The Social Work Podcast

Episode 150: In today's episode I'm talking with Carrie Pettus, chair of the executive board for the Grand Challenges for Social Work. Today's episode explores the 10-year journey of the Grand Challenges for Social Work, reflecting on its evolution, its measurable impacts, and the critical lessons learned along the way. Carrie talks about successes, including creating a vast social and professional network dedicated to solving some of the most persistent social problems, and some of the challenges, including the difficulty defining and measuring impact, which she acknowledges is ironic given that the initiatives are lead by some of the leading scholars in the world. She also acknowledges some of the misses, such as uneven involvement of frontline social workers and not including an initiative explicitly focusing on eliminating racism until a few years ago. We end the conversation with Carrie discussing the importance of sustainability and resources if the Grand Challenges for Social Work initiative is to continue for another 10 years.

You can read a transcript of today's interview at https://socialworkpodcast.blogspot.com/2026/03/GCSW10anniversary.html. You can connect with other social workers at the Social Work Podcast Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/swpodcast, or follow the Bluesky feed at https://jbsinger.bsky.social.

Episode 149: In today’s episode of the Social Work Podcast, I spoke with Jennifer Luna, Michelle Woods, and Cindy Snell - co-authors of the NASW Press book The Social Work Career Guidebook: How to Land Your Ideal Job and Build a Legacy. We spoke about the arc of the social work career. Jennifer shared tips for getting a job. Then Michelle talked about how to prepare for and negotiate after getting a job offer. And Cindy told stories about once you’ve been in a job for a while how to find a new job or change your focus, say from micro to macro social work. We ended with Jennifer talking about branding in social work.

You can read a transcript of today's interview at https://socialworkpodcast.blogspot.com/2025/12/career.html. You can connect with other social workers at the Social Work Podcast Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/swpodcast, or follow the Bluesky feed at https://jbsinger.bsky.social.

Episode 148: In today's episode of the Social Work Podcast, I spoke with Dr. Terry Northcut, Lucian and Carol Welch Matusak Endowed Professor at Loyola University Chicago's School of Social Work about psychodynamic theory as a framework for understanding human development. She talks about how psychodynamic theory offers conceptual scaffolding for understanding our internal worlds and how early experiences continue to leave a lasting imprint. You'll learn about the epigenetic principle, how repeated interactions, particularly in childhood, generalize into "working models" or "templates" that then play out in all our relationships. We talk about how psychodynamic theory recognizes developmental deficits and how it is strength-based. Along the way, Dr. Northcut acknowledges the role of attachment, trauma, and the importance of neurobiology (the focus of Episode 147 with our Loyola University Chicago colleague, Dr. Jim Marley).

You can read a transcript of today's interview at https://socialworkpodcast.blogspot.com/2025/08/Northcut.html. You can connect with other social workers at the Social Work Podcast Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/swpodcast, or follow the Bluesky feed at https://jbsinger.bsky.social.

Episode 147: In today's episode of the Social Work Podcast is about a topic that's often glossed over in social work education: neurobiology and the brain. I spoke with Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work associate professor James Marley, Ph.D. In today’s interview, we talk about how trauma literally writes itself into the brain; why understanding neuroplasticity gives hope to clients who feel stuck; the importance of being a critical consumer of neuroscience headlines—because clients read them too; and how social workers—often the first to hear about new symptoms or med side effects—can respond with confidence and compassion. We also get into brain basics: structures like the prefrontal cortex and limbic system, neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, and how meds like SSRIs trick the brain into adjusting. We talk about how social workers can talk about the medical side of medication without talking beyond our training, including the neurobiology of side effects, withdrawal, and why you shouldn’t go cold turkey off your meds. If you’ve ever felt underprepared to talk about the brain—or wondered why it matters for your practice—this episode is for you.

You can read a transcript of today's interview at https://socialworkpodcast.blogspot.com/2025/07/neurobiology.html. You can connect with other social workers at the Social Work Podcast Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/swpodcast, or follow the Bluesky feed at https://jbsinger.bsky.social.

Episode 146: In today’s episode of the Social Work Podcast I talk with NASW CEO, Dr. Anthony Estreet, about what he sees as some of the most pressing issues shaping the future of social work. These include the rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the urgent need for social workers to organize and advocate, the Social Work Interstate Compact, and NASW's renewed vision for the organization.

You can read a transcript of today's interview at https://socialworkpodcast.blogspot.com/2025/07/Estreet2025.html. You can connect with other social workers at the Social Work Podcast Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/swpodcast, or follow the Bluesky feed at https://jbsinger.bsky.social.

Episode 145: Today's episode is the third of a three-part series on research design (and the second of a two-part series on Experimental Research Design) with Dr. Bruce Thyer, Distinguished Research Professor and former Dean with the College of Social Work at Florida State University. In today's episode, Dr. Thyer unpacks how social work practitioners can think about experimental research design. We explore why you don't need to be embarrassed if you find experiments intimidating, but why critically appraising research, including randomized experiments, is a core expectation for all social workers. Dr. Thyer shares practical tools like the CONSORT-SPI checklist to help you evaluate studies and encourages you to respectfully challenge your professors about the empirical evidence behind therapies they teach. We'll also tackle some of the challenges and biases in social work against experimental designs, the inherent risks of empirical study where results might not confirm expectations, and the ethical considerations when designing interventions, especially for serious issues like suicide prevention. Plus, we'll clarify the difference between true experiments and quasi-experiments (often mistakenly called 'natural experiments') and understand why precise research is vital, sometimes with its full value recognized much later.

You can read a transcript of today's interview at https://socialworkpodcast.blogspot.com/2025/07/Thyer3.html. You can connect with other social workers at the Social Work Podcast Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/swpodcast, or follow the Bluesky feed at https://jbsinger.bsky.social.

Episode 144: In today's episode, I spoke with Dr. Bruce Thyer, Distinguished Research Professor, former Dean with the College of Social Work at Florida State University, founding and current editor of the journal Research on Social Work Practice, and author of the 2023 Columbia University Press text Experimental Research Designs in Social Work: Theory and Application. Today’s episode is the first of a two-part series about experimental research designs—what they are, why they matter, and how social workers have been using them more than you might think.

You can read a transcript of today's interview at https://socialworkpodcast.blogspot.com/2025/07/Thyer2.html. You can connect with other social workers at the Social Work Podcast Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/swpodcast, or follow the Bluesky feed at https://jbsinger.bsky.social.

Episode 143: In today's episode, I spoke with Dr. Bruce Thyer, is Distinguished Research Professor and former Dean with the College of Social Work at Florida State University about Single System Design. We start our conversation diving into why social workers should know about single system design, its core components, and the kinds of measures and assessments that work best and where to find them. We discuss real-world examples, the nuances of designs like AB, ABC, and beyond, and how to use single subject designs for complicated, multilayered problems. I wanted to know if they work across levels of practice—micro, mezzo, and macro—and whether they’re appropriate for evaluating evidence-based practice. When I told Bruce I had concerns about the generalizability of SSDs, he reminded me that the requirements for generalizability are almost never met, even in rigorous large scale studies. We ended with a discussion about publishing single system designs. Today's episode is the first of a two-part series on social work research. Part 2, Episode 144, is a discussion with Dr. Thyer about experimental design.

You can read a transcript of today's interview at https://socialworkpodcast.blogspot.com/2025/01/Thyer1.html. You can connect with other social workers at the Social Work Podcast Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/swpodcast, or follow the Bluesky feed at https://jbsinger.bsky.social.

Episode 142: In today's episode, I spoke with sociologist, Anna S. Mueller, PhD. Luther Dana Waterman Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and the Senior Research Program Leader of the Mental Illness, Suicide, and Addiction Section of the Irsay Institute at Indiana University. Anna and I spoke about why Anna and her colleague, Seth Abrutyn, looked at the social roots of youth suicide at Poplar Grove, the social factors that they found contributed to youth suicide contagion and clusters (including the rigid cultural expectations, mental health stigma, and high level of connectedness); the role of social workers in school-based multidisciplinary practice; and practical steps that schools and communities can take to address youth suicide. Anna and Seth's book, Life under Pressure: The Social Roots of Youth Suicide and What to Do About Them is a must read for anyone who works with youth.

You can read a transcript of today's interview at https://socialworkpodcast.blogspot.com/2024/12/mueller.html. You can connect with other social workers at the Social Work Podcast Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/swpodcast, or follow the Bluesky feed at https://jbsinger.bsky.social.

Episode 141: In today's episode I speak with Jessi Gold, MD about her 2024 book, How Do You Feel? One Doctor's Search for Humanity in Medicine, a powerful, honest, and often funny exploration of mental health and well-being, both in and outside of healthcare.

Today's conversation covers the importance of vulnerability and storytelling in addressing mental health stigma; practical tips for healthcare providers to prioritize their own mental well-being; and wow societal expectations around medicine influence mental health discourse.

You can read a transcript of today's interview at https://socialworkpodcast.blogspot.com/2024/12/JessiGold.html. You can connect with other social workers at the Social Work Podcast Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/swpodcast, or follow the Bluesky feed at https://jbsinger.bsky.social.