Wendy Cervantes is the Director of Immigration and Immigrant Families at the Center for Law and Social Policy. In this episode, she and Mel Wilson, NASW's Senior Policy Advisor focusing on social justice issues, discuss what mass deportation would look like under a potential Trump Administration and why such policies are harmful to children and fam…

Dr. Judith R. Smith, LCSW is author of the new book, Difficult: Mothering Challenging Adult Children Through Conflict and Change. We chat with her about her research and the impact of having a “difficult adult child” on aging mothers and explore how social workers can best support these parents in navigating both the emotional and practical challen…

Vote ER and NASW on mobilizing for the extremely important 2024 presidential and down ballot elections. It goes without saying that the upcoming election is one of the most important elections in terms of preserving America's democracy since the Civil War. Hopefully, this podcast will be able to share some important information about what is at sta…

In our latest podcast we chat with Relationship Expert, Author and Social Worker Terry Real! An internationally recognized family therapist and best-selling author, Real is dedicated to helping couples build lasting, loving relationships. With a revolutionary approach known as Relational Life Therapy (RLT), Terry equips individuals and couples with…

Dr. Dale Masi is a pioneering social worker renowned for her work in Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). Dr. Masi, who recently edited the Fifth International EAP Compendium, is Professor Emeritus at the University of Maryland, where she taught and directed the Employee Assistance Specialization for 22 years. With 16 books and over 70 articles to …

In this NASW podcast episode of Social Work Talks we examine why it’s Never Too Late to enter the field of therapy. Our host NASW member Elisabeth Joy LaMotte, LICSW chats with chef Karey Swartwout, and political organizer and journalist Dr. Brooke Stroud, now a clinical psychologist, and author Daniel Duane (who today is featured in an article in …

Dr. Michael Kaufman, MSW, PhD., author of the new book, Doing Good & Doing Well: Inspiring Helping Professionals to Become Leaders in Their Organizations, has managed countless crises that have needed quick, level-headed thinking and tough decisions delivered with empathy and heart. Board chair of Premier Education Partners he has seen other helpin…

Mary Cosimano, LMSW, has been with the Department of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research since 2000 when they began research with psilocybin. She is currently a Psychedelic Session Facilitator and has served as Director of Clinical Services and as a research coordinator.…

Jasmin Saville, RN, MPH, MSSW, is whole health and equity director for Amerigroup, a health insurance and managed health care provider that covers older adults, low income families, state and federally sponsored beneficiaries and federal employees in 26 states. Saville talks about how she combined social work and nursing, why public health care cou…

As of April 20, 2024, recreational use of marijuana has been legalized in 24 states, three U.S. territories, and Washington, D.C. But how have marijuana reforms affected Black and Brown populations that were heavily impacted by marijuana criminal prosecutions before legalization? NASW Senior Policy Adviser Mel Wilson sits down with Maritza Perez Me…

Social Work Instructor Dr. Thalia Anderen, MSW, RCSW, LCSW, and Social Work Talks Podcast Host Lorrie Appleton, LCSW, dive into the concerning trend of student-initiated confrontations (SIC) in universities. With over 20 years of experience as a therapist, Anderen's research sheds light on the impact of these behaviors on both educators and the fie…

During Social Work Month 2024, the University of Kentucky College of Social Work is celebrating with the campaign "Social Work is Everywhere." The college is seeking to raise awareness that social workers help millions of people each day and work in a variety of settings, including many people may not be aware of such as sports and financial planni…

Gun violence remains a serious public health issue in the United States. About 46,000 Americans died due to gun violence in 2023, with half using guns to die by suicide. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is a partner with Brady, a campaign to end our nation's gun violence epidemic. In this episode of NASW's Social Work Talks podcast…

Mirean Coleman, LICSW, director of clinical practice at the National Association of Social Workers, talks about a new regulation that will allow clinical social workers to bill for Health Behavior Assessment and Intervention (HBAI) Services. Learn why this development is so important for social workers.…

White Ribbon VA is a national call to action to eliminate sexual harassment, sexual assault, and domestic violence across the Department of Veterans Affairs by promoting a positive change in culture so that the actions outlined in the pledge become the organizational norm. NASW and other mental health organizations have partnered with White Ribbon.…

Rachel Forbes, MSW, Associate Professor of the Practice of Social Work and Western Colorado MSW Program Director at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work, and Kelly Smith, DSW, founder and the director of the Institute of Social Work and Ecological Justice, and a social work instructor at Columbia University and the Adelphi Univer…

JC Hall, MSW, LCSW, is a hip hop therapist and school social worker in the South Bronx, New York. He works at a high school there, where he is the Hip Hop Therapy Studio Program Director. JC says that hip hop saved his life. He talks about his mentor, the late Dr. Edgar H. Tyson, and how he turned his love of hip hop and working with youth into a c…

EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) is a form of psychotherapy designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories. What do social workers need to know about EMDR? Deany Laliotis, LICSW, is an internationally recognized trainer, consultant, and psychotherapist who teaches EMDR therapy using a relational approach t…

In Maui, more than 115 people have died after wildfires struck in early August. Some 1,000 people remain missing, and the death toll is expected to rise as recovery and identification efforts continue. The fires are especially heartbreaking for Hawaiians; more than 2,000 acres have burned in Lahaina, the historic town and the onetime capital of the…

We speak with David A. Wilkerson, PhD, MSW, and Liam O’Sullivan, MA, NQSW, co-editors of "Social Work in an Online World: A Guide to Digital Practice" (NASW Press, 2023). With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person social work service delivery was dramatically interrupted. The field continues to experience a shift toward modern technology-me…

Christine Gilchrist, LCSW, is a specialist in suicide in prevention and in helping those who are survivors of suicide. She speaks about how she and other social workers help people who are grieving after losing a loved one to suicide. Visit the show notes for related resources.โดย NASW

American children's mental health is worsening. Young people and their families are dealing with the emotional impact of inflation, social injustice, mass violence, and grief related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this episode, we talk about the problematic decline in children’s mental health in the United States, and what social workers can do to he…

We speak with Mary Marden Velasquez, PhD, and Anna Mangum, MSW, MPH, about National Partnerships to Address Prenatal Alcohol and other Substance Use and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, the Centers for Disease Control grant that began October 2023 in partnership with the University of Texas at Austin. Our host for this discussion is NASW member Lo…

We speak with Dr. Charles Daniels Jr, PhD, MDiv, LICSW , co-founder and CEO of Fathers' Uplift in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Fathers' UpLift provides mental health counseling, coaching, advocacy, and resource support to assist fathers with overcoming barriers — including racism, emotional, traumatic, and addiction-based barriers — that prevent them…

We speak with Dr. Allison Werner-Lin about genetics and family life. Dr. Werner-Lin is Associate Professor at the School of Social Policy and Practice at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research addresses the intersection of genomic discovery and family life. Her work is among the first to explore the psychosocial challenges unique to women and…

We speak with Christina Erickson, MSW, PhD, about environmental justice. Dr. Erickson is professor and chair of the social work department at Augsburg University. She is author of “Environmental Justice as Social Work Practice,” (Oxford University Press, 2018) and “Spanked: How Hitting Our Children Is Harming Ourselves” (Oxford University Press, 20…

We speak with Shreya Bhandari, PhD, LISW, editor of the NASW Press book “South Asians in the United States: A Guide for Social Workers and Other Helping Professionals.” Dr. Bhandari is professor and director of social work, Purdue University Northwest. She is also alicensed clinical social worker with her own private practice. Her research focuses …

Sleep is as essential to human well-being as food and air. Poor sleep habits and sleep deprivation can have negative effects on our physical and mental health. Further, racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to get insufficient sleep than their white counterparts. Jessi Pettigrew, MSW, LCSW, is a PhD candidate at the Graduate School of Social…

Michael H. Eversman, PhD, MSW, is the author of "Identifying Moral Panic: The Discourse of Fear in Social Policy" from NASW Press. This book uses historic and contemporary moral panic episodes — periods of exaggerated public fear triggered by high-profile incidents linked to feared social groups — to show how political discourse and stereotyping le…

Deborah M. Figart, PhD, and Ellen Mutari, PhD, are the authors of "Economic Well-Being: An Introduction" from NASW Press. In this episode, we discuss this groundbreaking book, which makes the study of economic life accessible, applicable, and exciting. NASW member Elisabeth Joy LaMotte, LICSW, hosts this episode. Visit the show notes for related re…

Dr. Kyla Liggett-Creel talks with us about her work to support young people who squeegee car windshields at intersections in Baltimore. She outlines why squeegee workers have been a divisive topic in the city, and discusses her work to get their voices heard. Dr. Liggett-Creel is an associate clinical professor at the University of Maryland School …

Ann Steiner, PhD, is a certified group psychotherapist, licensed marriage and family therapist and consultant in private practice for 30 years. She is creator of “Therapist's Professional Will™: Guidelines for Managing Planned and Unplanned Absence.” She pioneered the creation of the therapist’s professional will and has published over 20 articles …

In February 2021, the Myanmar military staged a coup that overthrew the democratically elected government. Since then, the killing of civilians in Myanmar has increased. In response, Jue Jue Min Thu, a licensed social worker from Myanmar now based in Hawai'i, created Jue Jue's Safe Space, to support mental health for the Myanmar community. Visit th…

Yvonne M. Chase, PhD, LCSW, ACSW, will begin her three-year term as NASW president on July 1, 2023. Dr. Chase is an Associate Professor at the University of Alaska, Anchorage. She’s also an NASW Social Work Pioneer, and a long-time champion of NASW. We talk about some of her experiences as a social worker; why she's passionate about social work and…

We speak with NASW member Kristen Lee, Ed.D., LICSW, about overcoming fear and learning to take risks. Visit the show notes page for related episodes and resources.โดย NASW

Monique Bingham, MSW, is NASW's 2022 Emerging Social Work Leader. She works as a mental health therapist at the Anti Recidivism Coalition, which works to end mass incarceration in California. Ms. Bingham’s own father was incarcerated when she was a child and released when she was an adult. She has produced a documentary, “Unchained Scholars,” about…

Social worker Caitlin Ryan, is founder and executive director of the Family Acceptance Project. She talks with us about how her organization has worked for 20 years to help families support their children who are LGBTQIA2S+ and how social workers can also do this work.โดย NASW

We speak with Will Frances, Executive Director of NASW's Texas chapter about the aftermath of the horrific mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Schools should be safe, supportive havens for students and staff. What can be done to stop the epidemic of mass shootings across the country? Visit the show notes page for related stories…

In this episode, we talk about how social workers can talk to harder-to-reach special populations about vaccines and use motivational interviewing to inform people about vaccines. Our guests are NASW Mississippi Chapter Executive Director and Special Populations Coordinator Gwen Bouie Haynes and Mary Velasquez, professor and director of the Health …

Our guest Suzin Bartley, is executive director at The Children's Trust, an organization working to stop child abuse in Massachusetts. Their programs partner with parents to help them build the skills and confidence they need to make sure kids have safe and healthy childhoods. Read the show notes for related resources.…

The limited Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) waiver, which is a short-term opportunity for borrowers to seek student loan forgiveness through Oct. 31, 2022. Our guest is Lindsay Clark, Director of External Affairs at Savi, a company that helps student loan borrowers discover and understand repayment and loan forgiveness options. Read the show…

Guests Kyle Temple and Rio Bauce talk about how social workers can help people who are LGBTQIA+ overcome addiction to substances. Kyle Temple, LCSW, is Senior Director, Stonewall Project at San Francisco AIDS Foundation. Rio Bauce is on track to graduate in May 2022 with a master's in social work from California State University - East Bay. Read th…

NASW members Chelsea Laliberte and Jimmy Salyers talk about how the pandemic has exacerbated the addiction crisis in the United States. Read the show notes for related resources and to learn more about our guests.โดย NASW

Learn about "Connect to End COVID-19," an initiative that helps social workers and their clients to make informed decisions about life-saving vaccines, with guest Anna Mangum, NASW's Deputy Director of Programs. Visit the show notes for more resources.โดย NASW

Guest SaraKay Smullens, MSW, LCSW, DCSW, CGP, CFLE, BCD, is a certified group psychotherapist and family life educator, and author of NASW Press publication, "Burnout and Self-Care in Social Work." Visit the show notes to get related resources. And if you like this episode, be sure to subscribe so you'll know when new episodes are release. And plea…

Sherry Gaba, LCSW, speaks with us about co-dependency, love addiction, and toxic relationships.​ Gaba is a psychotherapist, life coach, and certified recovery coach based in California. She is author of "The Law of Sobriety" and "The Marriage and Relationship Junkie," and host of The Love Fix podcast. Visit the show notes for resources. If you like…

Guest Steven Miller speaks with us about infertility and mental health. He holds a master's in psychology and is earning his MSW at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He sits on the Mental Health Professional Group at the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). See the show notes page for related resources.…

Taslim van Hattum, MSW, MPH, Senior Director of Practice Improvement at the National Council for Behavioral Health, speaks with us about how social workers can help clients stop smoking or vaping. Read the show notes to get related resources Episode sponsor: ECINSโดย NASW

We speak with Kristina M. Whiton-O'Brien, MSW, LICSW, Director of Partnerships at Vot-ER, a nonpartisan nonprofit that helps to provide patients the opportunity to register to vote. See the show notes for related resources.โดย NASW

We speak with Kelly Bruno, MSW, president and CEO of National Health Foundation in Los Angeles, Calif. Bruno helped to create recuperative care program in response to hospitals’ illegal practice of patient dumping — the failure to make continued care arrangements when releasing homeless patients from the hospital. Visit the show notes for related r…