Population Management - (PM)

Enrollment Requirements: Completed application for Shelter Care Specialist (SCS) Certification and acceptance into the program during the application period and completion of course prerequisites in the SCS Program.

Prerequisites: Modern Sheltering Foundations (MSF) and Animal Care Foundations (ACF) courses must be completed satisfactorily. 

Future Sessions of this Course: This course runs approximately every two months and is open to students who have satisfactorily completed the prerequisite courses - "Modern Sheltering Foundations" (MSF) and "Animal Care Foundations" (ACF).

Coach:  Cindi Delany, DVM, KPA-CPT, FFCP - cddelany@ucdavis.edu

Co-Coach:  Chrissy Teuscher, RVT - cteuscher@ucdavis.edu

Learning Coordinator: help@shelterlearniverse.com

Sample Course Schedule:

• Week 1 - Population Management 101 – Foundations for a Well-Run Shelter

• Week 2 - The Numbers That Matter – Tracking Intakes, Outcomes & Length of Stay

• Week 3 - Intake Without Overload – Managing Admissions & Removing Outcome Barriers

• Week 4 - Setting Animals Up for Success – Pathway Planning & Daily Monitoring

• Week 5 - Keeping Animals Moving – Making Timely Decisions for the Best Outcomes

• Week 6 - Introduction to Population Management Rounds – What They Are & Why They Matter

Live Meetings:

There will be live meetings during this course each session. The live meeting dates will be provided to learners at the time of enrollment.

To earn completion credit for an elective:

• Course Completion Deadline: 3 weeks after Week 6 content goes live.

Extensions:

• Extraordinary Circumstances With Extension Approval from Learning Coordinator ONLY: deadline can be extended to 4 weeks after Week 6 content goes live.

• To earn completion credit for an elective beyond this time, you must have completed at least 50% of the content before the Final EXTENDED Course Completion Deadline, and you must finish the remaining course content and assignments within the 30 days after the extended deadline for the current session.

• If you’ve completed less than 50% of the content and assignments during the session (before the extended course completion deadline), you will have to restart the course in a new session. We will reach out to you about rejoining the next session.

Course Overview:

Designed specifically for frontline shelter staff, this course "Population Management," is one of two electives in the "Welfare-Focus" track of the Shelter Care Specialist Certification Program.  To take this course students must have taken and satisfactorily completed the "Modern Sheltering Foundations" and "Animal Care Foundations" course.

Population Management will provide information and experiences to give learners the foundation they need in managing shelter populations to reduce unnecessary shelter intakes, minimize length of stay in the shelter, and maximize appropriate positive outcomes for animals the shelter cares for. 

As with all of the courses in this program, our focus is on sharing needed information on current best practices in a way that works for busy adult learners.  This course will highlight current best practices that prioritize the needs of animals in shelters, shelter team members, and our communities, emphasizing efficiency while keeping stress reduction for animals and teams centered. 

This course equips you with the foundational and more advanced knowledge about managing shelter populations needed to enhance your day-to-day operations and prepare you for a sustainable and rewarding career in the animal shelter industry as a Shelter Care Specialist.

What You Will Learn:

• How "Capacity for Care" and the "4 Rights of Animal Sheltering" help with shelter population management.

• The importance of knowing and reviewing your shelter's intakes, outcomes, average daily animal inventory, and average lengths of stay to assess current practices and target areas for improvement.

• How intake management and removing barriers to outcomes are critical to managing shelter populations.

• The role of pathway planning and daily monitoring in shelters to manage shelter populations.

• The basics of population management techniques in practice.

• Considerations and systems for decision-making in the shelter.

• The importance of daily Population Management Rounds and how to make them a non-negotiable part of operations to ensure animals are receiving the care and outcomes they need in a timely manner.

• How to leverage your shelter software to make population management more effective and efficient.

• Your pathway to better population management using all that you'll have learned in this course.

Course Features:

• Accessible Anytime, On-Demand Content

• Mobile Friendly - Learn on Your Preferred Device

• Hands-on Learning Activities

• Practical Tips and Techniques

• Scenario-Based Discussions

• Interactions and Support of Your Classmates

• Direct Applications to Daily Tasks

• Assignments and Feedback to Ensure Your Mastery and Comfort with Course Content

• Coaching and Mentoring from Your Course Coach and Team

Why This Course Matters:

As a frontline shelter staff member, you are vital to the health and well-being of the animals in your care, and you are valuable and should have your skills and career prospects developed. This course provides you with the tools to make immediate improvements in your work environment and the daily care you provide to the animals in your shelter.  It also prepares you for further professional development in other specialized areas of medical care and shelter operations.

Questions? Contact Us

If you have any questions or need further information, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at help@shelterlearniverse.com.