"It's not about hunting a whale. It's about knowing the whale spirit is watching you." Iñupiaq artist, whaler, and PhD student Bernice Aviuk Oyagak joins Professor Ace for a conversation about getting sober, building a family, and doing research that answers to community before academia.Bernice and Ace go back to softball tournaments in Utqiaġvik (Barrow). In Episode 95 they cover her first year of sobriety and why abstinence isn't the same as healing; her PhD in Indigenous Studies and research supporting her community's push from International Whaling Commission oversight toward domestic whaling management; losing her mentors — her whaling captain uncle among them — in the 2018 boating accident she survived; the courthouse wedding where the whole village showed up; raising twin boys, one on the autism spectrum, with her wife Kelly; her mixed-media artwork at Sacred Layers by Aviuk; and whaling as a spiritual reset — the intimate, vulnerable prep work that comes before any reward.The Critical Social Worker is a Revolutionary Social Work production.Revolutionary Social Work: https://revolutionarysocialwork.comSubscribe: https://youtube.com/@thecriticalsocialworker?sub_confirmation=1Contact Professor Ace: [email protected]'s art — Sacred Layers by Aviuk: https://www.sacredlayersbyaviuk.comAbout Bernice: https://www.sacredlayersbyaviuk.com/about-2Bernice on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernice-aviuk-oyagak0:00 Intro1:32 Catching up & a Barrow softball reunion4:21 Getting sober: "Never going back"6:27 The PhD grind: comps in Indigenous Studies8:13 Whaling research, by and for Utqiaġvik11:33 Losing her mentors: the 2018 boating accident13:39 Alone in academia, accountable to community14:54 Missing home during spring whaling15:59 Parenting with intention18:41 The wedding the whole village showed up for24:11 IVF, twins & raising Roxy and Stanley27:41 Turning 10: BB guns & Iñupiaq milestones29:53 Turning 40 & taking health seriously32:56 Sacred Layers: painting memory36:42 Many hats, one intention40:24 Self-care: sleep, health & relearning food48:19 The whale spirit is watching53:01 Closing: hope for new leaders© Revolutionary Social Work

Can you do genuinely ethical social work inside a jail — or does the setting corrupt the work no matter what? Deb Goldfarb has spent her career living inside that question. A self-described abolitionist, she built a behavioral health program from nothing inside a Boston jail, and she joins Professor Ace to talk honestly about the tension, the compromises, and the moments that make it worth it.

In this episode of The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary Storytelling Podcast, Deb Goldfarb — clinical social worker, Director of Behavioral Health for Population Health at Boston Medical Center, and part-time faculty at Boston University School of Social Work — traces her path from a pre-med student to homeless outreach, to Harvard Law's Criminal Justice Institute, to years as a therapist inside the state prisons, to building Project Evolve: a voluntary, trauma-focused behavioral health program for pretrial men.

We talk about how you earn trust with people who "can smell bullshit from 10 miles away," why she hires staff with lived experience of incarceration and recovery, and what cultural responsiveness looks like in practice. Deb makes the case for joy as resistance, explains the therapy dog that changed her whole unit, and lays out the contradiction at the heart of drug policy — that we call addiction a disease and then punish it with jail. She shares the legislative work to stop judges from jailing people over a single relapse, her vision for marrying the healthcare and criminal legal systems, and why change is slow but possible.

A hard, hopeful conversation about doing the work at the margins.

— — —

🎙️ The Critical Social Worker is hosted by Professor Ace (Christian Stettler), former Professor of Social Work at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

▶️ Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thecriticalsocialworker?sub_confirmation=1

🌐 Revolutionary Social Work: https://revolutionarysocialwork.com

📧 Contact Professor Ace: [email protected]

Find Deb Goldfarb:

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debgoldfarb/

🏥 Boston Medical Center bio: https://www.bmc.org/about-us/directory/doctor/deborah-r-goldfarb-msw-licsw

🎓 Boston University School of Social Work: https://www.bu.edu/ssw/profile/deborah-goldfarb/

🔗 Project Evolve (BMC + Suffolk County Sheriff's Department): https://www.bmc.org/departments/psychiatry/project-evolve

00:00 Intro

00:50 Theme Song

01:28 Meet Deb Goldfarb: From Pre-Med to Social Work

09:03 Working the Criminal Legal System, From Defense to Prisons

14:33 Building Project Evolve Inside the Jail

17:50 The Therapy Dog & Joy as Resistance

23:38 Earning Trust: "They Can Smell Bullshit From 10 Miles Away"

28:03 Political Friction & Being the "Trojan Horse"

32:06 What Abolition Actually Asks of Us

33:32 Addiction, Relapse & the Limits of Abstinence

38:38 Empathy and Accountability as Community Practice

41:51 Jailing People for a Relapse: The Legislative Fight

46:21 Bridging Healthcare and the Criminal Legal System

48:55 Lived Experience on the Team, Without Exploiting It

52:06 What Fills the Cup: Finding Joy in the Work

#socialwork #criticalsocialwork #revolutionarysocialwork #projectevolve #prisonabolition #harmreduction #criminaljustice #socialworkpodcast #behavioralhealth

© UAF Social Work

What if everything social workers have been told about how the public sees them is wrong? Dr. Joe Hanley joins Professor Ace from the United Kingdom to challenge the myth, name the politics, and trace the quiet privatization of public service.

In this episode of The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary Storytelling Podcast, Dr. Joe Hanley — lecturer in social work at the Open University and author of The Social Work Public Perception Myth — shares his path from law, to street-level housing and homelessness work, to academic research that turns the spotlight onto policymakers instead of the people social workers serve.

We talk about the state of social work education in the UK, the disparity between paid and unpaid placements, the cost-of-living crisis pushing social work students into food banks, and why so many social workers stay silent on the political conditions shaping their practice. Joe shares his concept of the "public perception myth" — the widely repeated but unevidenced claim that the public dislikes social workers — and traces the cross-Atlantic story of how Teach for America became Teach First in the UK, then expanded into social work, policing, and prisons. We also get into the influence of sports, celebrity, and reality TV on political discourse, and why dissent is not optional for a profession with a history reaching back to Clement Attlee.

Dr. Hanley is currently writing a book on the co-opting of public service for private interests. Watch for it.

— — —

🎙️ The Critical Social Worker is hosted by Professor Ace (Christian Stettler), Assistant Professor of Social Work at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

▶️ Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thecriticalsocialworker?sub_confirmation=1

🌐 Revolutionary Social Work: https://revolutionarysocialwork.com

📧 Contact Professor Ace: [email protected]

Find Dr. Joe Hanley:

🎓 Open University profile: https://profiles.open.ac.uk/joe-hanley

🦋 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/joehanley.bsky.social

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-hanley-7747a154

📄 The Social Work Public Perception Myth (BASW): https://basw.co.uk/policy-and-practice/resources/social-work-public-perception-myth

📰 Genealogy of Discourse (GAPS): https://gaps.org.uk/the-social-work-public-perception-myth-a-genealogy-of-discourse/

00:00 Intro

00:35 Theme Song

01:32 Meet Dr. Joe Hanley: From Law to Social Work

06:03 Social Work Education in the UK & the Shift Online

10:25 The Paid vs. Unpaid Placement Crisis

15:07 Politics, Trump, and Social Work's Silence

19:47 The Public Perception Myth

24:13 "Every Social Worker Is an Agitator" — Dissent & Leadership

32:32 Teach for America, Teach First & the Privatization of Public Service

38:56 The Linda McMahon / WWE / Teach for America Connection

45:43 Sports, Celebrity & Political Spectacle

51:01 Public Sentiment, MAGA, and the UK's Own Reckoning

56:29 Closing & Thanks

#socialwork #criticalsocialwork #revolutionarysocialwork #socialworkeducation #teachforamerica #teachfirst #socialworkpodcast #criticalpedagogy

Four practitioners sit down with Professor Ace to talk about horses — what they teach us, how they heal us, and why being in their presence asks something different of us than the rest of modern life does.

Dr. Penny Lloyd is an equine veterinarian of 35 years and the founder of Connection Medicine. She talks about therapeutic partnership — the idea that healing between people and animals can move in both directions — and about coherence, presence, and the simple practice of pausing before approaching an animal. She shares the research that sits underneath this work, including studies on heart rate variability and the brainwave patterns horses naturally hold at rest.

Karin O'Mahony owns Hoku Lio Farms in Waimanalo, O'ahu, and brings children from a family homeless shelter to spend time with the horses. She shares the Hawaiian moʻolelo of the Bowl of Light — a practice her farm uses at the pasture gate to set down whatever someone is carrying before they meet the animals.

Wendi Crandall Amidon owns Sweet Nectar Forest and Farm in Pa'auilo on Hawai'i Island. A former teacher and longtime animal massage practitioner, she talks about breath, silence, and the experience of caring for a wild horse from Waipi'o Valley. She also describes the practice of painting on the animals with milk-powder paint as part of therapeutic touch work with women healing from trauma.

Alicia Stettler, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker and yoga therapist who works with Indigenous communities in Alaska. She speaks about trauma, embodiment, and why the body doesn't always feel safe enough for traditional therapy — and shares the Circle of Self, a seven-element framework she developed for healing within and outside the clinical system.

The conversation moves through addiction as a disconnection problem, the Ubuntu philosophy of "I am because we are," what it means for animals to thrive rather than just survive, and what Revolutionary Social Work could look like if the profession stepped outside the cubicle. It closes on the question of what it means to listen to animals — and what we hear when we do.

🐴 Watch the Rescued Hearts film: rescuedheartsfilm.com

📚 Revolutionary Social Work: revolutionarysocialwork.com

🔔 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@thecriticalsocialworker?sub_confirmation=1

📩 Contact Professor Ace: [email protected]

Guests & Links

Dr. Penny Lloyd · Equine Veterinarian · Connection Medicine — connectionmedicine.com

Karin O'Mahony · Owner, Hoku Lio Farms (O'ahu) — hokuliofarms.org

Wendi Crandall Amidon · Owner, Sweet Nectar Forest and Farm (Hawai'i Island) — @sweetnectarfarm

Alicia Stettler, LCSW

HeartMath Institute — heartmath.org

Chapters

00:00 Intro

01:30 Meet the guests

03:08 The Rescued Hearts film and personal connections to horses

06:06 Why horses calm us: coherence and brainwaves

07:51 Karen's origin story and the work at Hoku Lio Farms

10:01 Wendi on synchronicity, Waipiʻo's wild horses, and yoga on horseback

11:24 Addiction, disconnection, and presence

12:53 Horses as mirrors: non-judgment and authenticity

16:01 Thriving Together workshops: stillness, touch, and movement

20:47 What coherence actually is

22:27 Breath, the body, and trauma

25:30 Revolutionary Social Work: the cubicle vs. the pasture

27:41 The Circle of Self framework

29:22 Surviving vs. thriving

31:08 The dogs-and-humans study

33:53 What animals need to thrive

36:52 Ubuntu, win-win, and the appreciation party

39:23 The Hawaiian Bowl of Light

40:56 Upcoming events and offerings

44:57 Listening to animals: a two-way conversation

53:37 Simple steps to reconnect with nature

55:58 Closing reflections

#equinetherapy #horseshealing #revolutionarysocialwork #thecriticalsocialworker #animalassistedtherapy #socialwork #traumahealing #breathwork #connectionmedicine #hawaiianhealing #naturetherapy

Niteesa Brooks is a Master of Science in Social Work (MSSW) — a degree most social workers don't even know exists — and she's built a career most social work programs won't prepare you for: regulated tech. She's run pharma research programs for Eli Lilly, scaled inside a 400-person FinTech company, and she's launching her own execution advisory and consulting firm (announced publicly for the first time on this episode).

In this conversation with host Christian "Ace" Stettler and BSW senior Christie Robinson, Niteesa breaks down:

• Why she chose MSSW over MSW and what the Social Enterprise Administration track actually opens up (hint: it's not the clinical path your professors keep pushing)• What macro social work really looks like inside product teams, pharma contracts, and startup chaos• The power dynamics of being the only Black woman social worker in the room — including the moment an engineer told her she had "the power like an oppressor," and how she answered him• Bureaucracy and burnout — why "that's just how we are" is the most dangerous sentence in any organization, and what to do when you hear it• How to take back power at work — the exact steps she walks through when someone feels stuck and voiceless• Intentionality in an oversaturated world — saying no, doing personal inventory, and protecting your attention from algorithms designed to hijack it

If you're a social work student wondering whether you have to do therapy, a practitioner drowning in red tape, or a macro-curious social worker eyeing tech, policy, or entrepreneurship — this one's for you.About the Critical Social Worker Podcast:A revolutionary storytelling podcast hosted by Professor Christian "Ace" Stettler at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. We sit with social workers, educators, activists, healers, and troublemakers who are remaking the profession from the inside out.▶ Visit the site: https://revolutionarysocialwork.com▶ Connect with Niteesa Brooks on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niteesabrooks/Host: Christian "Ace" Stettler, MSW — Professor of Social Work, University of Alaska FairbanksCo-host for this episode: Christie Robinson, BSW candidate

00:00 Welcome & Intro

01:35 Setting the Scene — Hawaii to New Jersey

05:47 Niteesa's Journey: From Social Work to Digital Health Tech

10:50 Launching Her Consulting Firm (First Public Announcement)

16:23 MSW vs. MSSW — The Degree They Don't Tell You About

20:04 Execution Strategy, Bureaucracy, and Why Projects Stall

29:10 Communication, Red Tape, and the Burnout Cycle

32:20 Culture Is Bureaucracy — and It's Killing Your Work

34:33 Power Dynamics Inside Startups and Health Tech

36:45 "You Have the Power Like an Oppressor": A Black Woman Social Worker Answers Back

45:46 Social Work in Tech: How Niteesa Got Into Meta Interviews

51:22 Taking Back Power When You Feel Voiceless at Work

55:33 Intentionality, Saying No, and Surviving an Oversaturated World

#SocialWork #SocialWorkInTech #MSSW #CriticalSocialWork #MacroSocialWork

© UAF Social Work

Richard Flyer joins The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary Storytelling Podcast hosted by Professor Ace for a conversation about Birthing the Symbiotic Age, symbiotic culture, spirituality, rebuilding community, mutual benefit, love, Indigenous perspectives, and the future of social work in a fragmented world.

In Episode 90, Richard Flyer discusses his book Birthing the Symbiotic Age and reflects on his journey from marine biology to spiritual awakening. Together, Richard and Professor Ace explore the dissonance between inner connection and outer fragmentation, the culture of separation, materialism, politics and spirituality, ideological capture in religion, empire mentality, and why personal transformation matters if we want real cultural change.

This episode also explores symbiotic culture as an alternative to domination-based systems, the teachings of Jesus in relation to parallel culture, Indigenous perspectives on community development, and the role social workers can play in cultivating relationship, service, trust, belonging, and mutual flourishing.

If you are interested in social work, spirituality, community building, cultural renewal, personal transformation, radical social change, mutual aid, Indigenous wisdom, or rebuilding human connection, this conversation is for you.

Visit RevolutionarySocialWork.com:https://RevolutionarySocialWork.com

Email Professor Ace to connect and collaborate:[email protected]

Connect with Richard Flyer:https://www.richardflyer.com/

Get Richard Flyer’s book, Birthing the Symbiotic Age:https://www.richardflyer.com/p/buy-the-book

The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary Storytelling Podcast hosted by Professor Ace features conversations on social work, storytelling, healing, politics, spirituality, education, consciousness, community, and revolutionary thought.Chapters

00:00 Theme Song and Intro

01:25 Introduction to Richard Flyer and His Work

04:16 Richard's Journey: From Marine Biology to Spiritual Awakening

07:09 The Dissonance Between Inner Connection and Outer Fragmentation

09:50 The Role of Community in Building a New Culture

12:27 Listening to the Inner Voice: A Personal Journey

15:06 The Nature of Culture and Our Role in Shaping It

18:38 The Influence of Materialism on Modern Society

21:29 The Intersection of Politics and Spirituality

27:58 The Challenge of Ideological Capture in Religion

34:06 Reforming Systems and the Need for Radical Change

36:19 The Kingdom of Heaven and Symbiotic Culture

37:52 Personal Transformation as a Precursor to Change

39:50 The End of Empire Mentality

42:00 Cultivating the Good as a Strategy for Change

47:55 Indigenous Perspectives and Community Development

58:47 The Role of Social Workers in Building Community

#RichardFlyer #BirthingTheSymbioticAge #SocialWork #CommunityBuilding #Spirituality #ProfessorAce #RevolutionarySocialWork

© UAF Social Work

What would social work look like if nature was not treated as background, but as part of the healing relationship?

In Episode 89 of The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary Storytelling Podcast, Professor Ace is joined by Kit Kline, founder of Nature Based Therapy, clinical social worker, educator, and trainer. Together they explore the relationship between nature-based therapy, Indigenous knowledge, healing, identity, authenticity, talking circles, trauma recovery, telehealth, community, nutrition, and the struggle to reconnect with what modern systems often disconnect us from.

This is a rich conversation about mental health, social work, cultural heritage, grassroots healing, and what it means to practice in ways that are more grounded, relational, and fully human.

Connect and collaborate with Professor Ace:

Email: [email protected]

Visit:

https://RevolutionarySocialWork.com

Connect with Kit Kline:

https://www.naturebasedtherapy.com.au/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kit-kline-a67229b2/

Referenced in this episode:

https://templeofthewayoflight.org/

https://www.portageandmainpress.com/Books/P/Potlatch-as-Pedagogy

Chapters:

00:00 Opening Theme + Intro

01:25 Introduction to Nature-Based Therapy

03:44 Cultural Heritage and Identity

06:22 Intersection of Indigenous and Western Practices

09:16 The Importance of Talking Circles

12:15 Nature in Social Work

14:47 Bringing Nature into Therapy

17:30 Seasons of Healing and Growth

20:28 Reconnection with Authentic Self

23:06 The Role of Education in Disconnection

29:53 The Struggle for Authenticity

32:49 Challenging Educational Norms

35:50 The Impact of Systems on Mental Health

38:21 Globalization and Identity Crisis

41:16 Nature as a Healing Force

45:25 Innovative Nature-Based Therapy Practices

47:55 Nature-Based Telehealth: Bridging the Gap

51:26 The Role of Nature in Therapy

59:15 Embracing Possibility and Connection

01:00:31 Nature-Based Social Prescribing and Community Engagement

01:02:46 Grassroots Initiatives for Community Connection

01:03:36 Nature and Nutrition: The Connection to Well-Being

01:05:31 The Power of Food in Building Community

01:08:48 The Slow Process of Healing and Growth

01:12:19 Psychedelic Therapy: Nature vs. Controlled Environments

01:16:15 Finding Balance in Healing and Nature

01:20:20 Navigating Ayahuasca Retreats and Recovery

01:25:47 Starting with Self: The Foundation of Change

#CriticalSocialWorker #NatureBasedTherapy #SocialWork #MentalHealth #IndigenousKnowledge #Healing #TraumaRecovery #TalkingCircles #Therapy #ProfessorAce

Maria Guido joins Professor Ace for a powerful conversation on abolitionist social work, trauma, attachment, therapy, and the realities facing court-involved youth.

In Episode 88 of The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary Storytelling Podcast, Professor Ace speaks with licensed clinical social worker Maria Guido about developmental trauma, emotional safety, attunement, abolition, love in social work, and the urgent need for systemic change. Together, they explore youth treatment settings, the criminal legal system, boundaries, relationship-building, political awareness, and what it means to practice social work with depth, courage, and humanity.

Maria Guido is a licensed clinical social worker and owner of Transformative Bonds, a private practice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is EMDR trained and specializes in attachment, developmental trauma, and court-involved youth. She practices from an abolitionist framework and has extensive experience working with children, adolescents, young adults, and families impacted by the court system.

Visit:

https://RevolutionarySocialWork.com

Connect and collaborate:

[email protected]

Chapters

00:00 Opening Theme and Introduction

01:25 Introduction and Background

03:32 Journey into Social Work

09:05 Experiences in Treatment Settings

14:23 Cultural Reflections in Social Work

21:27 The Importance of Love in Social Work

26:45 Understanding Trauma and Attachment

29:53 Building Relationships and Boundaries in Treatment

31:11 Navigating Emotional Safety and Engagement

35:04 The Importance of Attunement in Therapy

39:11 The Role of Personal Experience in Social Work

43:28 The Necessity of Love in Social Work

48:33 Abolitionist Social Work and Its Challenges

01:01:18 Creating Safe Spaces for Dialogue

01:06:52 Understanding Abolition in Social Work

01:13:17 Integrating Abolitionist Principles in Therapy

01:20:13 The Need for Political Change and Awareness

01:25:55 Resources for Abolitionist Social Work

#SocialWork #AbolitionistSocialWork #MariaGuido #CourtInvolvedYouth #TraumaInformedCare

Episode 87 of The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary Storytelling Podcast features Lori Jones, author of Spared: A Memoir of Risk and Resolve.

Lori joins Professor Ace for a powerful conversation about growing up in a family shaped by Huntington’s disease, living under the weight of secrecy and stigma, facing a 50% genetic risk, and navigating caregiving across generations. This episode explores what it means to live with uncertainty, how neurodegenerative illness affects family systems, why diagnosis matters, and how social workers can better support individuals and families living with complex realities.

This is a deeply human conversation about illness, survival, advocacy, storytelling, and the need for more honest dialogue around Huntington’s disease.

Subscribe to the channel:https://www.youtube.com/@RevolutionarySocialWork/sub_confirmation=1

Visit:https://RevolutionarySocialWork.com

Email Professor Ace to connect or collaborate:[email protected]

Learn more about Lori Jones and Spared:Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Spared-Memoir-Resolve-Lori-Jones-ebook/dp/B0D9HV2L25

Spreaker: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/spared-with-lori-jones--66411470

YouTube Short: https://youtube.com/shorts/bLbp4JY5UNA?feature=share

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lori.jones.568294/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-jones-0a28b013/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorijoneswrites/

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@lorijoneswrites?xmt=AQF0xKDpGUbpqlkzsnrSfUnq5RkpQkeTYG2bfaXQb0YtiIkResourcesHuntington's Disease Society of America: https://hdsa.org/Genetic Testing for Huntington's Disease: https://hdsa.org/understanding-hd/genetic-testing/Hope for Huntington's: Clinical Trials and Research https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=Huntington%27s+disease&term=&cntry=&state=&city=&dist=Storytelling and Support Groups for Huntington's: https://hdsa.org/resources/support-groups/

Chapters

00:00 Intro and theme

01:25 Introduction to Huntington’s Disease and Personal Background

04:12 Understanding Huntington’s Disease

07:22 Personal Experiences with Family and Illness

10:22 The Impact of Secrecy on Family Dynamics

13:26 Navigating Diagnosis and Care

16:24 The Role of Social Workers and Support Systems

19:18 Hope and Advances in Huntington’s Disease Research

29:35 Becoming Guardians: A Journey of Responsibility

31:42 Invisible Struggles: The Hidden Challenges of Childhood

35:31 The Importance of Community Support

37:53 Navigating Care for Huntington’s Disease

46:53 Finding the Good Amidst the Struggles

51:20 The Power of Sharing Stories

54:27 The Journey to Authorship and Healing#HuntingtonsDisease #Caregiving #SocialWork #LoriJones #Memoir #FamilySystems #DisabilityAwareness #NeurodegenerativeDisease

© UAF Social Work

Ukraine war trauma meets Alaska’s service realities. What does effective social work look like when systems are strained?

Episode 86 of The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary Storytelling Podcast (hosted by Professor Ace) features Dr. Nataliia Gusak, associate professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage and a Ukrainian scholar whose work focuses on building and evaluating community-based social and mental health services for people impacted by displacement, trafficking, maternal mental health challenges, and war-related trauma.

In this episode:

Ukraine to Alaska: pathways, contrasts, and what carries across contexts

Trauma-informed practice without flattening human experience

Community and peer support as real infrastructure for sustainability

Teaching social work: safe learning environments and real-world application

Human trafficking in Alaska: vulnerability, gaps in data, and systems response

Staying anchored to social work values under pressure

✅ Subscribe:

https://www.youtube.com/@RevolutionarySocialWork/sub_confirmation=1

📩 Connect and collaborate: [email protected]

🌐 RevolutionarySocialWork.com

Chapters (theme song + intro is 1:25, timestamps adjusted)

00:00 Theme song + intro

01:25 Introduction to Dr. Nataliia Gusak

05:59 Journey from Ukraine to Alaska

10:09 Comparative Social Work Practices

14:48 Supporting Ukrainian Social Workers During War

19:46 Understanding Trauma and Self-Care in Social Work

24:22 The Importance of Community and Connection

28:34 Teaching Philosophy and Pedagogy

34:15 Reflections on Group Work and Team Dynamics

42:43 The Intersection of Vulnerability and Human Trafficking

51:36 Staying True to Social Work ValuesResources:University of Alaska Anchorage: https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/International Organization for Migration (IOM): https://www.iom.int/UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR): https://www.ohchr.org/Journal of Human Rights and Social Work (Springer): https://link.springer.com/journal/41134Guest:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliia-gusak/UAA faculty profile: https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/

#socialwork #UkraineWar #Alaska #TraumaInformed #HumanTrafficking #MentalHealth #SocialWorkEducation

© UAF Social Work