In this episode of the Empower Hour: Social Work podcast, Dr. KaRon Spriggs-Bethea speaks with Erica Smith, a graduate of Herzing University and a passionate social worker focused on housing. Erica shares her personal journey from facing challenges as a single mother to finding her purpose in social work. The conversation delves into the importance of meeting clients where they are, the necessity of self-care for social workers, and the impact of trauma-informed care. Erica also discusses the need for policy changes in housing to address inequalities and offers valuable advice for aspiring social workers.

In this episode of Empower Hour: Social Work Stories, Dr.KaRon Spriggs-Bethea talks with Tresa Rollison, a licensed clinical social worker, to discuss the intricacies of working with the LGBTQIA+ community.

They explore Tresa's journey in social work, the challenges and rewards of advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights, and the importance of cultural competence and humility in practice.

The conversation also touches on the significance of self-care, and the need for ongoing education and supervision in the field.

April is both National Child Abuse Prevention Month, as well as National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. And so, we're going to be taking time to explore some of the important conversations around both of those topics today. And I'm so thrilled to be joined by one of Herzing University's very own. We have Professor Stephanie Parsons, who is a MSW adjunct faculty here. Stephanie brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in these areas.

Today, we talk about what social workers and advocates need to know when working with survivors of child abuse and sexual assault.

Welcome to the inaugural episode of Empower Hour: Social Work Stories. In this episode, Dr. KaRon Spriggs-Bethea sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Wilson, Dr. Hyacinth McKee, and Professor Nicki Schoonover to discuss Social Work Month, Herzing University's Master's in Social Work program, and what it means to be a social work educator.

Whether you are a student, professional, professor, or advocate in the community, this episode offers education and inspiration on the social work profession.

Please enjoy a little teaser for the first episode of Empower Hour: Social Work Stories. The first official episode will be premiering on Friday March 14 at 9am CT.