In this podcast, our guests Laura Lewis, PhD, and Daniel Fischer, MSW, discuss how the COVID-19 disruption not only created unprecedented challenges for social work field education, but also forced social work instructors to think creatively about how to deliver content and experiences in different ways for students. They describe new models of learning and innovative instructional paradigms that were developed, and highlight the importance of working collaboratively and creatively to meet social work competencies and foster student learning and success.

Welcome back! In this episode, our guest Dr. Robin Leake - Project Director for National Child Welfare Workforce Initiative (NCWWI) discusses how social workers are navigating the impact of the Coronavirus on child welfare systems, the people they serve, and the workers who serve them. She details how workers are attending to their core mission, how they are supporting families, and how they are struggling with the impact on their own lives as they adapt to the severe disruptions the pandemic has introduced.

The University at Buffalo School of Social Work’s inSocialWork Podcast will be taking a hiatus due to COVID-19 and our need to prioritize distance education. We will keep you posted on when we will return. Be kind to one another, and stay safe and healthy.

In this episode, Dr. Felicity Northcott, an expert in international child welfare, describes her work with International Social Services - USA. ISS is a global child protection and social service network of social workers and lawyers who connect vulnerable children, adults and families separated by an international border to the support, information and services they need.

In this episode, our guests Dr. Kelly Jackson and Dr. Gina Miranda Samuels discuss the topic of multiracial cultural attunement and deliberate why the issue of multiraciality lacks prominence in social work literature and research. Given the growing multiracial population, the importance of going beyond the black-white dichotomy is emphasized in order to address the disproportionate challenges and risks multiracial individuals and families face. The episode concludes with a discussion on Multiracial Cultural Attunement, a book designed to help social workers apply skills and tools to leverage the strength and resilience of multiracial individuals and families.

In this episode, our guest Elaine Birchall, MSW describes her work with this under-researched and under-served population. Challenging myths, she defines the disorder, reviews prevalence data, describes risk and safety concerns and the prognosis for those afflicted. Referencing human rights, Ms. Birchall discusses key assessment criteria and the treatment process.

In this episode, our guest Dr. Ashley Curry discusses her research exploring turnover within the child welfare system and the lived experiences of individuals impacted by relationship disruptions. Originating from a multi-method qualitative approach, Dr. Curry’s findings highlight the perspectives of three distinct groups experiencing turnover within a child welfare organization: specifically, agency administrators, agency workers, and youth receiving care. Key implications and recommendations for child welfare organizations undergoing worker turnover and staffing changes are considered.

In the second of a two-part podcast, our guest Dr. John Gallagher elaborates on the racial disparities his research is revealing related to drug court outcomes. He describes the four main themes he has identified via qualitative research with African-American drug court participants and recommendations for practice based on this work.

The inSocialWork® Podcast Series is taking a break for the holidays. This short message, recorded by our hosts, offers holiday wishes on behalf of our team.

In this episode, our guest Lakshmi Iyer discusses her work at FSG, a mission-driven consulting firm that is dedicated to advising corporate, foundation, and nonprofit leaders. She describes how philanthropy and corporations can be viewed skeptically and are often misunderstood by social work and explains how for-profit organizations can help solve social issues and create an impact through collaborative partnerships. Models of social innovation and entrepreneurship are summarized and examples of how social workers can serve as change agents are discussed. Social change approaches utilized by organizations and their connection to social work education, research and practice - including how these strategies address current silos - are explored.