March is National Social Work Month, and here at the Hogg Foundation, we see firsthand the major role social workers play in the upkeep of mental health. We are joined today by Catherine Wilsnack, a doctoral candidate in the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin. Catherine earned her B.S. in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her M.S.W. from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice. Prior to pursuing social work, she worked as a mental health clinician. She discusses the unique perspective that social workers have on mental health and the collaboration between academic researchers and practitioners at the heart of the field. 

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Social Work in a Time of Division

Children in 2021: Grief and Loss

Understanding Mental Health in Older Adults

March is National Social Work Month, and here at the Hogg Foundation, we see firsthand the major role social workers play in the upkeep of mental health. We are joined today by Catherine Wilsnack, a doctoral candidate in the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin. Catherine earned her B.S. in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her M.S.W. from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice. Prior to pursuing social work, she worked as a mental health clinician. She discusses the unique perspective that social workers have on mental health and the collaboration between academic researchers and practitioners at the heart of the field. 

Related Links: 

Social Work in a Time of Division

Children in 2021: Grief and Loss

Understanding Mental Health in Older Adults

Love is a profound and multifaceted concept that has fascinated people for centuries. But do we really understand it? This question is at the center of our most recent episode of Into the Fold, which features an archived recording of the Hogg Foundation radio show, The Human Condition, with commentary by present day staff members, Mary Capps, Elizabeth Stauber, and Darrell Wiggins. 

Produced and hosted by former Hogg Foundation program officer, Bert Kruger Smith, The Human Condition aired from 1971 to 1983. This episode featured Dr. Leo Buscaglia, professor, motivational speaker, and bestselling author of several books focusing on love and human relationships. 

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This is Part 2 of the conversation we began with last month's Episode 169, Navigating Systemic Shifts: Policy Changes That Impact Mental Health Care. We want to know, from those doing the work, what feels different about doing mental health policy in 2025. For this episode, we bring back our guests Mandi Zapata of Texas Civil Rights Project, Noah Jones of Texas Counseling Association, and Maia Volk of Disability Rights Texas. This time we’re focusing more on the personal stakes of doing policy work in a challenging environment. 

In a bonus segment, we revisit a conversation from 2023, about Girls Empowerment Network and what their experience has to teach us about the future of public policy.

Episode 169 - Navigating Systemic Shifts: Policy Changes That Impact Mental Health Care

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We are coming to you from Austin, Texas, site of the Texas Legislature an epicenter of the changes that are impacting people, as well as concerted efforts to address those changes. We thought it would be fitting to kick off this new season of Into the Fold with a look into the bustling world of public policy – and how policy changes impact mental health.

For this conversation we are joined by Mandi Zapata of Texas Civil Rights Project, Noah Jones of Texas Counseling Association, and Maia Volk of Disability Rights Texas. They are all Hogg Policy Fellows, employed by organizations that have received Policy Fellows grants from the Hogg. They came to our studio for a conversation on how their mental health experiences both shape, and are shaped by, their work in the policy arena.   

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Our theme for this new season of Into the Fold is "Mental Health in Transition: Navigating Change and Building Resilience." All season long, we focus on how individuals, families, and communities are adapting to various societal changes and challenges that impact mental health. We are coming to you from Austin, Texas, site of the Texas Legislature an epicenter of the changes that are impacting people, as well as concerted efforts to address those changes. We thought it would be fitting to kick off this new season with a look into the bustling world of public policy – and how policy changes impact mental health. 

For this conversation we are joined by Mandi Zapata of Texas Civil Rights Project, Noah Jones of Texas Counseling Association, and Maia Volk of Disability Rights Texas. They are all Hogg Policy Fellows, employed by organizations that have received Policy Fellows grants from the Hogg. They came to our studio for a conversation on how their mental health experiences both shape, and are shaped by, their work in the policy arena.   

The holidays can be a time of joy, but for many, they bring unique challenges, such as loneliness, financial stress, or grief. Today, we’re focusing on ways to provide meaningful support to individuals during the holiday season. We are joined today by Jen Cardenas, executive director of Austin Clubhouse, an organization dedicated to building a community that supports adults living with mental health diagnoses. Accompanying her is Kasey Pfaff, an Austin Clubhouse member. They discuss the Clubhouse's unique communal ethos and how it can be a balm during the holiday season. 

Related Links:

Exploring Gratitude

A Peer Perspective on Health and the Holidays

Relieving Holiday Stress and Hurricane Trauma

In today’s episode, we’re diving into the unique stresses and rewards of policy work, even or especially during an election year as divisive as this one has been. With the help of Alison Mohr Boleware, policy director for the Hogg Foundation, and Lyssette Galvan, policy director for National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Texas, we'll discuss strategies for maintaining resilience and the deeper purpose behind policy work, even in challenging times.

Also check out:

A Reality Check Session Update from the Hogg Policy Team

Social Work in a Time of Division

Some Good News in Public Policy

Social Work in a Time of Division

Protecting Kids’ Mental Health in a Time of Polarization

The Hogg Foundation often characterizes its mission as being one "to transform the places where people live, learn, work, play, and pray." That third word, work, is the focus of today's episode. In observance of World Mental Health Day and its theme, "It's Time to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace," we discuss how we can transform workplaces into spaces that support mental health. We also discuss structural factors that make real change difficult. We have brought back a previous guest, Dr. Ryan Sutton, an associate professor in the department of education psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and a former postdoctoral fellow for the Hogg foundation.

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For the month of September, the Hogg Foundation is celebrating National Recovery Month. Throughout the month we’ll be highlighting the creativity, resilience, and leadership of people in recovery from mental and substance use conditions, and the many things our grantee partners are doing to transform mental health in their communities.

For this episode, we talk to two friends from within the Hogg Foundation’s wide network of changemakers. First, Jason Howell, executive director of RecoveryPeople, about the new film Humanly Possible, which explores the journeys of people recovering from substance use conditions. The film was produced with funding support from the Hogg Foundation. The second segment is a conversation with Hannah Slyzk, a past recipient of the Hogg Foundation’s Moore Fellowship for doctoral research, about youth mental health.

Related Links:

https://hogg.utexas.edu/recovery-month

https://recoverypeople.org/humanly-possible/premiere/

https://hogg.utexas.edu/rethinking-youth-suicide