Lonely at the Top: Interview with Thomas Joiner, Ph.D.

[Episode 70] In today's episode of the Social Work Podcast is about loneliness. Since social workers don't talk much about loneliness (we'd rather talk about social isolation or social withdrawl), I spoke with Thomas Joiner, Ph.D., Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Florida State University, and author of Lonely at the Top: The High Cost of Men's Success, published in 2011 by Palgrave Macmillan.

Cultural Considerations in Military Social Work: Interview with Dr. Anthony Hassan

[Episode 69] Today's Social Work Podcast, Episode 69 – Cultural Considerations in Military Social Work, is the second in a two-part series with Anthony Hassan on Military Social Work. In Part I, Anthony and I spoke about The Training and Education of Military Social Workers.

Any discussion of culture and culturally relevant practice begins with the idea that we are all cultural beings. We see the world differently depending on which culturally-informed lenses we have on. In the United States, where military service is not a requirement, being in the military offers a unique set of lenses.  I got a glimpse of the very practical, day-to-day implications of seeing the world through military lenses when I asked today's guest what I thought was a very straightforward question – a question I ask all my guests before the interview starts – "what do you want me to call you?"

The Training and Education of Military Social Workers: Interview with Dr. Anthony Hassan

[Episode 68] Today's Social Work Podcast, The Training and Education of Military Social Workers, is the first of a two-part series. Part II, is a discussion of Cultural considerations in military social work. I'm doing this two part series because whether you agree or disagree with America n's involvement in what has now become the longest continuous combat engagement in its 235 year history, "There is an urgent need to understand and engage with the military service members, veterans, their families, and their communities in effective [social work] practices…" (CSWE, 2010, p. 2). I hear some of you right now; I'm reading your thoughts: you don't work for the Veterans Administration; you're not contracted by the military to provide services; you don't wear the uniform and serve in the armed forces. And yet, according to my guest, Anthony Hassan, you could still be a military social worker.

National Runaway Switchboard: Interview with Maureen Blaha

[Episode 67] Today's episode of the Social Work Podcast is an interview with Maureen Blaha, the Executive Director of the National Runaway Switchboard (http://www.1800runaway.org). So, if you're a social worker and you work in outpatient or inpatient or residential or you're in a school-based setting and you have a client who says I'm out of here. I am running away from home or maybe they don't even say I'm out of here. Maybe they're saying I don't know how I can live with my parents here. So, what do you do? What are some resources for you? If you're in a school setting and you're working with groups of kids, are there curricula that you can get a hold of, free curricula that you can use with your clients?

Coming Out, Coming Home: Interview with Michael C. LaSala, Ph.D.

Today's Social Work Podcast is about helping families adjust to a gay or lesbian child. According to the website, comingoutcominghome.com, "The discovery that a child is gay or lesbian can send shockwaves throughout a family. A mother will question how she's raised her son; a father will worry that his daughter will experience discrimination. From the child's perspective, gay and lesbian youth fear their families will reject them, and that they will lose financial and emotional support. All in all, learning a child is gay challenges long held views about sexuality and relationships, and the resulting uncertainty can produce, for all parties, anger, resentment, and concern for safety and acceptance." So, how can social workers help families adjust to a gay or lesbian child?

To get some answers, I spoke with Dr. Michael LaSala author of the 2010 book, Coming Out, Coming Home: Helping Families Adjust to a Gay or Lesbian Child, published by Columbia University Press. Dr. LaSala is director of the MSW program and associate professor at the School of Social Work at Rutgers University. He has been in practice for more than twenty-five years and he currently treats LGBT individuals and families at the Institute for Personal Growth in Highland Park, NJ. (http://www.ipgcounseling.com/). Dr. LaSala recently completed a Fulbright Fellowship in Estonia where he investigated the impacts of stigma on Estonian lesbians and gay men. In addition to his book and numerous scholarly publications, you can read his blog on Gay and Lesbian Well-Being on PsychologyToday.com

The Process of Evidence-Based Practice: Interview with Danielle E. Parrish, Ph.D.

Today's episode of the Social Work Podcast is on the process of Evidence-Based Practice. I wanted to do an episode on Evidence-Based Practice because it has been the subject of a lot of debate in Social Work. One of the controversies is over how to define evidence based practice. In order to get some insight into the Process of Evidence-Based Practice, I spoke with one of social work's leading experts on the topic, Dr. Danielle Parrish, assistant professor with the University of Houston, Graduate College of Social Work. In today's interview, Danielle and I talked about the difference between the process of evidence-based practice and evidence-based practices, also known as empirically-supported treatments. We talked about why social workers should use the evidence-base practice process. Danielle identified some of the limitations of the EBP process, resources for social workers interested in accessing the evidence-base, and ways that social workers could support each other in being evidence-based practitioners.

Listeners of the Social Work Podcast, followers of the Social Work Podcast Twitter feed (@socworkpodcast), and fans on the Social Work Podcast Facebook page responded to a request to vote for their preferred definition of Evidence Based Practice. The results were surprising:

How do you define Evidence-Based Practice?

Next week I'm posting an episode on Evidence-Based Practice. The interview is really nice and I think you'll really like it. With all episodes I do an intro where I introduce my guest, talk about why this topic is relevant to social workers, and then talk about what is covered in the interview. And so that's all well-and-good. Except that I've struggled with this intro because everyone seems to have a different understanding of what is Evidence-Based Practice. So, this is where you come in. Twice. First thing - at the top of this page you'll see that I've posted a poll. Take a minute – literally one minute – and select the definition of EBP you most agree with. I'm going to use the final tally in the introduction. The second thing is I want to hear from you. I want to know how you use evidence-based practice in your social work practice. There's a very easy way to do this: call and leave a message on the Social Work Podcast answering machine – 215.948.2456. You can either dial the number directly, or go to make the call for free, on the upper right-hand side of the Social Work Podcast website click on the “CALL ME” button and Google will connect you to the answering machine for free. When you call, tell me your first name, where you're from, and what you think. If you can help me out with those two things – the poll and the voicemail, I'll be set for next week. Thanks so much for listening to the Social Work Podcast, check back next week for the episode on Evidence-Based Practice, and keep on making a difference wherever you are.

Behind the Scenes at the Social Work Podcast: Interview with Jonathan Singer

[Episode 64] Today's Social Work Podcast is a "behind the scenes" look at the Social Work Podcast. Danielle Parrish, social work faculty at the University of Houston, interviews the founder and host, Jonathan Singer, about how the Social Work Podcast started, how he selects his topics and the people that he interviews and how after the interview the podcast is actually produced and then finally how he uses Twitter, Facebook, and Google Voice [215.948-2456] to connect with his listeners.

Adoption Policy and Practice in the U.S.A.: Interview with Ruth McRoy, Ph.D.

[Episode 63] Today's Social Work Podcast is a broad overview of current policies and practices associated with adoption in the United States. According to the Evan B. Donaldson Institute, 6 in 10 Americans have had experience with adoption, meaning you, or a family member or close friend was adopted, adopted a child, or put a child up for adoption. Although most Americans have experience with adoption, as you'll hear in today's interview, the world of adoption is incredibly complex. For example, is it ever acceptable to consider the race of a prospective adoptive family when making placement decisions? For example, you're looking to place an African American child. You have three prospective adoptive families - two African American and one White. Assuming all things are equal, could you use race as an exclusionary criterion? What about if the child was White, Latino, or Native American? If you know the answer - congratulations. If not, keep listening. And even if you know the answer, keep listening.

Concerns of Parents of Lesbians and Gays: Interview with Cynthia Conley, Ph.D.

Risk for suicide among gay youth has caught a lot of attention in the American media as of late. There have been a number of youth who have been bullied because they have been gay or perceived to be gay and who have consequently died by suicide. Dan Savage and friends and colleagues and supporters have put together an amazing project called "It Gets Better" (http://www.itgetsbetterproject.com/) focusing on the issue of youth suicide for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, question and queer teens.

Now there is good reason for this. According to the U.S. Government’s Report of the Secretary's Task Force on Youth Suicide, gay and lesbian youth bear an increased risk of suicide, substance abuse, school problems, and isolation because of a "hostile and condemning environment, verbal and physical abuse, rejection and isolation from [peers and family]" (Gibson, 1989). Social worker and pioneer gay and lesbian researcher Caitlin Ryan, found that lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults who reported higher levels of family rejection during adolescence were 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide, 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression, 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs, and 3.4 times more likely to report having engaged in unprotected sexual intercourse compared with peers from families that reported no or low levels of family rejection (Ryan, Huebner, Diaz, & Sanchez, 2009).

So, here’s the thing. Families who reject their kids are doing their kids a huge disservice. And that’s the point of today’s podcast. Today I’m talking with Dr. Cynthia Conley about the concerns of heterosexual parents of gay and lesbian youth.

The Wisdom To Know the Difference: Interview with Eileen Flanagan

We've all heard the Serenity prayer. Even if you don't know what it is called, you'll recognize it by the first few words... "God grant me the serenity..." The serenity prayer is synonymous with Alcoholics Anonymous and 12-step programs that have transformed the lives of hundreds of millions of people. And it is only 25 words and three lines long.

Most episodes of the Social Work Podcast take huge topics - like stigma, suicide, and cognitive-behavior therapy, and try to distill them into 30-minute overviews. Today's podcast flips that on its head. Today we're spending over thirty minutes to unpack 25 words. My hope is that listeners learn something about the Serenity prayer - something that they can incorporate into their social work education or practice. In today's social work podcast, I spoke with Eileen Flanagan, author of the award winning book, The Wisdom to Know the Difference: When to Make a Change-and When to Let Go Her book was endorsed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She holds a B.A. from Duke and an M.A. from Yale and teaches at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. You can read more about her work at her website, http://www.eileenflanagan.com.

And now, on to Episode 61 of the Social Work Podcast: The Wisdom To Know the Difference: an Interview with Eileen Flanagan.

Social Skills Training with Children and Adolescents: Interview with Craig LeCroy, Ph.D.

[Episode 60]Today’s Social Work Podcast is on social skills training with children and adolescents. My guest, Craig Winston LeCroy defines social skills as “a complex set of skills that facilitate the successful interactions between peers, parents, teachers, and other adults” (LeCroy, 2009, 653). Social skills include everything from dress and behavior codes, to rules about what, when, and how to say or not to say something. Social skills training is a form of behavior therapy, and as such focuses on behaviors, rather than thoughts or feelings, as the targets for change. Traditional behavior modification is often thought of in terms of task completion, for example, using star charts to get kids to clean their rooms or do homework. But in social skills training, behavior modification principles are used to teach people skills that help them to be successful in social situations.

Incorporating Religion and Spirituality into Social Work Practice with African Americans: Interview with Nancy Boyd-Franklin, Ph.D.

[Episode 59] Today’s Social Work Podcast is on incorporating religion and spirituality into social work practice with African Americans. Or at least that’s the official title. The unofficial title is, “If my client brings God into the conversation, what should I do?” I spoke with Nancy Boyd-Franklin, best-selling author, multicultural researcher, family therapist and clinical trainer, and recipient of awards from the American Psychological Association, Association of Black Psychologists, and the American Family Therapy academy.

When I was a social work intern, I worked with an African American mother who had AIDS and whose 6 children were HIV+. The father of her children had been an IV drug user who had died of AIDS. The mother was in poor health, and rarely sought her own treatment. I had a hard time tracking her down because she spent most of the day, every day, on public transportation with one child or another taking them to and from medical appointments. I remember being on the bus with her one day (because that was only place I could meet with her), listening to her talk about how she had successfully fought hospital administration to get treatment for one of her kids. Being the eager social work student that I was, fully prepared to acknowledge my clients strengths and resources, I told her that I was in awe of her strength. “How do you do it?” I asked her. Her response totally caught me off guard.

So You Want To Work Abroad? An Interview with David Dininio

In today's Social Work Podcast I speak with David Dininio, Recruitment Manager for HCL Social Care International, about how social workers in the United States can work as social workers in other countries. Let’s be honest. You didn’t become a social worker because you wanted to travel the world. Even if you’re someone who has the travel bug – You’re a social worker. You’re not making a whole lot of money? How are you going to finance it? Today’s Social Work Podcast is about how social workers can work abroad.

Communities that Care: Interview with Richard F. Catalano, Ph.D.

Today's Social Work Podcast is on community-based prevention services for children and adolescents. I spoke with Dr. Richard F. Catalano, who along with J. David Hawkins, developed Communities That Care, a prevention-planning system that promotes the positive development of children and youth and prevents problem behaviors, including substance use, delinquency, teen pregnancy, school drop-out and violence. It is a system for identifying community needs, matching those needs to evidence-based prevention programs, and evaluating the outcomes. The system has been used in dozens of communities around the United States, and has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing problem behaviors and promoting positive youth development.

Suicide and Black American Males: Interview with Sean Joe, Ph.D.

Today’s Social Work Podcast is on Suicide and Black American Males. Why suicide and Black Americans? Well, there is a belief among most Americans, and particularly among African American adults, that Black Americans do not kill themselves (Joe, 2006). When we think of violent death among Black Americans we think of homicide. Suicide is thought of as a “White” problem. While it is true that suicide was not a leading cause of death for African Americans 40 years ago, today it is the third leading cause of deaths among African Americans 15 – 24 years of age. So why Black American Males specifically? Well, among all racial and ethnic groups, the suicide rate is lowest among Black American females. Given that Black American males, particularly youth, are over-represented in social services, social workers need to be aware of the risk for suicide, and prepared to provide potentially life-saving services. One thing that makes social workers professionals is that we are trained to see things that others do not. Most of us have not been trained to see suicide as an important issue in the Black American community. It is my hope that after hearing today’s guest, Dr. Sean Joe from the University of Michigan, you will be more likely to see suicide among Black American males as an important clinical and programmatic issue.

Dr. Joe holds a joint position as associate professor in the School of Social Work and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan's School of Medicine. He is also a faculty associate with the Program for Research on Black Americans at the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan. Dr. Joe is a nationally recognized authority on suicidal behavior among African Americans. He is the 2009 recipient of the Edwin Shneidman Award from the American Association of Suicidology for outstanding contributions in research to the field of suicide studies and the 2008 recipient of the Early Career Achievement Award from the Society for Social Work and Research. He serves on the board of the Suicide Prevention Action Network (SPAN USA), the scientific advisory board of the National Organization of People of Color Against Suicide, and the editorial board of Advancing Suicide Prevention, a policy magazine. He is co-chair of the Emerging Scholars Interdisciplinary Network (ESIN) Research Study Group on African American Suicide, a national interdisciplinary group of researchers committed to advancing research in this area. He has published extensively in the areas of suicide, violence, and firearm-related violence.

Pediatric Oncology Social Work: Interview with Barbara Jones, Ph.D., MSW

Today’s Social Work Podcast is about social work with children who have cancer, also referred to as pediatric oncology social work. Although pediatric cancer is relatively rare event, making up less than 1% of the cases diagnosed annually, that single case affects the lives of countless others. From a treatment perspective, when a child is diagnosed with cancer, the whole family is diagnosed with cancer. Children are most likely to get cancer in their first year of life, and least likely between the ages of 5 and 14. If you are white kid in the United States you are nearly two times more likely to get cancer than if you are black. One in 300 boys and one in 330 girls will develop cancer before the age of 20. Every year 2500 children die from cancers with names like Acute Lymphoblastic Lukemia (cancer of the bone marrow - the most common childhood cancer), Hepatoblastoma (cancer of the kidney), neuroblastoma (cancer of the central nervous system), Ewings sarcoma (bone cancer), Hodgin’s Lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes), and Wilms tumor (cancer of the kidney). Notice that the most common forms of adult cancer such as lung, breast and colon are not included on this list. And it is not just that children get some cancers and adults get others. Among children, the cancers most often found in infants and toddlers are not the same as the cancers most often found in teenagers. For children today, getting a diagnosis of cancer is not the death sentence it once was. Before 1970 most children who got cancer died. Today, survival rates are nearly 80%. Currently there are about 270,000 survivors of childhood cancer. Consequently pediatric oncology social workers need to know as much about working with survivors of cancer as they do about issues of death and dying.

Psychoanalytic Treatment in Contemporary Social Work Practice: An Interview with Dr. Carol Tosone

[Episode 54] Today's Social Work Podcast, Psychoanalytic Treatment in Contemporary Social Work Practice: An Interview with Dr. Carol Tosone, addresses two questions: First, is psychodynamic treatment relevant in contemporary social work practice? In other words, does it meet the needs of the clients, the agencies, and the funding sources? Second, has clinical social work abandoned social work's historical commitment to advocating for social change? I think they are questions worth thinking about.

Trailer for the "No One's the Bitch" podcast

[Trailer] A few months ago I interviewed a mother and a step-mother, Jennifer and Carol, two women whose book, No One's The Bitch: A Ten-Step Plan for the Mother and Stepmother Relationship had just been published by Globe Pequot Press. Their book quickly became a best-seller on Amazon.com, briefly reaching the #1 spot in the family category. I was really intrigued by what they had to say to social workers - or anyone who works with families. They were saying, "do not forget about the mother / step-mother relationship, it is perhaps the most important relationships to address in a blended family." Well, their message has caught the attention of major media outlets like the Washington Post, and most recently the Dr. Phil show. Although the interview is not ready for prime time, I wanted to give you a preview of the podcast in advance of their appearance on the Dr. Phil show, Tuesday, December 1st. In this three minute excerpt, Jennifer and Carol are talking about some of the typical issues that the mother / step-mother relationship brings. Enjoy this preview, and watch them on the Dr. Phil show Tuesday, December 1st.

Prochaska and DiClemente's Stages of Change Model for Social Workers

[Episode 53] Today's podcast is on Prochaska and DiClemente's (1983) Stages of Change Model. This model describes five stages that people go through on their way to change: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. The model assumes that although the amount of time an individual spends in a specific stage varies, everyone has to accomplish the same stage-specific tasks in order to move through the change process (Prochaska & Prochaska, 2009). There is an unofficial sixth stage that is variously called "relapse," "recycling," or "slipping" in which an individual reverts to old behaviors. Examples include having a beer after a period of sobriety, or smoking a cigarette a year after quitting. Slipping is so common that it is considered normal. Social Workers are encouraged to be honest with clients about the likelihood of backsliding or reverting to old behaviors once the change process has started, not because we expect our clients to fail, but because it normalizes the experience and takes away some of sense of failure and shame.

Theories for Clinical Social Work Practice: Interview with Joseph Walsh, Ph.D.

[Episode 52] Today's podcast looks at the relationship between theory and clinical social work practice. I spoke with Joseph Walsh, professor of social work at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), and author of the Brooks/Cole text, Theories for Direct Social Work Practice, which came out in a second edition in 2009. We talked about why social workers should learn practice theories, the differences between practice, developmental and personality theories, the difference between a theory and a model, and why there are so many different practice theories. We talked about how knowing theory makes for better social work practice and how being "eclectic" isn't about eschewing theory, but being well grounded in a few theories and making intentional choices about when and how to draw from them. Joe suggested that social workers in the field can contribute to theory refinement by thinking seriously about how well the theories they use work with the clients they serve. We ended our conversation with some information on resources for social workers who are interested in learning more about practice theories.

When In Doubt, Give Hope: 2009 Graduation Speech by Allison Anais Brunner

[Episode 51] Hello, podcast listener. It is June 21, 2009 – the first day of summer. By now all of the schools of social work in the United States have had their spring graduation and unleashed tens of thousands of newly minted social workers into the world. You might be one of these recent graduates. Like those who came before you and those who will come after, you’ve spent the last 2 – 5 years becoming socialized into the profession of social work. You’ve written thousands of papers, spent thousands on books, spent thousands of hours with clients (or close to it), you’re your share of group projects, process recordings, video taped assignments, ... all to become skilled professionals who can provide competent and ethical social work services to your clients.

Well, today’s podcast is a tribute to you. And who better to pay tribute than a fellow student. Today we’re going to hear Allison Anais Brunner’s 2009 MSW graduation speech from Temple University’s School of Social Administration. In her speech, entitled, “When In Doubt, Give Hope,” Allison juxtaposes the anxieties and doubts that recent graduates feel with their professional responsibility to hold hope for their clients. She describes her own doubts as a social worker, relates those to her personal moments of doubt and shares how she drew from those experiences to help her client. Using our experiences to benefit our clients rather than ourselves, is what we call “professional use of self.” And as Carl Rogers demonstrated many years ago, bringing our genuine self to the clinical relationship is one of the most important things we can do to help our clients. So, I dedicate this podcast to you, our professions newest members. And now Allison Anais Brunner and her speech, “When In Doubt, Give Hope.”

Salary Negotiation for Social Workers (Part 2): Interview with Cynthia L. Conley, Ph.D.

[Episode 50] In today's podcast I speak with Dr. Cynthia Conley,assistant professor of social work at the School of Social Administration at Temple University, about salary negotiation skills for social workers. Cynthia takes us through salary negotiation from the application to the job offer. Today's podcast is a follow-up to our December, 2008 interview in which Cynthia spoke generally about the importance of salary negotiation to both individuals and to the profession.

Social workers and depression: Interview with Mark Meier, MSW, LICSW

[Episode 49] In today's podcast I speak with Mark Meier, a licensed independent clinical social worker from Minneapolis, Minnesota about social workers and depression. Depression is biopsychosocial disorder that interferes with daily functioning, interpersonal relationships, and school/work. Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders, with 18% of men and women in the United States reporting at least one depressive episode in their lifetime (Kessler et al, 2005). Depression can be treated successfully in most people using either talk therapy, medication or both.

In today's podcast, Mark and I spoke about how social workers are three times as likely to be depressed as people in the general population. We talked about the personal and professional responsibility social workers have in addressing their depression, and the role that schools of social work, agencies and colleagues have in supporting social workers to get treatment. Mark shared his personal experience with depression, suicidal ideation, and the subsequent hospitalization. We ended our conversation with a discussion about what programs or workshops schools of social work can provide students to address the issue of social workers and depression.

Social Work with Immigrants and Refugees: Interview with Dr. Elaine Congress and Fernando Changy-Muy, J.D.

[Episode 48] In today's podcast, I speak with Dr. Elaine Congress, and Fernando Chang-Muy, JD about their 2008 text from Springer publications, Social Work with Immigrants and Refugees: Legal Issues, Clinical Skills and Advocacy. We talk about why they thought it was important to have legal and social work perspectives in a book on working with immigrants and refugees. We also talk about the interface between social services and legal system, how social workers and lawyers can work together when helping immigrants and refuges, and some of the ways that professionals can advocate for immigrants and refugees at a policy level. Elaine and Fernando ended our conversation with some ideas about how the concepts discussed in today’s podcast and the book can be applied to people who live in countries other than the United States. Related podcast: Listen to Elaine Congress talk about using her visual assessment tool, the Culturagram, when working with immigrants and refugees.

Salary Negotiation: Interview with Cynthia L. Conley, Ph.D.

[Episode 47] Today's podcast is on salary negotiation. Salary negotiation is a topic that is rarely discussed in schools of social work. Yet, for reasons identified in today's podcast, the social work profession as a whole would benefit if social workers negotiated salaries. In today's podcast, I speak with Dr. Cynthia Conley, assistant professor of social work at the School of Social Administration at Temple University. Dr. Conley's research focuses on salary negotiation, the salary gap between men and women social workers, and leadership skills and social work students. Cynthia and I talk about why salary negotiation is an important topic for social workers and some tips for how to negotiate salaries. I ask Cynthia how realistic it is for social workers to negotiate salaries, especially since many social workers take jobs in agencies where salaries are tied to position, rather than the qualifications of the applicant. Cynthia provides some case examples of successful salary negotiation. We end our conversation with a discussion of Cynthia's research on salary negotiation, and some ideas on where salary negotiation fits in the social work curriculum.

Visual Assessment Tools: The Culturagram - Interview with Dr. Elaine Congress

[Episode 46] In today's podcast I speak with Dr. Elaine Congress about her creation, the Culturagram. Elaine and I talk about how and why she developed the culturagram, the ten assessment areas of the culturagram, and how social workers can use the culturagram to improve their services. We end the podcast with a discussion about research and resources about the culturagram.

Dr. Congress has provided a copy of the Culturagram that you can look at while listening to the podcast, or when thinking about your clients. Please see below to view the Culturagram.

New RSS URI for the Podcast

ALERT: The server that I use to host the Social Work Podcast has changed the name of the server. The RSS feed for the podcast is now http://www.socialworkpodcast.com/socialworkpodcast.xml. The old feed URI was: http://ans08.midphase.com/~socisin6/socialworkpodcast.xml. I have alerted iTunes and the feed should be updated by December 3, 2008. The feed has been updated in Feedburner. If you use subscribe to the podcast using a program other than iTunes, please change your feed to http://www.socialworkpodcast.com/socialworkpodcast.xml.

UPDATE December 7, 2008: iTunes has not yet updated the podcast. The last podcast listed on iTunes is my interview with Shaun Eack, Ph.D. about schizophrenia. If you are an iTunes subscriber, please listen to the podcasts from the site or right-click to download to your computer. The subsequent podcasts will be included in iTunes once the RSS feed update has been resolved... which I hope will be soon. Thanks for your patience.

UPDATE December 19, 2008: iTunes has updated the podcast. All feeds have been updated. Thanks for your patience.

Jonathan

Schizophrenia and Social Work: Interview with Shaun Eack, Ph.D.

[Episode 45] In today's podcast, I speak with Shaun Eack about schizophrenia and social work. We talk about some basic information that social workers need to know about the diagnosis of schizophrenia; Shaun identifies and describes the positive, negative and cognitive symptoms that are often present in people with schizophrenia. Around 13 minutes into the conversation we switch the focus from diagnosis to the role of the social worker in working with people with schizophrenia. We end our conversation with a discussion of treatment approaches, including a new approach that addresses cognitive content.

Measurement in clinical practice and research (Part II): Interview with Dr. Mary Rauktis

[Episode 44] Today’s podcast is the second in a two part series on measurement for clinical practice and research. In today's podcast I speak with Dr. Mary Rauktis about the difference between measurement in the field and measurement in research settings. We talk about some of the ways that social workers can think about measurement as a tool to improve clinical practice, and some ways that social workers in the field can develop measures that will really benefit their clients. We talk about some of the challenges social workers have using measurement tools because of how rarely measures are integrated into social work courses. We talk about some ideas for how to better integrate measurement into social work education, particularly beyond the required research classes. We end Part II with a discussion of some resources for social workers interested in learning more about measurement.

In Part I, Mary and I spoke about about how she became interested in measurement; some key concepts needed to understand measurement including reliability, validity and error; and how to understand measures used in research articles.

Results of the October 2008 Poll

The results from the latest Social Work Podcast poll are in. Twenty-two of you rated your level of agreement with the following statement: My clinical skills have improved from listening to the Social Work Podcast. Fifty percent (11) strongly agreed, 27% (6) agreed, 13% (2)neither agreed nor disagreed, and 8% (2) disagreed or strongly disagreed.

I am honored and pleased that over 77%of you reported that the podcast has improved your clinical skills. My hope is that improved skills will result in better services for our clients. I am also aware that the podcasts have a distinct clinical bias; future podcasts will address topics more relevant to community organizing and administration.

Thanks for participating. Please visit again to participate in November's poll.

Measurement in Clinical Practice and Research (Part I): Interview with Dr. Mary Rauktis

[Episode 43] Today’s podcast is the first in a two part series on measurement for clinical practice and research. In today's podcast I speak with Dr. Mary Rauktis about how she became interested in measurement; some key concepts needed to understand measurement including reliability, validity and error; and how to understand measures used in research articles.

In part two of the podcast we talk about the difference between measurement in the field and measurement in research settings. We talk about some of the ways that social workers can think about measurement as a tool to improve clinical practice, and some ways that social workers in the field can develop measures that will really benefit their clients. We talk about some of the challenges social workers have using measurement tools because of how rarely measures are integrated into social work courses. We talk about some ideas for how to better integrate measurement into social work education, particularly beyond the required research classes. We end Part II with a discussion of some resources for social workers interested in learning more about measurement.

Update - the Social Work Podcast is back!

[Update] On June 30th 2008, I posted an interview with Kia Bentley about how residents of an in-patient psychiatric facility made meaning out of medication. It was the 42nd episode in 17 months and the Social Work Podcast was going strong. But, as many of you have noticed, it has been three months since the last podcast. I’ve received quite a few emails from you that have asked essentially the same thing - Jonathan – what happened with the podcast? Well, after I posted the podcast with Kia Bentley I packed up my house in Pittsburgh, PA and moved across the state to Philadelphia. So, although my move to Philadelphia didn’t come as surprise, I was surprised at how quickly time passed. I want to give you a brief update of what's been going on and what is in store for the podcast.

Download MP3 [5:31]

For those of you who live and listen outside of the United States, and Google Analytics tells me that there are quite a few thousand of you, I wanted to tell you a little something about my new hometown. Philadelphia was founded in 1682 by William Penn, an English Quaker. Philadelphia is known as the city of brotherly love in honor of its Quaker roots. I’ve heard it said that the Quakers came to Philadelphia to do good, and ended up doing very well. Philadelphia is where the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. It is home to the Liberty Bell, Philly Cheesesteaks, Benjamin Franklin, and of course Will Smith. The greater Philadelphia region is home to a number of accredited schools of social work, including Temple University, University of Pennsylvania, Bryn Mawr, West Chester, Widener, LaSalle, and probably some others I haven’t yet heard about. And, uh, The Council on Social Work Education, the accrediting body for schools of social work in the United States is hosting the 54th annual program meeting at the end of October right here in Philadelphia. At this point you’re probably thinking that today’s podcast has been underwritten by the Philadelphia’s visitor’s bureau. I can assure you they have no idea what I’m doing.

An interesting thing happened when the Social Work Podcast took this unexpected break. Podcasting for social work grew in popularity. The National Association of Social Workers posted the first episode of what I hope will become an invaluable podcast resource for social workers. The University of Buffalo School of Social Work started what promises to be a very interesting interview series.

The number of listeners to this podcast jumped from a weekly average of 73 to 147. Anthony M. Schembri published an editorial in Australian Social Work mentioning the Social Work Podcast as an example of how social workers can incorporate technology into social work education and practice. The Social Work Podcast will be mentioned in two upcoming publications, one by Dr. James Drisko, professor of social work at Smith College, and one by yours truly in the soon to be published second edition of the Social Workers’ Desk Reference.

All of the attention is nice, but let’s be honest the social work podcast isn’t a popularity contest, it is a resource for social workers. It is a place where you can get top quality information about topics that will make you a better social worker. So, I’m dusting off some episodes that I’ve been meaning to post for months now, and getting things rolling again. On Monday, October 6th I’m going to post the first of a two part interview with Mary Rauktis about measurement for clinical practice and research. In November I’m going to post an interview with Shaun Eack on schizophrenia. Before the year is out I will post podcasts on Miller and Rollnick’s Motivational Interviewing, the DSM diagnosis Borderline Personality Disorder, and Technology and clinical social work practice. As always I invite your suggestions for podcast topics. If you have expertise in something that social workers should know about and would like to write an episode for the Social Work Podcast, please contact me to talk about the details.

So, to the over 26,000 people who have listened to the Social Work Podcast since January 2007, thanks for your patience. Thanks also to those of you who have purchased social work podcast gear at our CafePress.com store. I’ve posted a new poll on the Social Work Podcast website at http://socialworkpodcast.com asking you if your clinical skills have improved from listening to the social work podcast. Please visit the site and let me know what you think - and thanks for listening.

Making Meaning out of Medication: Interview with Kia J. Bentley, Ph.D.

[Episode 42] Today’s podcast is the third of three interviews with Kia J. Bentley on psychopharmacotherapy. Kia J. Bentley is Professor of social work at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond Virginia and has published extensively in the area of psychopharmacotherapy (see references below). Psychopharmacotherapy refers to the treatment of psychiatric disorders with the use of medication. But, as Kia pointed out in our interview, psychopharmacotherapy is not just about giving people medication and calling it a day. It is an approach to treatment that acknowledges the strengths and limitations of medications.

In today’s podcast, Kia talked about a recent, and as of this date unpublished, study she did on the meaning that residents of an in-patient psychiatric facility made out of medication. Kia’s study was qualitative, meaning that she analyzed the text of interviews and drawings from the residents. One of the purposes of qualitative research is to develop a deeper understanding of the meanings that people make out of their lives and experiences. Our conversation turned out to be not only a fascinating view into the meanings that the residents made of medication, but it was also a wonderful sketch of Kia’s process of making meaning out of the interviews and drawings. In qualitative research, the researcher is the analytical tool, and Kia’s struggles with making sense of these meanings is central to qualitative inquiry.

Best Practices and Resources for Psychopharmacotherapy: Interview with Kia J. Bentley, Ph.D.

[Episode 41] Today’s podcast is the second of three interviews with Kia J. Bentley on psychopharmacotherapy. Kia J. Bentley is Professor of social work at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond Virginia and has published extensively in the area of psychopharmacotherapy (see references below). Psychopharmacotherapy refers to the treatment of psychiatric disorders with the use of medication. But, as Kia pointed out in our interview, psychopharmacotherapy is not just about giving people medication and calling it a day. It is an approach to treatment that acknowledges the strengths and limitations of medications.

In today’s podcast, Kia talks about best practices for referring clients for psychiatric medications, resources for social workers interested in learning more about psychopharmacotherapy and how social workers can think critically about psychopharmacotherapy for both adults and children. In the first interview, Kia and I talked about key concepts and the role that social workers can play in psychopharmacotherapy. In the third interview, Kia talks about a recent qualitative research study she did to explore the meaning that medication had for residents in a psychiatric facility.

Psychopharmacotherapy and Social Work: Interview with Kia J. Bentley, Ph.D.

[Episode 40] Today’s podcast is the first of three interviews with Kia J. Bentley on psychopharmacotherapy. Kia J. Bentley is Professor of social work at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond Virginia and has published extensively in the area of psychopharmacotherapy (see references below). Psychopharmacotherapy refers to the treatment of psychiatric disorders with the use of medication. But, as Kia pointed out in our interview, psychopharmacotherapy is not just about giving people medication and calling it a day. It is an approach to treatment that acknowledges the strengths and limitations of medications.

In today's podcast, we talked about why social workers should be familiar with psychopharmacotherapy, legal and ethical limitations of social workers discussing medications with clients, some challenges social workers might have with agency policy around medications, and the role of social workers on a treatment team. The second interview focuses on best practices for referring clients for psychiatric medications, resources for social workers interested in learning more about psychopharmacotherapy and how social workers can think critically about psychopharmacotherapy for both adults and children. In the third interview, Kia talks about a recent qualitative research study she did to explore the meaning that medication had for residents in a psychiatric facility.

The Birth of "Rubin and Babbie" and Other Stories: Interview with Allen Rubin, Ph.D.

[Episode 39] In this episode of the social work podcast, I continue my conversation with author Dr. Allen Rubin. We talked about how he came to co-author Research Methods for Social Work (the most widely used social work research text) and his most recent text - Practitioner's Guide to Using Research for Evidence-Based Practice. We talked about one of his current research projects - the development of a scale that can be used to evaluate how well social workers are learning evidence-based practice. We ended our conversation with Allen talking about a series of books he is co-editing with David Springer that will have practical "how-to" chapters on evidence-based approaches to today's most important clinical issues.

Advice for young social work investigators: Interview with Allen Rubin, Ph.D.

[Episode 38] In today's podcast, I continue my conversation with Dr. Allen Rubin about social work research. Allen shared his advice for young social work investigators - that is social work researchers who are just starting out in their career as researchers. Allen talks about the value of getting a postdoc, the importance of getting hooked up with a federally-funded investigator for social workers interested doing federally-funded research, having good relationships with social work agencies, and the challenges of actually doing social work research. Allen shared his thoughts on the problems with so-called hot methodologies and the realities of pursuing federal funding.

Social Work Research for Practitioners: Interview with Allen Rubin, Ph.D.

[Episode 37] In today's podcast, I talked with Dr. Allen Rubin about research and social work practice. You might recognize the name Rubin from the widely used social work research text "Rubin and Babbie," or as it is officially known, Research Methods for Social Work. In addition to the Rubin and Babbie text, he has authored well over 100 publications, most recently focusing on evidence-based practice.

Since so many of us have learned research from the Rubin and Babbie text, myself included, I thought it would be appropriate to interview Allen for the first social work podcast on social work research. I'm excited about offering a series on social work research because research is essential to good social work practice. Most practitioners I know have an impressive command of assessment, diagnosis, intervention and the myriad of factors that go into providing services to clients. These same practitioners get fairly lost in even the most basic research articles and couldn't distinguish an ANOVA from a logistic regression to save their life. So, I thought I would take this opportunity to find out what research concepts Allen Rubin thought were essential for social work practitioners to understand.

Race and Social Problems: Interview with Dean Larry E. Davis

[Episode 36] Today's podcast is on Race and Social Problems. On January 15, 2008, I spoke with Dr. Larry E. Davis, Dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh, the Donald M. Henderson Professor, and Director of the Center on Race and Social Problems. In our conversation, Dean Davis defined racism, the role of race in understanding social problems, and about how issues of race may or may not change as the percentage of whites in the United States continues to decrease discussed. We talked about some of the racial and gender issues in the current election and talked about how race is different from gender as a point of diversity. We also talked about race and social work, and what social workers can do to fight racism. We ended our conversation with a discussion of the Center on Race and Social Problems and what the Center is doing to fight racism.

Client Violence: Interview with Dr. Christina Newhill

[Episode 35] In today's podcast, I talk with Dr. Christina Newhill, a nationally recognized expert on client violence and the author of Client Violence in Social Work Practice: Prevention, Intervention, and Research, published in 2003 by The Guilford Press. In today’s podcast, Dr. Newhill defines client violence, talks about why social workers should be concerned with client violence and identifies which social workers are at greater risk for violence. She discusses some ways to assess a client’s potential for violence, how to intervene with a violent or potentially violent client, and identifies some strategies for increasing worker safety. We end our interview with information about existing research and resources for social work educators.

One Year Anniversary: Interview with Jonathan Singer

[Episode 34] Today's podcast is a bit of a departure from the norm. Instead of doing a podcast on social work, we're doing a podcast on... the social work podcast. There are two reasons for this rather unusual topic. First, it is a way of celebrating the one year anniversary of the Social Work Podcast; The podcast started in February 2007 as a way to help students learn, but has grown into a resource for social workers at all stages of their careers. Second, UT-Austin's School of Social Work wanted to do an article on me because I am an alum of their social work program. Rather than doing a traditional interview over the phone, I suggested we do a podcast (big surprise, right?). Interviewing me today is Jennifer Luna-Iduñate, Director of the DiNitto Center for Career Services and Alumni Relations at the University of Texas at Austin's School of Social Work. In today's interview Jennifer and I talked about how the podcast got started, the goal of the podcast, how success is measured and what are some goals for the podcast. I thought this podcast was another example of how technology can be used to enhance communication and connection. Special thanks to Laura Wells and John Trapp at UT-Austin for the technical help in getting the interview together.


Download MP3 [29:24]

The Social Work Podcast has had a very successful first year. I consider it a success because, without advertising or promotion other than word of mouth,the number of visitors and downloads has increased significantly over the year. According to Google Analytics, a free webmetrics program, the social work podcast website has had almost 13,000 visitors – almost 10,000 unique visitors, who have viewed 25,000 pages, and downloaded over 250 gigabytes of podcasts. According to iTunes, the Social Work Podcast is the number one podcast on social work-related topics.

The most popular podcasts are on cognitive behavioral theory, developing treatment plans, person-centered therapy and DSM for social workers. People have accessed the podcast from all 50 states and the district of Columbia, and 113 additional countries and territories. Not surprisingly the most number of visitors have come from English speaking countries. But, there have also been visitors from Israel, Germany, Malaysia, Iran, Pakistan, Finland, etc.

Because the podcast is accessed internationally, it really makes me think more about how I’m contextualizing the podcasts. I’m more aware of how some topics might be very different in different parts of the country and different parts of the world. Perhaps one day we’ll have comparative podcasts, for example social workers in New Zealand, Canada, Great Britain and the USA talking about what is similar and different with case management and service coordination.

Click here if you are interested in seeing a pdf file of some of the Google Analytic statistics for the Social Work Podcast, February 18, 2007 - February 18, 2008.

APA (5th ed) citation for this podcast:

Singer, J. B. (Host). (2008, February 19). One year anniversary: Interview with Jonathan Singer [Episode 34]. Social Work Podcast. Podcast retrieved Month Day, Year, from http://socialworkpodcast.com/2008/02/one-year-anniversary-interview-with.html

Phone Supervision (Part III): Interview with Jody Bechtold

[Episode 33] Today’s podcast is the last in a three part series on phone supervision. In Part I and Part II I spoke with Simon Feuerman and Melissa Groman about their experiences of providing phone supervision and consultation. In today’s interview I speak with Jody Bechtold about her experience receiving phone supervision as part of her process of becoming a Nationally Certified Gambling Counselor. We talked about the process she went through to find phone supervision, some of the pros and cons and likes and dislikes. Jody contrasted phone supervision with face-to-face supervision and talked about phone supervision etiquette.


Download MP3 [15:53]

There were some interesting similarities and differences between Jody's comments on Phone Supervision and those of Simon and Melissa. Compared to the phone consultation provided by Simon and Melissa, Jody’s phone supervision was very structured and targeted. Still, her description of the experience of phone supervision, and the apparent benefits of phone supervision to provide a focused and convenient forum for developing advanced clinical skills, was nearly identical to the description provided by Simon and Melissa, despite the fact that Simon and Melissa are the providers and work almost exclusively with clinicians who are not working towards advanced clinical license. The most significant difference was that Jody advocated for a very structured format with required pre-session reading, whereas Simon and Melissa described a more process oriented group, one that is probably more appropriate for the types of clinicians with whom they work.

APA (5th ed) citation for this podcast:

Singer, J. B. (Host). (2008, February 18). Phone supervision (Part III): Interview with Jody Bechtold [Episode 33]. Social Work Podcast. Podcast retrieved Month Day, Year, from
http://socialworkpodcast.com/2008/02/phone-supervision-part-iii-interview.html