoy curated storytelling segments, interactive activities and loads of giveaways. Let’s build a strong network of game-changers together. This weekend promises to educate, entertain and engage as we pursue equitable access to home for all people and all families with animals in our respective communities across the globe. Connect and be inspired by others immersed in this very special line of work. Resources and Events See the Meeting Agenda for links to new resources and events shared during this meeting. Co-Sheltering Collaborative 2021 Quarterly meetings TBD
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Dana
Sep 18, 2020
In WORKING GROUP
Collaborative Host is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Resources & Staff Training Working Group Time: Oct 1, 2020 12:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85035029452?pwd=MGtnU0txVE1sd3ZrS1RpMUdBRzNSZz09 Meeting ID: 850 3502 9452 Passcode: 845654 One tap mobile +16468769923,,85035029452# US (New York) +13017158592,,85035029452# US (Germantown) Dial by your location +1 646 876 9923 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) Meeting ID: 850 3502 9452 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kpd6qhqmR
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Dana
Sep 13, 2020
In MEETING MATERIALS
Meeting Agenda
Zoom Recording
Presentation Slides
Meeting Notes Member Hightlight Pete Monte, Animal Welfare Coordinator - GRACE Marketplace Email: pmonte@gracemarketplace.org Racial Justice Working Group: Staff Participation Survey The Co-Sheltering Collaborative strives to have diverse representation at its meetings and within its working groups. In order to create strong resources reflective of the needs of people experiencing homelessness with companion animals and the systems meant to serve them, we are recruiting members from homeless shelters across all staff roles. However, we understand that participation in the Co-Sheltering Collaboration discussions might be difficult for a variety of reasons. Please complete this short survey to help us understand what kind of support you need to participate in the Co-Sheltering Collaborative. Please be honest and dream big when answering this survey. We want to hear your honest comments. Racial Justice Working Group: Our Roadmap: Values, Vocabulary, and Our Commitment to Action The Racial Justice Working Group has been developed to advance racial justice and to uphold the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion: Internally, within the Co-Sheltering Collaborative. Externally, within the broader fields of the animal and veterinary care sector; the homeless services sector; and the interdisciplinary fields which encompass both human and animal welfare. Racial Justice Working group meetings are scheduled weekly via Zoom at 2-3pm ET. Please email mary@mydogismyhome.org if you are intersted in joining future meetings. Upcoming Working Group Meeting Scheduling Timely: Please complete the appropriate Doodle Poll if you are interested in participating in a working group. Resources and Staff Training: Doodle Poll (Proposed date range: Sept. 28 - Oct. 2, 2020) Effective implementation of co-sheltering programs will require knowledge, compassion, and commitment of staff members. Identifying and creating the most comprehensive, user-friendly, and targeted resources as possible will enable organizations to offer effective training that will include health and safety information and integration of animals into case planning. Identified goals include: Developing resources and staff training content in the areas of: Emotional support animals Human-animal bond Co-sheltering overall (logistics, implementation, etc.) Project Examples: Human-Animal Bond Training Video Service Animal, Emotional Support Animal, or Pet/Companion Animal? Working Group contacts: Leslie Brooks, DVM, MPH (SOAR Initiative): leslie.sadeghi.brooks@gmail.com Dana Teel (My Dog Is My Home): collaborative@mydogismyhome.org SOP Assessment & Evaluation: Doodle Poll (Proposed date range: Oct. 5-8, 2020) The Co-Sheltering Collaborative offers an opportunity to develop assessment and evaluation tools, with the benefit of direct input and opportunity for feedback from real-world experiences of our members and their pet owning clients. The SOP and Evaluation working group seeks to identify best practices by pursuing the following goals: Document existing processes in co-sheltering environments. Identify and evaluate program outcomes in co-sheltering environments. Develop and evaluate veterinary standard operating procedures for co-sheltering environments. Project Example: Document Resource Library/Database (waivers, contracts, etc.) Working Group contacts: Dana Teel (My Dog Is My Home): collaborative@mydogismyhome.org Resources and Events See the Meeting Agenda for links to new resources and events shared during this meeting Other member introductions: Andres Garcia - Executive Director of Emergency Shelter Network; NYC Abby Volin - President, Opening Doors Kim Wolf - Founder and Executive Director, Beyond Breed; Athens, GA Iliana Belinc - Executive Director, Pals N Pets; Los Angeles, CA Suzy Tam - Manager of community outreach and partnerships, Hawaiian Humane Society Shannon Glenn - Executive Director, My Pit Bull is Family; Shelter Supervisor, Matrix Housing Services; Minneapolis, MN Ann Dunn - Director, Oakland Animal Services; Oakland, CA
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Dana
Jul 09, 2020
In WORKING GROUP
Meeting Notes and Agenda Zoom Meeting Recording
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Dana
Jun 20, 2020
In MEETING MATERIALS
Meeting Agenda Zoom Recording Presentation Slides Meeting Notes Co-Sheltering Collaborative - Member Sharing Co-Sheltering People and their Companion Animals: An Exploratory Study Lisa Lunghofer, Ph.D. - Animals & Society Institute lisa.lunghofer@animalsandsociety.org Animal Care Guidelines For Emergency Co-Sheltering Michelle Lem, DVM - Community Veterinary Outreach michelle.lem@vetoutreach.org
COVID-19 Guidelines for Co-Sheltering Environments Co-Sheltering Collaborative collaborative@mydogismyhome.org Guest Presenter Slides and Resources Save Them Dog Training Steffen Baldwin savethemdogs@gmail.com Recommended resource: The Muzzle Up! Project Vegan and Animal Professionals Insurance Agency Steven Griswold and Will Manderscheid will@veganinsurance.com
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Dana
Mar 15, 2020
In MEETING MATERIALS
Meeting Agenda Zoom Recording Presentation Slides Meeting Notes Individual Presenter Slides: Roxana Petzold, American Red Cross Ferdie Yau, Behavior Vets of NYC Katie Campbell, RedRover & Bryna Donnelly, GreaterGood Kelly Balthazor, Jenny Aho & Dani LaGiglia, PetSmart Charities
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Dana
Jan 18, 2020
In WORKING GROUP
Zoom Video Recording Meeting Notes HAB Training Outline HAB PowerPoint Principles of Andragogy: A Review (and takeaways for HAB Training) Training Video - Content Discussion Points Defining the Human-Animal Bond using legitimate sources as inspiration but modified to our goals Develop clear goals and objectives Organizing content - should these be combined or divided into three different modules? Human-Animal Bond (general) Human-Animal Bond (homelessness) Human-Animal Bond (domestic violence) For case studies, we should develop separate content materials related to DV and homelessness Expand on specifics related to service animals and questions that can be asked related to them, as well as distinguishing between Service Animals, ESAs and pets Consider: Do we also need a separate training on this, including Fair Housing and ADA? It is important to remember the importance of the tone and intention of the training Accommodating pets is integral to providing holistic and effective services for pet-owning individuals and families. They are a family unit and should be treated as such. Use the word “Challenges” instead of “Liabilities”. This removes legal connotation and also suggests that there are avenues for resolution (overcoming challenges). What about using “Opportunities” instead of “Benefits”? Use positive and encouraging word choices Try to emphasize individuals’ roles in contributing to positive outcomes Avoid words like “failure” Potential “Challenges” identified in the training may outnumber the “Benefits”. Attempt to balance them so it is more evenly weighted Identify one time/start-up challenges and separate these out from ongoing issues Implementing SOPs may address many start-up issues and manage certain issues Some challenges may require ongoing management The training materials should highlight the benefits for social service workers. “What’s in it for them?” Establish trust in relationships with pet owning clients Increase feelings of competence with changing workplace expectations Expand avenues for personal and professional growth Increase job skills and responsibilities Expand professional network Others? Video content should be comprehensive and show both client and staff experiences with co-sheltering programs Next Steps Review HAB PowerPoint and review content, add thoughts and notes Keep an eye out for Collaborative communication regarding next steps Training Material: “Service Animal, Emotional Support Animal, or Pet?” (document in progress) California Grant Opportunity “Pet Assistance and Support” This grant opportunity is currently open to those providing pet-friendly sheltering services to those experiencing homelessness in California. Please review the slides below for an overview of the details and application requirements. Contact PetAssistanceSupport@hcd.ca.gov with questions. It is recommended that applications be submitted ASAP and that applicants do not wait until the application deadline, as the grant is non competitive and is first-come first served. My Dog Is My Home may consider ways to support these applicants, possibly including partnering with a shelter or providing support related to applications (such as by outlining examples of what shelters may be able to claim for eligible expenses).
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Dana
Nov 25, 2019
In MEETING MATERIALS
Agenda PowerPoint meeting slides Zoom recording Meeting notes
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Dana
Oct 19, 2019
In WORKING GROUP
Meeting Notes (PDF) Zoom Recording Training Video - Content Basic information incorporating the science behind the HAB already exists. Rather than recreating the wheel, this working group should focus on how the HAB directly affects the shelter’s operations and their staff members directly. Incorporating stats into the presentation (perhaps integrated as text during a MDIMH video or similar storytelling example) How much and in what manner should we incorporate content that further describes the importance of the HAB for those who are hesitant or lack buy-in? For those who want more background on the science that exists on the HAB (or for those who need more convincing about the value of the HAB in their work) where will this training direct them? If a staff member does not support or value the importance of the HAB for his/her client, will this negatively affect the quality of care provided to clients with service animals, emotional support animals, or pets? Getting pet programs to a place where pet programs are integrated the way other services are, requires overall staff buy-in. If we find that more direct focus on HAB training itself is needed, we can always try to incorporate this in at a later time. Do we incorporate anything related to safety concerns of staff? Ffear of dogs, for example, was cited as a common concern for some staff. Training Video - Format Video storytelling is a compelling, engaging and efficient way to begin the training and demonstrate the value of the HAB for their clients Existing MDIMH training (clients) Consider creation of new videos of shelter providers and their reflections on and relationship with HAB in their work and with clients over time, especially those who were initially hesitant or resistent. Member Experiences/Comments Even now after co-sheltering has been in place for years, Danielle at URI still has a need for discussions with staff regarding the value of the program, especially for those staff members who are not directly involved. At URI, they now have dedicated staff for this program. Education is ongoing. Especially if a shelter is understaffed or feeling overworked, there is a need to demonstrate why they should feel that adding an extra layer to their work is needed. Hesitation over the value of co-sheltering programs when funds and efforts are needed elsewhere (such as for children) Possibility that co-sheltering programs may bring in more resources to the shelter overall, due to unique avenues for targeted fundraising and marketing Working Group Documents Human- Animal Bond Training Outline Human-Animal Bond PowerPoint Resources and Staff Training 10/18 Working Group Zoom video Next Steps Review HAB training outline Review HAB PowerPoint and spend 10-15 minutes adding thoughts or notes Keep an eye out for Collaborative communication regarding next steps
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Dana
Oct 19, 2019
In WORKING GROUP
Dana Teel (My Dog Is My Home) collaborative@mydogismyhome.org
Christine Kim (NYC Mayor's Community Affairs Unit) CKim2@cau.nyc.gov
Danielle Emery (Urban Resource Institute) DEmery@urinyc.org
Jodi Polanski (Lost Our Home Pet Rescue) jodi@lostourhome.org
Stacey Zeitlin (San Diego Humane Society) cp@sdhumane.org
Emily Gelb (Asheville Humane Society) egelb@ashevillehumane.org
Jasmine Martinez (St. Anne's) JMartinez@stannes.org
Selena Darlim (My Dog Is My Home) selena@mydogismyhome.org
Mayra Bermeo (My Dog Is My Home) mayra@mydogismyhome.org
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Dana
Oct 03, 2019
In MEETING MATERIALS
Agenda Meeting slides Zoom meeting recording Meeting notes (coming soon)
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Dana
Jul 29, 2019
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Dana
Jun 24, 2019
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Dana
May 25, 2019
In MEETING MATERIALS
Agenda Slides Zoom Meeting Recording Meeting Notes (coming soon)
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Dana
May 05, 2019
In WORKING GROUP
At this working group meeting we discussed progress with the Human-Animal Bond trainings and Christine shared with me the start of a PowerPoint document that she has created. As we have discussed previously, we will try to be creating a training that is a little more unique, so please view this document as a place to develop the content and not necessarily as the vehicle for the final product. Animation had previously been discussed, but this seems to be a very complicated route that involves very little likelihood of anybody volunteering their time or skills, and being very expensive to produce. It is likely that live action film (perhaps with some still photographs, artwork, or other visuals woven into the production) may be the most attainable option. With that said, here is the link to this shared PowerPoint document that we can all access to build together: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ghUqltt67RG9_8JkucL4coRpjg7eqKEFQvV-i8zqvQQ/edit?usp=sharing
We are hoping that we can have an edited version of this training ready to share during the Open House on May 20th, so we are asking that you please contribute to the initial draft by Monday, May 6th so that we can have sufficient time for revisions. Please note: Since there is no option to suggest changes rather than make direct edits into this PowerPoint document, please note any significant proposed edits to existing text on any slide in the "notes" section rather than deleting content, so that we can address as a group. Please feel free to edit for grammar, spelling or sentence structure directly as needed. Using the previous working group discussion, we thought that an achievable to-do list would include creating each of these sections into this Human-Animal Bond training: Name 3 ways the human-animal bond affects their clients.Define emotional support animals, service animals, and pets. Name the benefits and liabilities of the human-animal bond, as they related to DV and homeless services clients.Identify signs of healthy and unhealthy human-animal relationships.We discussed the possibility of pulling out the intro and training goals and objectives content and putting this into its own shorter video, so that each section of training can be more focused. The intent would be for those being trained to be viewing each video in the series so each one would not have to repeat these initial intro/goals/objectives. Thoughts on this?
Also, we discussed that when there is an example of an already existing video (such as the Fear Free Happy Homes' video "Human Animal Bond 101") - how are we deciding if/when we should utilize existing materials in addition to (or instead of) creating our own? With limited resources and time, is it a better option to use these existing resources even if the messaging isn't exactly what we might prefer? I also do not know if there are any restrictions if we were to formally utilize another group's content in this way.
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Dana
Mar 31, 2019
In MEETING MATERIALS
Agenda PowerPoint Slides Zoom Recording Meeting Notes
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Dana
Dec 02, 2018
In MEETING MATERIALS
Agenda Slides Recording (content starts at minute 11:30) Meeting Notes Theory of Change (updated)
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Dana
Aug 06, 2018
In MEETING MATERIALS
Here you will find the initial draft of our Common Agenda document for the Co-Sheltering Collaborative. Please review and offer your thoughts, suggestions, questions or concerns for your fellow members to view and provide their input. Please submit initial comments on this document here on the forum by Monday, August 13th so MDIMH can proceed with revisions. Note: the "Theory of Change" document content and revisions will help to inform the short-term and long-term changes and priorities in this document. I have attached a jpg images of this file, and a PDF version can be found at this link: Common Agenda and Vision. Happy collaborating!
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Dana
Aug 06, 2018
In MEETING MATERIALS
Update: December 2, 2018 The updated format for our Theory of Change is now available. Please remember, this is a living document that can be reviewed and revised throughout the life of the Collaborative, so please feel free to provide feedback or voice any questions or concerns! Here you will find the initial draft of our Theory of Change document for the Co-Sheltering Collaborative. Please review and offer your thoughts, suggestions, questions or concerns for your fellow members to view and provide their input. Please submit initial comments on this document here on the forum by Monday, August 13th so MDIMH can proceed with revisions. A PDF version can be found at this link: Co-Sheltering Collaborative Theory of Change. Happy collaborating!
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Dana
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