In this episode of Social Work Talks, we discuss cannabis use and the impact it has on pregnancy and help social workers bring awareness to women who are pregnant and using cannabis. Joining us today is Dr. Roger Zoorob, the Richard M. Kleberg, senior Professor and chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. And we have Dr. Mary Velasquez, Centennial Professor and Leadership for Community Professional and Corporate Excellence, and Director of the Health Behavior Research and Training Institute at the University of Texas at Austin, Steve Hicks School of Social Work.
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EP 127: Understanding Traumatic Grief
Grief and trauma are universal experiences and, as social workers, we know these issues will show up in our work, no matter our practice area. Grief is an inevitable part of life—but trauma can make the grieving process much more complex. That’s where the Wendt Center for Loss and Healing comes in. With decades of experience, they provide critical support to individuals and communities navigating the intersection of grief and trauma. Since 1975, the Wendt Center has been a lifeline for people in the Greater Washington area, helping them rebuild a sense of safety and hope after loss, illness, violence, or other trauma. Nationally recognized for their expertise, they offer specialized support to children, adults, families, and communities, helping them heal from life’s most challenging experiences. In this episode, we sit down with Melissa Sellevaag, LICSW, who leads the Wendt Center’s Training Institute, to discuss how mental health professionals and allied workers can increase their capacity and confidence to support those impacted by grief and trauma. Don’t miss this insightful conversation on a critical topic that touches us all.
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EP 126: Established and Emerging Practices in Public Defender Social Work
In NASW’s latest episode of Social Work Talks, sponsored by Illinois Department of DCFS, we converse with the Maryland Office of Public Defenders about their Office of Reentry Services. With the help of social workers on staff, it focuses on helping incarcerated individuals re-enter society—and provides them with resources so they can get a fresh start in becoming productive members of their communities. This is thanks to the help of the Second Chance Act. Tune in, learn, and share.
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EP 125: Forever Family for Children in Foster Care
For more than 30 years, Rita Soronen, President and CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption has worked on behalf of abused, neglected and vulnerable children, providing leadership for local, state and national efforts working to improve the juvenile justice and child welfare systems. Leading the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, a national, nonprofit public charity, since 2001 and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption-Canada since 2004, Ms. Soronen works to find forever families for the more than 140,000 waiting children in North America’s foster care systems.
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EP 124: Fractured Families: When to Stay and When to Go
Imagine this scene. You are sitting in your office when a call comes in. A man and his wife are on the line. The wife says she was given your name from someone who thought you could help. Their adult children have not spoken to them for 10 months. They have pleaded, cajoled, and apologized for all past transgressions hoping they can make amends and, yet no amount of remorse can stop the pain of being disconnected. The husband says, “We miss our children. We miss our grandchildren. What can we do?” This scenario is an example of an emotional cut-off. Family disengagement and emotional splinters are trending upward for a variety of reasons. Our special guest, Margaret Otto, LSCSW and co-founder and director of KC Center for Families and Organizational Systems, offers insight regarding understanding the dynamics associated with emotional cut-offs and how they precipitate transgenerational impact.
NASW Social Work Talks informs, educates and inspires through conversations with experts and exploring issues that social work professionals care about. Brought to you by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).
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