The Social Work Experience

Reimagining Child Welfare: It takes a village, and youth deserve the loudest seat at the table.

In this episode, we interview two guests—Karen Mestizo and Wendy Kinnear-Rausch—working in child welfare in Santa Clara County. We discuss the successes and challenges that folx working in child welfare face and discuss the lenses from which Karen and Wendy approach their work. While their perspectives differ, both guests amplify the importance of working in partnership with children, youth, and families to improve child welfare services.

Connection as Medicine: A Humanistic Discussion on In-patient Care & Schizophrenic Disorders

In this episode, co-hosts Ana, Britt, and Roberto speak with Stephen Burke about his experience treating individuals with Schizophrenic Spectrum Disorders in his role as the Director of 7th Avenue Center, an in-patient care organization in Santa Cruz, CA. Stephen has been doing incredible work in the field of mental health care and discusses the human-centered way he goes about treating both clients and staff.

Now What? Creating Our Own Solutions to Community Needs

In this episode, hosts Ana, Roberto, and Britt interview SJSU social work professor and Executive Director of Ujima Adult and Family Services, Yvonne Maxwell, to talk about how social workers can move from discussion to action by building our own solutions to real community needs. The hosts also reflect on the first step of the Native Governance Center’s Beyond Land Acknowledgment Guide. You can follow along by checking out the guide here. To support Eric Garcia, founder and former co-host of the podcast, consider purchasing or sharing his book through his Linktree [https://linktr.ee/FromtheHeartStories]. Are you an SJSU MSW student interested in the Clinically Curious workshops? Sign up to receive the Zoom links here [https://forms.gle/rw8oKCN6kHRTUW1n6]. Have feedback or ideas for this season of the podcast? Leave a comment on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, or share your thoughts through our Google Form [https://forms.gle/].

Disrupting White Supremacy & Anti-Blackness

In this episode, hosts Ana, Roberto, and Britt interview SJSU's newest social work professor, Dr. Babe Kawaii-Bogue, and discuss how social workers can begin to disrupt white supremacy and anti-blackness in both our personal and professional lives. In an effort to move from discussion to action, hosts will begin following this Beyond Land Acknowledgement Guide [https://nativegov.org/news/beyond-land-acknowledgment-guide/] from the Native Governance Center. We will be tackling each step of the guide throughout this season. Check out the guide to follow along with us! And, if you'd like to share ways that you're moving beyond land acknowledgements, leave a comment on Spotify/Apple Podcasts or submit a response to our Google Form. [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScVrpJaKP1YMJGVqikCToWVZJL16sWtowH1ZNZn49wr9AE-4g/viewform?usp=dialog] If you'd like to continue learning how you can combat white supremacy, check out this incredible guide [https://caps.sonoma.edu/sites/caps/files/combating_anti-blackness_and_white_supremacy_in_organizations_-_recommendations_for_anti-racist_actions_in_mental_healthcare.pdf] created by our guest, Dr. Kawaii-Bogue!

We’re Back: Kicking Off Season 4!

In this episode, new hosts Roberto, Britt, and Ana launch season 4 with an introduction to this year’s season and a look ahead at what’s to come. They sit down with Dr. Peter Allen Lee, Director of the School of Social Work at San José State University, who reflects on his journey in social work, the evolution of the field, and offers thoughtful advice for new social workers entering the field.