Provides information on all things social work, including direct practice (both clinical and community organizing), research, policy, education... and everything in between.
[Episode 139] In today's episode, I speak with Tia Dole, PhD, Chief 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Officer, about updates to 988. We talk about how 988 provides services to Deaf and hard of hearing people, crisis support in Spanish, and the September 17, 2024 launch of geo-routing for T-Mobile and Verizon customers. We talk about how geo-routing is different than geo-location, and what people should know about contacting 988 in a suicidal crisis.
At the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, we understand that life's challenges can sometimes be difficult. Whether you're facing mental health struggles, emotional distress, alcohol or drug use concerns, or just need someone to talk to, our caring counselors are here for you. You are not alone.
[Episode 138] Today's episode is an interview with Dr. Patricia Gianotti, Academic Director of The Institute for Advanced Psychotherapy at Loyola University Chicago. Patricia and I speak about the neurobiology of shame, why depth work is
important, and how to think about human complexity in a therapeutic
context. She emphasizes the impact of attachment failures on a person's
sense of self and the role of shame in therapy. She explains the concept
of loyalty contracts and how they shape individuals' beliefs and
behaviors. She underscores the power of psychodynamic techniques in
uncovering and addressing these dynamics. Throughout the conversation,
she highlights the hope and resilience that can be found in therapy.
The Institute for Advanced Psychotherapy at Loyola University Chicago offers a yearlong certificate program for licensed professionals, aimed at enhancing clinical skills through an integrative training method. The program incorporates advances in trauma and neuropsychological research within a framework rooted in attachment theory. Participants engage in onsite residencies that last three full days each, featuring hands-on training by nationally acclaimed faculty. In between residencies, distance learning continues through monthly 90-minute case consultation meetings and bimonthly live webinars. The program is approved for CEU Credit by the APA and NASW, and awards a total of 72 credit hours. To learn more, please visit https://www.luc-iap.com/
[Episode 137] In today's Social Work Podcast, I speak with ChatGPT-4o about the role of AI in child welfare and community organizing and how we can use Bronfenbrenner's ecosystems framework and an antiracist perspective. That's right. I'm interviewing OpenAI's LLM, ChatGPT-4o.
On May 13th, 2024, OpenAI released the Omni version of ChatGPT4. This was a big step forward in processing speed. You could input video audio sort of visuals data all sorts of things and it could analyze it almost in real time. I've been playing around with ChatGpt-4, the earlier version, and you know talking to it on the app and there was always a significant delay as it was thinking through things and kind of coming up with a response. But the Omni version, the response is basically in real time, and I thought what better moment than now to interview ChatGPT, because you'll hear a little bit of the thinking, right? It’ll be a slight delay but no more than you would for any live human guests on the social work podcast.
Unlike a human guest, I didn't have to coordinate schedules. All I did was I took my phone, I clicked on the app, I hit the little headset icon which activated the voice input, and I held up my phone to my microphone so that I was recording my voice like I am now, and then ChatGPT just coming right out of my phone into the speaker. So, it's good audio. it's not rich deep audio like I like to have, but you know when you record over Zoom or Skype or any of the other things that I've done in the past again it's not pristine audio either, but it's pretty good
This is the first time I've interviewed a chatbot. I'd love to hear your thoughts about the interview. Please text me or leave a voicemail for me at (215) 948-2456. If you leave a voicemail, please let me know if you're ok with me including your message as part of a follow-up podcast episode.
[Episode 136] In today's Social Work Podcast, we speak with Allan Cole about his experiences with Young-Onset Parkinson's Disease.
Parkinson's Disease affects nearly 1 million people in the United States and more than 6 million people worldwide. It is a a progressive neurological disorder that primarily affects movement. I’m releasing this episode in April because April is Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month, chosen because it is the birth month of James Parkinson, who first identified the symptoms of Parkinson's disease more than 200 years ago.
Full disclosure – before this episode I knew that my childhood hero Muhammad Ali and the actor Michael J. Fox had Parkinson’s, but I didn’t know they had Young Onset Parkison’s Disease. I also assumed that it was a terminal illness that significantly decreased your lifespan like Multiple Sclerosis (MS) (https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/multiple-sclerosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20350269) and ALS (aka Lou Gehrig’s Disease). I was wrong.
And that’s why I spoke with Allan Cole, a person who lives with Young-Onset Parkinson's Disease. He also serves as the Dean of the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin. And, as you’ll hear in today’s episode, Allan's personal and professional journey is one of vulnerability and profound empathy, qualities that resonate deeply within the social work community.
In today’s episode, Allan shares his personal journey with Young-Onset Parkinson’s Disease, acknowledging diversity of experiences people have with Parkinson’s. We explore the emotional landscape of receiving a Parkinson's diagnosis, the misconceptions surrounding the disease, the difference between disease and illness, living well with Parkinson’s, the need for more research and awareness, what social workers should know about working with people with Parkinson’s Disease, and the importance of empathy and support in navigating its challenges. I appreciated how Allan spoke about his journey in the context of his many privileges, acknowledging that his ability to be vulnerable was a manifestation of his privilege.
In the years since his diagnosis, much of Allan’s scholarship and advocacy has centered around caring for people living with Parkinson’s disease. He has written or edited several texts on Parkinson’s disease, including the 2021 Oxford University Press book, Counseling Persons with Parkinson’s Disease, and two books on lessons learned from Parkison’s Disease: Discerning the Way (Cascade, 2021), and Jumping to the Skies (Cascade, 2023). He also has two books of poetry, Riding the Wave (Resource Publications, 2023) and In the Care of Plenty (Resource Publications, 2021). He moderates a website called PDWise.com, a hub he created for sharing personal stories, experiences, and wisdom gained from living with Parkinson’s, which encourages personal connections and opportunities for learning.
Hey there podcast listeners Jonathan here. I am humbled and honored to let you know that I have been selected as one of 25 Social Work Pioneers for starting the first podcast by and for social workers. The NASW Social Work Pioneers® program celebrates some of the most influential social workers in the nation.
There is no way I would have been considered for this prestigious honor had it not been for you, the long time devoted listeners of the social work podcast. You have welcomed me into your morning and evening commutes, bus rides to class, your workouts, and wherever you learn on the go.
When I started the podcast in 2007, I hoped that a handful of social work students would find my summaries of practice theories useful. I handed out social work podcast bookmarks and gave workshops at social work conferences to let folks know what a podcast was. Fifteen years later, episodes have been assigned to hundreds of thousands of students and downloaded millions of times. There are now dozens of social work related podcasts all around the world, including Dave Niven's Social World Podcast from the UK. Mim Fox and Ben Joseph in Australia have been doing amazing work with co-construction of podcast episodes. And of course, Shimon Cohen's Doin the Work Podcast right here in the USA.
I want to thank the folks who nominated and wrote letters of support including social work pioneer Linda Grobman, publisher of the New Social Worker magazine. Jennifer Luna, who you'll hear from in a forthcoming episode about building your social work brand and who interviewed me 14 years ago for the one-year anniversary of the Social Work Podcast. And Allan Barsky, social work professor at Florida international University whom I've had on the podcast several times talking about ethics and social work.
To learn more about this year's inductees into the social work hall of fame, you can go to NASW's website or search NASW social work pioneers.
Again, thank you for all of your support throughout the years. I'm truly honored. But don't think this means I'm going away. I have a bunch of really exciting episodes coming out this year. Thanks for listening.
[Episode 135] Today’s episode is the second of a two-part series with Lisa Damour about her 2023 book, The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents. In today’s episode, Lisa and I talk about how decades of research on the gender binary can provide
insight into the emotional lives of adolescents across the gender spectrum. We talk about intersection of race and gender. We end our conversation talking about how it is important to help teens express their emotions, but perhaps more important to help them regain control.
In Part 1, we talked about the difference between adolescent distress and adolescent mental illness, how the COVID-19 pandemic made it more difficult for parents to distinguish between normative adolescent distress or pandemic-related mental health concerns. She talks about the most destructive myth that is out there about adolescent mental health and what we as parents, professional and a society can do about that. Along the way Lisa shared some practical tips about to manage a teenage meltdown, a story about swimming pools, and she encourages us to think
critically about the research that is being done on adolescent mental
health and how the news media is portraying adolescent distress.
[Episode 134] Today’s episode is the first of a two-part series with Lisa Damour about her 2023 book, The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents. In today’s episode we talk about the difference between adolescent distress and adolescent mental illness, how the COVID-19 pandemic made it more difficult for parents to distinguish between normative adolescent distress or pandemic-related mental health concerns. She talks about the most destructive myth that is out there about adolescent mental health and what we as parents, professional and a society can do about that. Along the way Lisa shared some practical tips about to manage a teenage meltdown, a story about swimming pools, and she encourages us to think critically about the research that is being done on adolescent mental health and how the news media is portraying adolescent distress.
In Part 2, we’ll talk about how decades of research on the gender binary can provide insight into the emotional lives of adolescents across the gender spectrum. We’ll talk about intersection of race and gender. We’ll end our conversation talking about how it is important to help teens express their emotions, but perhaps more important to help them regain control.
[Episode 133] Today's episode of the Social Work Podcast is an interview with Joel L. Rubin, MSW, LSW, ACSW, CAE about the legislative process that NASW-IL went through to eliminate the requirement that BSW and MSW graduates from accredited social work programs in Illinois had to take the ASWB licensing exam in order to get their LSW.
Joel has served as the Executive Director of the 5,000 member Illinois Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) since October of 1999.
He shares the story about how and why the legislation changed. We talked about how the legislative process works, from connecting with other social
workers online about pressing issues, to reaching out to NASW staff and
volunteer board members, supporting prospective legislative candidates,
meeting with your elected officials and how NASW state chapters serve as
a resource for social workers and legislators.
[Episode 132] Today's episode of the Social Work Podcast is an interview with Stacey Freedenthal, Ph.D., LCSW about her book Loving Someone with Suicidal Thoughts: What Family, Friends, and Partners Can Say and Do (New Harbinger Publications, 2023). Stacey and I talk about how she drew on her personal and professional experiences to write a book for families, friends and parents of someone who is suicidal. She talks about why and how families can create support teams, when and why it might not be appropriate to reach out to others, and how to navigate reaching out even when the suicidal person doesn't want you to. We talked about how to find support on social networks like Facebook. She talks about how friends and family can feel manipulated by a suicidal loved one, even if the suicidal person isn't being manipulative. Throughout the interview, Stacey speaks to families AND social workers.
Dr. Freedenthal is an associate professor at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work, and a psychotherapist in private practice. She lives in Denver, CO, with her husband and their collection of cats.
So, so great to talk w/@socworkpodcast today abt my book Loving Someone w/Suicidal Thoughts. We had a rich conversation abt different things friends & family experience, like fear & guilt, *feeling * manipulated, secrecy vs. getting support, hope & recovery, & also how to help. pic.twitter.com/H3oZ2MAvOL
[Episode 131] In today's episode, I speak with Scott Miller, Ph.D. about how we can use feedback to improve client outcomes. Scott is one of the developers of Feedback Informed Treatment, or FIT - an "empirically supported, pantheoretical approach for evaluating and improving the quality and effectiveness of behavioral health services. It involves routinely and formally soliciting feedback from clients regarding the therapeutic alliance," client outcomes, and using that information to improve services (https://centerforclinicalexcellence.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/FIT-what-is-it-2020.pdf).
