Social Workers Advancing the Human Animal Bond (SWAHAB) is a group of New York City Social Workers (and some members of other disciplines), who have become aware through our work of the ways in which the human-animal bond is present but largely unacknowledged or undervalued in common clinical and policy planning situations. We have begun to address these issues in our own areas of practice.

We have gathered to give each other support, to raise awareness and to continue to educate ourselves, other professionals and the general public on the many aspects of that bond and the ways in which overlooking it can and does pose problems and how taking it into consideration in our interventions and planning can change outcomes.

We plan to advocate for changes in education, practice and policy development.

At present this listserv will provide a vehicle for information and communication for group members, for meeting preparation and recording. It will also serve as a way to orient new members to the group and its work.