Doin' The Work: Frontline Stories of Social Change

Episode 66 Guest: Amanda Wallace, BSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Doin' The Work is offering our Racial Justice & Liberatory Practice Continuing Education Series through several of our partner universities. Go to https://dointhework.com/continuing-education to learn more and register. We hope you will join us! Thank you to this episode's sponsor! The University of Houston has a phenomenal social work program that offers face-to-face master's and doctorate degrees, as well as an online and hybrid MSW. They offer one of the country's only Political Social Work programs and an Abolitionist Focused Learning Opportunity. Located in the heart of Houston, the program is guided by their bold vision to achieve social, racial, economic, and political justice, local to global. In the classroom and through research, they are committed to challenging systems and reimagining ways to achieve justice and liberation. Go to http://www.uh.edu/socialwork to learn more. In this episode, I talk with Amanda Wallace, who is the Founder and Executive Director of Operation Stop CPS, based in Durham, North Carolina. We talk about how the family policing system surveils and regulates families, especially Black families, under the guise of child protection. Amanda shares how she worked in child protective services for 10 years, with the original good intentions of helping, but realized the harm that was being done to children and families. As she began to advocate for change within that system, specifically providing parents with information about their rights and how the system works, she faced retaliation and lost her job. Amanda discusses the work of Operation Stop CPS, how they intervene to assist families being affected by the system, families who have had their children taken from them — family separation — and families facing this state-sanctioned kidnapping. Amanda explains how this system is rooted in anti-Black racism, both historically and present-day. She shares the hope of building a movement to end family policing while providing the needed education, advocacy, and support for families right now. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. Instagram operationstopcps Facebook OperationStopCPS www.operationstopcps.com Invest www.operationstopcps.com/donate

Episode 65 Guest: Dawn Belkin Martinez, PhD, LICSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Doin' The Work is offering our Racial Justice & Liberatory Practice Continuing Education Series through several of our partner universities. Go to https://dointhework.com/continuing-education to learn more and register. We hope you will join us! Thank you to this episode's sponsor! The University of Houston has a phenomenal social work program that offers face-to-face master's and doctorate degrees, as well as an online and hybrid MSW. They offer one of the country's only Political Social Work programs and an Abolitionist Focused Learning Opportunity. Located in the heart of Houston, the program is guided by their bold vision to achieve social, racial, economic, and political justice, local to global. In the classroom and through research, they are committed to challenging systems and reimagining ways to achieve justice and liberation. Go to http://www.uh.edu/socialwork to learn more. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Dawn Belkin Martinez, who is the Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion and a Clinical Professor at Boston University School of Social Work. Dr. Martinez explains the Liberation Health Model, which she co-created, as an approach that utilizes a sociopolitical framework for assessment of what is causing problems for people, and intervention techniques to help them live better. She shares the incredibly interesting history of the model, which started in a hospital inpatient psych unit in collaboration with patients and their families. You need to hear the story directly from her, but the model is rooted in a mix of transformative liberatory approaches Brazilian mental health practitioners were using at the time, as well as radical counseling and social work, Black feminism, and Marxist theory that Dr. Martinez, Nelson Ochoa, and colleagues studied together. Dr. Martinez breaks down how to use the model, explaining the assessment process using what is called the Liberation Health Triangle, and intervention tools and techniques, such as deconstructing dominant worldview messages and rescuing the historical memory of change. She shares examples and stories from her own experience applying the model. In addition to the sociopolitical analysis, assessment, and intervention techniques, I love how the model encourages practitioners to engage with clients in ways that feel much more authentic, the transformative approach of action for change once clients feel ready, and how it is deeply rooted in collective liberation. Additionally, it is flexible enough to incorporate various approaches within the model, as long as they are connected to the larger approach. Dr. Martinez and I get into all of this, as well as how to learn more and get involved. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. www.bostonliberationhealth.org Email dawnbm@bu.edu

Episode 64 Guests: Ashleigh Washington, JD & Ruth Cusick, JD Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Doin' The Work is offering our Racial Justice & Liberatory Practice Continuing Education Series through several of our partner universities. Go to https://dointhework.com/continuing-education to learn more and register. We hope you will join us! Thank you to this episode's sponsor! The University of Houston has a phenomenal social work program that offers face-to-face master's and doctorate degrees, as well as an online and hybrid MSW. They offer one of the country's only Political Social Work programs and an Abolitionist Focused Learning Opportunity. Located in the heart of Houston, the program is guided by their bold vision to achieve social, racial, economic, and political justice, local to global. In the classroom and through research, they are committed to challenging systems and reimagining ways to achieve justice and liberation. Go to http://www.uh.edu/socialwork to learn more. In this episode, I talk with Ashleigh Washington and Ruth Cusick, both co-founders of C4LL, The Collective for Liberatory Lawyering, about their work as movement lawyers to end the school-to-prison pipeline. I did a previous episode with C4LL collective member, Nicole Bates, and organizers Jewel Patterson at COPE and Edgar Ibarria at CADRE, where we focused more on the organizing approach, but in this episode, we get more into the movement lawyering work. Ashleigh and Ruth talk about how they use legal strategies in conjunction with organizing models and push the legal profession to use legal work in service of community liberation. They discuss how law and policy can be used as part of a larger organizing strategy to improve the material conditions for Black, Brown, Indigenous, disabled, and other marginalized students and families. They explain, using examples, how policy change is often not enough, without an organizing approach to ensure the policy change is upheld, as well as addressing harm that happens yet is considered legal. Ashleigh and Ruth talk about their shift from working in legal direct services, representing students and families being negatively impacted by the school-to-prison pipeline to their shift to movement lawyering in coalition with organizers, and the distinction between civil rights and education as a human right, where power must be built not just from a legal framework, but from a community shared-governance power model. They get into specific examples of how they respond when anti-Black racist harm is done in schools. Ashleigh and Ruth explain their new interdisciplinary practice approach called Barefoot Lawyering. They also share what is happening with LA Police Free Schools. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. www.c4ll-ca.org IG liberatorylawyersca LinkedIn @The Collective for Liberatory Lawyering Police Free LAUSD Coalition Report From Criminalization to Education: A Community Vision for Safe Schools in LAUSD

Episode 63 Guest: Yoosun Park, MSW, PhD Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Doin' The Work is offering our Racial Justice & Liberatory Practice Continuing Education Series through several of our partner universities. Go to https://dointhework.com/online-education/ to learn more and register. We hope you will join us! Thank you to this episode's sponsor! The University of Houston has a phenomenal social work program that offers face-to-face master's and doctorate degrees, as well as an online and hybrid MSW. They offer one of the country's only Political Social Work programs and an Abolitionist Focused Learning Opportunity. Located in the heart of Houston, the program is guided by their bold vision to achieve social, racial, economic, and political justice, local to global. In the classroom and through research, they are committed to challenging systems and reimagining ways to achieve justice and liberation. Go to http://www.uh.edu/socialwork to learn more. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Yoosun Park, who is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Policy & Practice at the University of Pennsylvania. We talk about her article, co-authored with Michael Reisch, entitled: To “Elevate, Humanize, Christianize, Americanize”: Social Work, White Supremacy, and the Americanization Movement, 1880–1930, in the October 2022 issue of Social Service Review. I cannot say enough about the level of research and analysis in this article. We are very fortunate because the article is going to become a book. Dr. Park explains the key points of the article: how social work was a major part of the Americanization movement, which was a national project rooted in whiteness, aimed at defining what it means to be an American and who gets to be an American, along with the full rights of American citizenship and the ability to enact those rights. Dr. Park breaks down how the Americanization movement, which included many White social reformers and social work leaders, viewed European immigrants as Americanizable, or White, whereas Indigenous Peoples and Africans, along with Asian and Mexican immigrants – and even this wording is problematic because the U.S. took parts of Mexico – were seen as un-Americanizable and the Other. We discuss how many of these same white supremacist beliefs, policies, and practices show up in social work today. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. UPenn Faculty Profile Google Scholar Profile ResearchGate Twitter @yoosun_p

Episode 62 Guests: Beth Wagner, Claire Mancuso, Natalia Norzagaray & Parham Daghighi Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Doin' The Work is offering our Racial Justice & Liberatory Practice Continuing Education Series through several of our partner universities. Go to https://dointhework.com/online-education/ to learn more and register. We hope you will join us! Thank you to this episode's sponsor! The University of Houston has a phenomenal social work program that offers face-to-face master's and doctorate degrees, as well as an online and hybrid MSW. They offer one of the country's only Political Social Work programs and an Abolitionist Focused Learning Opportunity. Located in the heart of Houston, the program is guided by their bold vision to achieve social, racial, economic, and political justice, local to global. In the classroom and through research, they are committed to challenging systems and reimagining ways to achieve justice and liberation. Go to http://www.uh.edu/socialwork to learn more. In this episode, I talk with Beth Wagner, Claire Mancuso, Natalia Norzagaray, and Parham Daghighi, all MSW students at the University of Texas - Austin and members of the group FED UP, which is organizing for paid social work internships. This episode is Part 2 of a two-part series on social work students organizing for paid internships. They talk about how they created FED UP and how they organize, including how they frame their approach and strategies they use. They also talk about resistance they have faced and how they've responded. The FED UP members share their guiding principles and organizational structure, which are really interesting and can serve as models for others. We break down statements often said from social work administrators and faculty, such as, “Didn't you know what you were getting into?” and “but you're getting an educational experience.” The members discuss some of the challenges of unpaid internships for them and their peers, with a focus on how unpaid internships negatively impact students' well-being. We also draw connections to issues of equity in the larger social work profession and how social work is devalued in society. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. Instagram utfedup Email utfedup@gmail.com Payment 4 Placements National Instagram p4pnational Email p4p.national@gmail.com

Episode 61 Guests: Matt Dargay, MSW & Arie Davey, LLMSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript We are offering our Racial Justice & Liberatory Practice Continuing Education Series at Columbia University, The University of Alabama, and the University of Pittsburgh. Join us! Thank you to this episode's sponsor! The University of Houston has a phenomenal social work program that offers face-to-face master's and doctorate degrees, as well as an online and hybrid MSW. They offer one of the country's only Political Social Work programs and an Abolitionist Focused Learning Opportunity. Located in the heart of Houston, the program is guided by their bold vision to achieve social, racial, economic, and political justice, local to global. In the classroom and through research, they are committed to challenging systems and reimagining ways to achieve justice and liberation. Go to http://www.uh.edu/socialwork to learn more. In this episode, I talk with Matt Dargay and Arie Davey, the co-founders of the group Payment 4 Placements, which advocates for social work students to have paid internships. This episode is Part 1 of a two-part series on social work students organizing for paid internships. They started this group as MSW students at the University of Michigan, and there are now chapters across the U.S. We talk about the overall issue of social work students not only being required to complete free internships to graduate, but also having to pay for the internship credits. We discuss the inequities of this unpaid internship system in terms of who gets to be a social worker, the debt of social work students, and how the national accrediting organization, the Council on Social Work Education, released a report stating that the cost of a social work degree is much higher for Black social work students. Arie and Matt present numerous ways to fund paid internships and talk about the organizing they've done at the University of Michigan and at the state level. They helped pass legislation to fund students interning as mental health counselors in schools across the state of Michigan, including funds for student interns in related disciplines, such as mental health counseling and psychology. They share their experiences organizing with the graduate union at the University of Michigan and offer additional strategies for social work students and others who want to address this critical issue. We have to challenge the mentality of “that's just the way it is” and use our social work skills to organize for change. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. Instagram paymentforplacementsumich Twitter @P4PUofM Facebook Payment for Placements at the University of Michigan Email p4p.national@gmail.com     p4p.umich@gmail.com

Episode 60 Guest: Kohenet Shoshana A Brown, LMSW & Autumn Leonard Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript We are offering our Racial Justice & Liberatory Practice Continuing Education Series at Columbia University, Michigan State University, and the University of Houston. Join us! Thank you to this episode's sponsor! The University of Houston has a phenomenal social work program that offers face-to-face master's and doctorate degrees, as well as an online and hybrid MSW. They offer one of the country's only Political Social Work programs and an Abolitionist Focused Learning Opportunity. Located in the heart of Houston, the program is guided by their bold vision to achieve social, racial, economic, and political justice, local to global. In the classroom and through research, they are committed to challenging systems and reimagining ways to achieve justice and liberation. Go to http://www.uh.edu/socialwork to learn more. In this episode, I talk with Shoshana Brown and Autumn Leonard of the Black Jewish Liberation Collective and Jews for Economic & Racial Justice, based in New York City. We discuss what antisemitism is, ways it functions, and how antisemitism and racism are features of white supremacy. Shoshana and Autumn talk about their work to provide a communal space for Black Jews and how they organize to disrupt antisemitism and racism. We get into a lot in this interview but there is so much more on this topic that needs to be talked about. I know that even though I'm Jewish, I could do a better job talking and teaching about antisemitism, and how it works to divide us. It can be frustrating to bring it up when so many people are not taught the origins of antisemitism and how it operates. At the same time, those of you who follow the podcast know that we can't avoid these hard topics, and like Shoshana, Autumn, and I talk about, change only comes when we address antisemitism and racism and work to build community. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. www.blackjewishliberation.org IG: blackjewishliberation Twitter: @bjlcollective Facebook: BlackJewishLiberation Kohenet Shoshana www.shoshanaakua.com IG: illuminatorofx Twitter: @ShoB Autumn www.bodygetfree.com IG: autumng0tstamina Facebook: autumn.leonard.31

Episode 59 Guest: Turquoise Skye Devereaux, MSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript We are now offering our Racial Justice & Liberatory Practice Continuing Education Series at Columbia University, Michigan State University, and the University of Houston. Join us! Thank you to this episode's sponsor! The University of Houston has a phenomenal social work program that offers face-to-face master's and doctorate degrees, as well as an online and hybrid MSW. They offer one of the country's only Political Social Work programs and an Abolitionist Focused Learning Opportunity. Located in the heart of Houston, the program is guided by their bold vision to achieve social, racial, economic, and political justice, local to global. In the classroom and through research, they are committed to challenging systems and reimagining ways to achieve justice and liberation. Go to http://www.uh.edu/socialwork to learn more. In this episode, I talk with Turquoise Skye Devereaux, a member of the Salish and Blackfeet Tribes of Montana, owner of the consulting company Indigenous Skye, LLC, where she does a range of trainings, workshops, and speaking focused on creating culturally safe spaces for Indigenous populations as well as work with Indigenous youth and tribal communities. She also works in higher education in retention of Native students and is a PhD student in the School of Social Work at Arizona State University. Turquoise talks about colonial systems and the four stages of colonization, as well as systemic racism and oppression, and specific ways education and social work have caused–and continue to cause–harm to Indigenous Peoples and other marginalized groups. We get into how cultural competency is a myth based in a Westernized, colonial mentality, and how it does more harm than good. Turquoise explains differences between Indigenous and Westernized worldviews and ways of living. She shares ways to create cultural safe spaces for Indigenous populations, providing examples from her own life, as well as interviews she has done with Indigenous students, in terms of ways they did not feel included in school systems, and how professors, administrators, and staff made a difference–and can make a difference–in creating safety, equity, and inclusion. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. Instagram: indigenous.cc & cahokiaphx LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/turquoisedevereaux Email: t.s.devereaux@gmail.com

Episode 58 Guests: Jewel Patterson, MS; Edgar Ibarria; Nicole Bates, JD Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript We are now offering our Racial Justice & Liberatory Practice Continuing Education Series at Columbia University, Michigan State University, and the University of Houston. Join us! Thank you to this episode's sponsor! The University of Houston has a phenomenal social work program that offers face-to-face master's and doctorate degrees, as well as an online and hybrid MSW. They offer one of the country's only Political Social Work programs and an Abolitionist Focused Learning Opportunity. Located in the heart of Houston, the program is guided by their bold vision to achieve social, racial, economic, and political justice, local to global. In the classroom and through research, they are committed to challenging systems and reimagining ways to achieve justice and liberation. Go to http://www.uh.edu/socialwork to learn more. In this episode, I talk with Jewel Patterson, Edgar Ibarria, and Nicole Bates about their work organizing to end the school-to-prison pipeline in California. Jewel is a lead organizer with COPE, Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement, a Black-led, faith-based, grassroots nonprofit in the Inland Empire. Edgar is a senior lead organizer with CADRE, a parent-led organization in South L.A. Nicole is a movement lawyer with C4LL, The Collective for Liberatory Lawyering. They define the school-to-prison pipeline and explain how criminalization functions in schools, disproportionately affecting Black and Brown students and families. Jewel and Edgar share how they organize with students and families, as well as examples of the ways students and families are impacted. Nicole discusses the legal issues and strategies that she and other C4LL lawyers use to challenge and change legislation. We talk specifically about their work to change the law on the school discipline category called “willful defiance”, which is a vague term allowing suspensions and expulsions for “disrupting school activities or otherwise willfully defying the authority of school staff.” This change has resulted in fewer suspensions and expulsions in lower grades, yet it needs to be expanded to upper grades and high school, so the work continues. They discuss surveillance in schools, metal detectors, police in schools, the lack of counseling, and how they organize to change all of this and reimagine safety, including the victory of defunding school police 25 million dollars and reinvesting that money in a Black student achievement program. They explain how they build power, the importance of coalitions, movement lawyers, and some of the successes, as well as challenges, of their efforts. They cover so much and really break it down in ways that can provide a blueprint for others. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. Jewel Patterson, COPE IG: JustJewel__ www.COPEsite.org IG: COPE2000_ Facebook: COPE Inland Empire Edgar Ibarria, CADRE www.cadre-la.org IG: cadreparents Twitter: @CADREparents Facebook: Community Asset Development Re-defining Education (CADRE) Nicole Bates, C4LL, The Collective for Liberatory Lawyering www.c4ll-ca.org IG: liberatorylawyersca LinkedIn @The Collective for Liberatory Lawyering

Episode 57 Guest: Deadric Williams, PhD Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript We are now offering our Racial Justice & Liberatory Practice Continuing Education Series at Columbia University, Michigan State University, and the University of Houston. Join us! Much thanks to our episode's sponsors! Check out idealist.org, a site for nonprofit and social-impact jobs. So, if you're looking for a job that makes a difference or looking to hire, check out idealist.org, a site for nonprofit and social-impact jobs. They've got thousands of excellent listings, along with tools to help your organization find the right talent. I know a number of Doin' The Work followers are at organizations looking to hire, and we also have students and professionals in our audience who are looking for the right place to work. If you're a job seeker, remember that idealist.org is always free for you to use. And for hiring organizations, use the code idealist.org/thework to claim your credit for one free 30-day job listing. The University of Houston has a phenomenal social work program that offers face-to-face master's and doctorate degrees, as well as an online and hybrid MSW. They offer one of the country's only Political Social Work programs and an Abolitionist Focused Learning Opportunity. Located in the heart of Houston, the program is guided by their bold vision to achieve social, racial, economic, and political justice, local to global. In the classroom and through research, they are committed to challenging systems and reimagining ways to achieve justice and liberation. Go to http://www.uh.edu/socialwork to learn more. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Deadric Williams, who is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, where he's been since January 2020. We discuss racism, race, and racialization. Dr. Williams explains how the concept of race comes out of racism, and that many people often approach this the other way around, as if race came first. He breaks down how racism is a combination of ideology and structures, such as laws, policies, and social practices that support the hierarchical dominance of people racialized as White, and oppression of people racialized as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Dr. Williams emphasizes that the belief in classifying humans into groups according to race is a racist belief that served, and continues to serve, to justify the oppressive practice of European settler colonialism taking land from Indigenous Peoples and enslaving Africans for labor. We discuss how creating whiteness was a means to split oppressed groups by this new category of race, and the way this functioned –and functions– by providing White people with material and psychology benefits at the expense of Black people. Dr. Williams goes in-depth with how racism and racialization function in the larger society, particularly the coding that is used in place of overt racism, affecting the health and well-being of people and families, and ways to identify the mechanisms of racial inequities in the U.S. We need to have a clear understanding that racism leads to race and this overall process so that we can adequately address it. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. Twitter: @doc_thoughts www.deadricwilliams.wordpress.com

Episode 56 Guests: Charla Yearwood, LCSW; Cassandra Walker, LCSW, CCTP; Alan Dettlaff, PhD, MSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript We are now offering our Racial Justice & Liberatory Practice Continuing Education Series at Columbia University, Michigan State University, and the University of Houston. Join us! Thank you to this episode's sponsor! UH has a phenomenal social work program that offers face-to-face master's and doctorate degrees, as well as an online and hybrid MSW. They offer one of the country's only Political Social Work programs and an Abolitionist Focused Learning Opportunity. Located in the heart of Houston, the program is guided by their bold vision to achieve social, racial, economic, and political justice, local to global. In the classroom and through research, they are committed to challenging systems and reimagining ways to achieve justice and liberation. Go to http://www.uh.edu/socialwork to learn more. In this episode, I talk with Charla Yearwood, Cassandra Walker, and Dr. Alan Dettlaff about the recent report from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) where they finally release their social work licensing exam pass rates based on race and age. For years, people have been pushing them to release their pass rates by race, and ASWB denied that they even had this data. The report shows large differences in pass rates by race and provides clear data for what many of us have known is a racially biased exam that significantly discriminates against Black, Latinx, and Indigenous social workers. There have been many questions about what makes this exam racist, and ASWB and others have placed the blame elsewhere. We get into all of that in our discussion. We recorded this podcast so we could quickly get information out to folks about this racist exam and continue to be part of a movement to end this exam. So, please check out the conversation and get involved. There are links below to a #StopASWB petition and a recording of a recent #StopASWB press conference, and resources will be updated as available. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. Charla Yearwood, LCSW www.charlayearwood.com www.connectedincommunity.org Twitter: @CharlaYearwood Cassandra Walker, LCSW, CCTP www.i-cch.com Twitter: @MentalWoke Instagram: intersectionsllc Alan Dettlaff, PhD, MSW https://www.uh.edu/socialwork/ Twitter: @AlanDettlaff #StopASWB Petition: https://www.change.org/p/aswb-end-discriminatory-social-work-licensing-exams #StopASWB Press Conference Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE_p6b6x06U

Episode 55 Guest: Maxine Davis, MSW, MBA, PhD Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript We are now offering our Racial Justice & Liberatory Practice Continuing Education Series at Columbia University, Michigan State University, and the University of Houston. Join us! Check out the new Doin' The Work Collection of hoodies, tees, mugs, and tote bags! Rep the podcast you love while doin' the work. Thank you to this episode's sponsor! UH has a phenomenal social work program that offers face-to-face master's and doctorate degrees, as well as an online and hybrid MSW. They offer one of the country's only Political Social Work programs and an Abolitionist Focused Learning Opportunity. Located in the heart of Houston, the program is guided by their bold vision to achieve social, racial, economic, and political justice, local to global. In the classroom and through research, they are committed to challenging systems and reimagining ways to achieve justice and liberation. Go to http://www.uh.edu/socialwork to learn more. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Maxine Davis, who is an Assistant Professor and the Chancellor's Scholar of Inclusive Excellence in Intimate Partner Violence Prevention & Intervention at Rutgers School of Social Work. Dr. Davis shares her experiences of the structural and interpersonal anti-Black racism, sexism, and oppression she experienced as tenure track faculty at her previous institution. She is incredibly vulnerable and opens up about when she attempted suicide due to the pain she was experiencing. We talk about specific examples of the varying attacks and racial assaults colleagues and administrators perpetrated on her and others, as well as the lack of any mechanisms for accountability or who you can go to when you've tried all forms of redress. This is an issue within individual institutions but also the larger social work profession and higher education as a whole. Dr. Davis shares details that she has not yet publicly shared. She also talks about her plan to create a Green Book, as well as a Red Book, so that faculty and scholars in the job market, particularly Black faculty and scholars, have much more information about these institutions prior to accepting a job offer. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. https://drmaxinedavis.com/ Twitter: @DrMaxineDavis The Chronicle of Higher Education article: Why They Left Nature article: Anti-Black practices take heavy toll on mental health

Episode 54 Guest: Daye Pope Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Check out the new Doin' The Work Collection of hoodies, tees, mugs, and tote bags! Rep the podcast you love while doin' the work. Thank you to this episode's sponsor! UH has a phenomenal social work program that offers face-to-face master's and doctorate degrees, as well as an online and hybrid MSW. They offer one of the country's only Political Social Work programs and an Abolitionist Focused Learning Opportunity. Located in the heart of Houston, the program is guided by their bold vision to achieve social, racial, economic, and political justice, local to global. In the classroom and through research, they are committed to challenging systems and reimagining ways to achieve justice and liberation. Go to http://www.uh.edu/socialwork to learn more. In this episode, I talk with Daye Pope, Director of Civic Engagement at T.A.K.E. – Trans Advocates Knowledgeable Empowering – located in Birmingham, Alabama, and Pennsylvania. T.A.K.E. was founded by Daroneshia Duncan-Boyd as a peer-support group for trans women of color and has expanded to provide services, advocacy, and organizing. We talk about the current anti-trans legislation sweeping the country and how transphobia is not new, but this current climate is increasingly politically hostile, as the Right uses trans folks as scapegoats and a rallying point for their base. Daye talks about the lack of health care access for transgender people and the multitude of interconnected issues that are barriers to health care, rooted in racism, classism, cisgenderism – white, wealthy, hetero, cisgender, patriarchal normativity. Daye explains how ant-trans legislation is creating multiple issues for trans youth, including targeted harassment, potentially being outed to their parents, and being denied medical care, while health care providers and parents and guardians who support trans youth are being threatened with felonies. Daye explains how puberty blockers work and counters misinformation about hormone therapy and surgery. We also talk about legislation against trans athletes. Daye talks about T.A.K.E.'s civic engagement work, specifically on voting rights for trans folks, especially trans folks of color, and the multiple ways voter suppression occurs. Daye emphasizes the strength and love of the T.A.K.E. community and how they are organizing to provide basic needs yet go beyond by developing leaders who are creating change on multiple levels. Daye speaks to her hope among youth and also shares what her experience was like when she was younger. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. www.takebhm.org Twitter: @takeactionciv Facebook: T.A.K.E. Resource Center https://www.facebook.com/takepeergroup https://www.equalityfederation.org/ 

Episode 53 Guest: Jessica Isom, MD, MPH Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Check out the new Doin' The Work Collection of hoodies, tees, mugs, and tote bags! Rep the podcast you love while doin' the work. Thank you to this episode's sponsor! UH has a phenomenal social work program that offers face-to-face master's and doctorate degrees, as well as an online and hybrid MSW. They offer one of the country's only Political Social Work programs and an Abolitionist Focused Learning Opportunity. Located in the heart of Houston, the program is guided by their bold vision to achieve social, racial, economic, and political justice, local to global. In the classroom and through research, they are committed to challenging systems and reimagining ways to achieve justice and liberation. Go to http://www.uh.edu/socialwork to learn more. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Jessica Isom, a board-certified community psychiatrist, who practices clinically in the federally qualified health center Codman Square Health Center in Dorchester, Massachusetts. She is also involved in graduate medical education and health care workforce development in her role as a clinical instructor in the Yale University Department of Psychiatry, which has inspired many invited talks and workshops around social justice and health equity. Additionally, Dr. Isom is a physician-entrepreneur who owns the consulting business Vision for Equity LLC that focuses on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), antiracism, and racial equity. We talk about how in medicine and mental health, race, specifically being Black-identified, is typically discussed as a risk-factor for ill health when racism is the root and primary risk factor. Dr. Isom explains that this approach pathologizes Blackness, as it's intended to, and directs interventions and treatment in ways that do harm and perpetuate racism by incorrectly explaining health disparities as individual and biological rather than rooted in the systemic racism that creates inequity, stress, barriers to access, poor treatment, and that intersects with many other social determinants of health. She further details how this approach of pathologizing Blackness is deficit focused and promotes a deficit-based ideology and approach to addressing health disparities and the overall well-being of Black people. We talk about how whiteness and Western/Eurocentricity shows up in mental health, including the DSM, and Dr. Isom shares how she navigates this in her clinical work. She also shares her thoughts on Black healing and joy. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. @drjessisommdmph (Twitter/IG/Clubhouse) https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-elizabeth-isom-12ba54a2 www.vision4equity.com

Episode 52 Guest: Monica Cox, PhD Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Check out the new Doin' The Work Collection of hoodies, tees, mugs, and tote bags! Rep the podcast you love while doin' the work. Thank you to this episode's sponsor! UH has a phenomenal social work program that offers face-to-face master's and doctorate degrees, as well as an online and hybrid MSW. They offer one of the country's only Political Social Work programs and an Abolitionist Focused Learning Opportunity. Located in the heart of Houston, the program is guided by their bold vision to achieve social, racial, economic, and political justice, local to global. In the classroom and through research, they are committed to challenging systems and reimagining ways to achieve justice and liberation. Go to http://www.uh.edu/socialwork to learn more. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Monica Cox, who is a disruptor, trailblazer, change agent, and leader who believes in living an authentic life even if it makes people uncomfortable. She grew up an only child in rural southeast Alabama, where she was raised by her educator parents to persist in the face of personal and professional adversity. She is a Distinguished Professor of Engineering at The Ohio State University. Dr. Cox also provides coaching in the areas of career development; business strategy; and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Dr. Cox shares her experiences in navigating higher education and DEI as a Black woman, particularly around performative diversity and organizational issues. She has a way of speaking on these issues in a personal way that explains how systemic racism is deeply manifested in these spaces, how it has impacted her, what she has done about it, and encouraging others. I've found her words to cut through the BS and really hit home. You are going to want to hear what she has to say. She vulnerably shares her journey with us. For some, her words will be affirming because you know the reality. For others, her words will shake you up because things need to change, and you have a choice to make. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. www.drmonicacox.com Twitter, IG & TikTok: @drmonicacox LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/monicafcox

Episode 51 Guests: Joyce McMillan; Victoria, MSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Check out the new Doin' The Work Collection of hoodies, tees, mugs, and tote bags! Rep the podcast you love while doin' the work. Thank you to this episode's sponsor! UH has a phenomenal social work program that offers face-to-face master's and doctorate degrees, as well as an online and hybrid MSW. They offer one of the country's only Political Social Work programs and an Abolitionist Focused Learning Opportunity. Located in the heart of Houston, the program is guided by their bold vision to achieve social, racial, economic, and political justice, local to global. In the classroom and through research, they are committed to challenging systems and reimagining ways to achieve justice and liberation. In 2022 they will continue their ongoing series, Eyes On Abolition that explores abolition as practice and as a critical framework to bring about change, and invite you to join them in April when they host Becoming Abolitionists author, Derecka Purnell. Go to http://www.uh.edu/socialwork to learn more. In this episode, I talk with Joyce McMillan and Victoria about the family policing system, also known as the child welfare system. Joyce is a parent, activist, and community organizer who is focused on systems abolition. She is the Founder and Executive Director of JMac for Families and Parent Legislative Action Network. Victoria is a PhD candidate at UCLA Social Welfare, policy analyst, and here for the abolition of all carceral systems, organizing with Cops Off Campus Coalition, Let's Get Free LA Coalition, and Stop LAPD Spying Coalition. We talk about the need to abolish the family policing system. Joyce and Victoria explain why they call this system the family policing system, drawing parallels to how prison and carceral systems function. They talk about how much of family policing is an attack on families in poverty – the majority of neglect reports are actually for situations due to poverty and have nothing to do with someone's ability to parent. They talk about how the family policing system disproportionately harms Black, Brown, and Indigenous families, and how there is a history of racist social control in the creation of this system and its present-day operation, including predictive analytics and mandatory reporting. Joyce discusses how families do not know their rights, are not given warnings of their rights, and her work on Miranda rights for parents. Victoria talks about how the family policing system is part of the larger carceral system of surveillance and how families are caught up in this system. Both discuss how we could be supporting families rather than separating them. And yes, we talk about so-called “color-blind” removals. Joyce and Victoria share how they got into this work, with Joyce sharing how her children were removed and she fought to get them back, and Victoria sharing about her father being in kinship care and her work with youth involved in the system. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. Joyce https://jmacforfamilies.org/ Twitter @JMacForFamilies Instagram jmacforfamilies Victoria Twitter @vee_etc https://upendmovement.org/ https://stoplapdspying.org/ http://www.generationfive.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Transformative-Justice-Handbook.pdf https://www.lovewithaccountability.com/

Episode 50 Guests: Jasmine Banks Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Check out the new Doin' The Work Collection of hoodies, tees, mugs, and tote bags! Rep the podcast you love while doin' the work. Thank you to this episode's sponsor! UH has a phenomenal social work program that offers face-to-face master's and doctorate degrees, as well as an online and hybrid MSW. They offer one of the country's only Political Social Work programs and an Abolitionist Focused Learning Opportunity. Located in the heart of Houston, the program is guided by their bold vision to achieve social, racial, economic, and political justice, local to global. In the classroom and through research, they are committed to challenging systems and reimagining ways to achieve justice and liberation. In 2022 they will continue their ongoing series, Eyes On Abolition that explores abolition as practice and as a critical framework to bring about change, and invite you to join them in April when they host Becoming Abolitionists author, Derecka Purnell. Go to http://www.uh.edu/socialwork to learn more. In this episode, I talk with Jasmine Banks, who is the Executive Director of UnKoch My Campus, a national campaign that investigates and exposes how right-wing billionaire Charles Koch and his Koch network influence education, both in higher ed and K-12. Many of you who follow the podcast already care about racial, social, economic, and environmental justice, care about multiracial democracy, but do we always know the hidden influences of the agenda that opposes all of this, utilizing right-wing think tanks, research, and targeted campaigns? Jasmine explains what the Koch network is and how, through multi-million-dollar contributions, they promote ideas and policies that suppress voting rights, question climate change while actually advancing it, deny the reality of COVID, attack workers' rights, and are behind the wide-spread efforts to ban any discussion of slavery and systemic racism in schools by attacking critical race theory and the 1619 Project. She shares that Koch helped fund the January 6th attempted coup and that multiracial democracy is truly at stake. UnKoch My Campus has released reports of how the Koch network carries out its agenda and those reports are available on their website. Jasmine explains how UnKoch My Campus works with students who organize to challenge the Koch agenda. She explains how the ruling of Citizens United treated corporations like people and how there is basically unchecked financial influence corporations have over elections and legislation. Policy folks often say we need to “follow the money” and Jasmine does a phenomenal job in breaking this down. Jasmine also shares how she got into this work and talks about working as a therapist. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. www.unkochmycampus.org Twitter: @UnKochCampus Instagram: unkochcampus Facebook: @UnKochMyCampus The Common Good Generation: www.thecommongoodgeneration.org Article: https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/charles-koch-crt-backlash/ NASW & Sinema petition by Boston Liberation Health Collective: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfhaCWsVZ--u8RHFULOWg_BbNqr7GKoqvZX7tycmeHnv53mtw/viewform

Episode 49 Guests: Kelechi Wright, LCPC, LPC; Kortney Carr, LCSW, LSCSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Check out the new Doin' The Work Collection of hoodies, tees, mugs, and tote bags! Rep the podcast you love while doin' the work. Thank you to this episode's sponsor! UH has a phenomenal social work program that offers face-to-face master's and doctorate degrees, as well as an online and hybrid MSW. They offer one of the country's only Political Social Work programs and an Abolitionist Focused Learning Opportunity. Located in the heart of Houston, the program is guided by their bold vision to achieve social, racial, economic, and political justice, local to global. In the classroom and through research, they are committed to challenging systems and reimagining ways to achieve justice and liberation. In 2022 they will continue their ongoing series, Eyes On Abolition that explores abolition as practice and as a critical framework to bring about change, and invite you to join them in April when they host Becoming Abolitionists author, Derecka Purnell. Go to http://www.uh.edu/socialwork to learn more. In this episode, I talk with Kelechi Wright and Kortney Carr. Kelechi is a full-time doctoral student at the University of Kansas in the School of Social Welfare. She has expansive clinical experience in mental health with BIPOC communities. Her research focuses on immigration, criminal justice and the criminalization of immigrants. Kortney is a third-year doctoral student at the University of Kansas and a Professor of Practice in the School of Social Welfare. She has a lengthy practice background in community mental health, mental health, and private practice, with an emphasis on trauma. Her research focuses on how Black men have survived social isolation in the U.S. We talk about their article, co-authored with Dr. Becci Akin, The Whitewashing of Social Work History: How Dismantling Racism in Social Work Education Begins With an Equitable History of the Profession, published in an open-access, special double issue of Advances in Social Work. This article should be required reading in all social work programs! It is an interrogation of how social work history – what gets to be told as history, who tells it, what gets valued, what's considered evidence, what's considered professional, who is considered a social worker – all of it – is racist and whitewashed. They talk about how social work history often focuses on social work being created by privileged White women who helped the poor and oppressed, but does not talk about Black social welfare leaders and community organizers and activists who did this work in their own communities and beyond, and who should be held up as social work and social welfare leaders and founders. This inaccurate history portrays White people as saviors and Black people as passive receivers. To continue to teach this whitewashed history perpetuates white supremacy, which has serious consequences for social work students, faculty, social workers, and especially communities where we practice. As Kelechi and Kortney explain, we need an accurate telling of history so that our foundation is solid and our present and future are built on that foundation, rather than furthering racism and inequity. We need to honor the legacy of Black social work and social welfare leaders and teach about the critical theories, knowledge, approaches, practices – work – that they and others have done – and continue to do – to impact communities and the social work profession. And always remember and focus on the communal nature of the Black community and how Black social work and social welfare movements are in that same communal tradition. We also talk about racial justice work for educators and practitioners, who should be doing this work, who shouldn't be expected to do this work, DEI committees, syllabi, and so much more. I could say so much more about what we discussed, but I'd rather stop here and get you into the interview so you can hear directly from Kelechi and Kortney. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. Kelechi https://socwel.ku.edu/people/wright-kelechi-c Kortney www.linkedin.com/in/kortneyacarr

Episode 48 Guest: Tyra Wanatee-Flores, BSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Check out the new Doin' The Work Collection of hoodies, tees, mugs, and tote bags! Rep the podcast you love while doin' the work. Thank you to this episode's sponsor! The University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Social Work (UTK) has a phenomenal social work program, with the opportunity to do your bachelor's master's, and doctorate of social work online. Scholarships are available. In this episode, I talk with Tyra Wanatee-Flores, who is a descendant of the Sac and Fox Nation of the Mississippi in Iowa and identifies as Two-Spirited. Tyra is an advanced standing MSW student at Washington University in St. Louis, a photographer and activist of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Movement, an advocate for Indigenous women who have experienced violence, and a speaker about mental health in Indigenous Country. She talks about the work she is doing with the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in Mayetta, Kansas, to address youth suicide and substance abuse. We discuss how much of social work education and mental health interventions are Eurocentric, which makes it a challenge to find ways that will work for Indigenous communities, but how Tyra is addressing this in her work, using networking and approaches that honor community, tradition, and culture. Tyra talks about being part of the Buder Scholars program, where she and others have access to an Indigenous curriculum and how it has helped her to learn decolonizing approaches to this work. She emphasizes the importance of community in healing and getting back to pre-colonial ways. Tyra also talks about her work with Meskwaki RISE, a program supporting and empowering Indigenous survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault. She discusses Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), specifically the disappearance of Rita Papakee, who is from her community, and what we can all do to end this violence. Tyra also shares why she does this work. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. Instagram: tyra.w.flowers Twitter: @tyerista Tik Tok: @tyrista Meskwaki RISE Meskwaki RISE Facebook

Episode 47 Guest: Armen Henderson, MD Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Check out the new Doin' The Work Collection of hoodies, tees, mugs, and tote bags! Rep the podcast you love while doin' the work. Thank you to this episode's sponsor! The University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Social Work (UTK) has a phenomenal social work program, with the opportunity to do your bachelor's master's, and doctorate of social work online. Scholarships are available. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Armen Henderson from Miami, Florida. Armen is the Director of Health Programs at Dream Defenders, the Founder of Dade County Street Response, and an Internal Medicine Physician and Assistant Professor at the University of Miami. He talks about his community-based work in bringing medicine from out of the confines of the hospital setting directly to poor and working-class communities with a variety of programs ranging from wellness checks and case management to Stop the Bleed gunshot wound trainings. Armen discusses how social determinants of health are rooted in racism and classism and social inequity. For example, he talks about how hurricanes in Miami are an environmental issue connected to climate change that intersects with racism and classism in terms of who is most impacted by hurricanes and do not have the resources to simply leave town when danger strikes. He explains how his team serves folks who are unhoused in a variety of ways, particularly during the COVID pandemic, which led to him being racially profiled and arrested in front of his home. Armen shares how he got into this work, which was directly connected to the murder of Trayvon Martin and connecting with Dream Defenders, who were formed at that time due to the killing of Trayvon. Armen saw a way to challenge racism and classism in medicine and organize for racial justice and medicine for the people using an abolitionist, anti-capitalist approach. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. www.dreamdefenders.org Instagram dr.doitall305 Facebook armen.henderson

Episode 46 Guest: Jalil Muntaqim Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Check out the new Doin' The Work Collection of hoodies, tees, mugs, and tote bags! Rep the podcast you love while doin' the work. In this episode, I talk with Jalil Muntaqim, who is a revolutionary and a community organizer with Citizen Action of New York. Jalil is a former member of the Black Panther Party (BPP) and the Black Liberation Army (BLA) and former political prisoner, having served almost 50 years in prison since being arrested when he was 19 years old. He was employed as a social worker at the time. We are celebrating his one-year release from prison! We talk about prison, his involvement in the BPP and BLA, his organizing from within prison, as well as his current organizing. He talks about the repression he experienced for his efforts, including being placed in solitary confinement multiple times, the last time for teaching a history class to prisoners that included teaching about the Black Panther Party. Jalil emphasizes the dehumanizing nature of prison and makes clear that they never broke him. He has never stopped organizing and fighting for Black liberation. During his decades in prison, Jalil earned numerous educational degrees, authored two books, led multiple education programs, and mentored many younger incarcerated men. Jalil talks about the United States being guilty of committing genocide of Black people and Indigenous people and how he is organizing an international tribunal to formally charge the U.S. with these crimes. He provides the definition of genocide, which leads us into a conversation about social work's complicity with genocide due to being part of the removal of Black children and Indigenous children from their families. I am so honored to have been able to interview him and help share his story and powerful words that always emphasize the need to resist. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. Contact Jalil: jalilmuntaqim457@gmail.com www.spiritofmandela.org www.thejerichomovement.com www.citizenactionny.org

Episode 45 Guest: Wayne Reid, Professional Officer, Social Worker & Anti-Racism Visionary Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Check out the new Doin' The Work Collection of hoodies, tees, mugs, and tote bags! Rep the podcast you love while doin' the work. Thank you to this episode's sponsor! The University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Social Work (UTK) has a phenomenal social work program, with the opportunity to do your bachelor's master's, and doctorate of social work online. Scholarships are available. In this episode, I talk with Wayne Reid, who is a Professional Officer and Anti-Racism Visionary at the British Association of Social Workers (BASW). Wayne is my first international guest, and I am so grateful! Wayne talks about how his understanding of anti-racism in social work and his motivation for speaking out and taking action was catalyzed by the murder of George Floyd. He discusses a number of projects he and BASW have been working on, specific to anti-racism in social work – check out the link to his extensive portfolio in the show notes. These are excellent resources. Wayne shares what anti-racist social work means to him and how a concept that should be straightforward becomes very complex in application due to the embeddedness of white supremacy and racism in laws, policies, institutions, beliefs, and actions. We discuss how no one wants to say they are racist, but actions that support racist policies are being done in the regular operations of social work practice. Wayne talks about his “pure, proactive, and unapologetic” approach to anti-racism within social work and the need for this approach due to constantly being up against white supremacy both as a Black man and as a Black male social worker. He discusses the need for social workers to practice anti-racism as part of our standards of conduct, not just with clients, but with colleagues, and the need for organizations to provide protections and support for social workers of color that explicitly address the many forms of institutional and interpersonal racism they experience, as well as steps organizations can take to transform into anti-racist organizations. Wayne also shares how he got into this work. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. Anti-racism in Social Work Portfolio Twitter: @wayne_reid79 Email: wayne.reid@basw.co.uk

Episode 44 Guest: Ali Lozano, MSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Check out the new Doin' The Work Collection of hoodies, tees, mugs, and tote bags! Rep the podcast you love while doin' the work. Thank you to this episode's sponsor! The University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Social Work (UTK) has a phenomenal social work program, with the opportunity to do your bachelor's master's, and doctorate of social work online. Scholarships are available. In this episode, I talk with Alesandra Lozano, known to colleagues and friends as Ali, who is the Director of Communications and Advocacy of the Texas Civil Rights Project (TCRP), based in Houston, Texas. Ali shares how her own coming out experience as a lesbian in 2009 propelled her into grassroots organizing work for LGBTQ liberation. She landed in the electoral space in 2012, working to elect openly LGBTQ candidates in states like Wisconsin and Arizona. It was through these campaign experiences between 2012 and 2014 that Ali observed different voting rules and transitioned into expanding the electorate through voter registration work with an organization in Texas, which she has called home since 2013. Ali talks about the work being done by TCRP, specifically on voting rights, though they also have programs that address criminal injustice and immigrants' rights (spoiler – all three are connected!). She explains how people can get involved with policy advocacy and provides specific strategies and tactics, such as paying attention to what is happening at the local level and showing up to county hearings and city council meetings to testify, and how organizations such as TCRP support these efforts. Ali outlines guidance when giving public testimony, discusses coalitions as a tool to build political power, and talks about how TCRP engages in coalition building by detailing their work with the diverse Texas for All coalition, which has unified around combating the increased attempts at voter suppression by the Texas legislature. The organizations of this historic, first-of-its-kind coalition work in different issue areas from reproductive rights to labor to LGBTQ equality, but all agree – policy that aligns with our values cannot move forward unless we protect the right to vote. She talks about TCRP's strategy to work at the local level to pass pro-voter reforms as well as the importance of redistricting and what we can all do to have fair and true representation of our communities. Ali really gives us a master class in policy advocacy and organizing! I hope this conversation inspires you to action. https://txcivilrights.org TCRP Twitter @TXCivilRights TCRP Instagram TXCivilRights TCRP Facebook @TexasCivilRightsProject TCRP local reforms website: www.democracyfromthegroundup.org TCRP redistricting website: mapsbythepeople.org Ali's Twitter @alozano_msw Ali's Instagram alozano_msw

Episode 43 Guests: Cameron Rasmussen, MSW; Durrell Washington, MSW; Michelle Grier, LMSW; Vivianne Guevara, LMSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Check out the new Doin' The Work Collection of hoodies, tees, mugs, and tote bags! Rep the podcast you love while doin' the work. Thank you to this episode's sponsor! The University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Social Work (UTK) has a phenomenal social work program, with the opportunity to do your bachelor's master's, and doctorate of social work online. Scholarships are available. In this episode, I talk with Durrell Washington, Vivianne Guevara, Cameron Rasmussen, and Michelle Grier of the Network to Advance Abolitionist Social Work (NAASW). Durrell is a PhD student at the University of Chicago School of Social Work. Vivianne is the Director of Social Work at the Federal Defenders of New York in Brooklyn, New York, Adjunct Faculty at Columbia University School of Social Work, and a facilitator in the community. Cameron works at The Center for Justice at Columbia University and is a PhD student in Social Welfare at CUNY. Michelle is a Black feminist, Brooklyn raised and social worker trained, who is leaning into practices that foster radical healing, racial and gender justice. Their collective grew out of the need for social workers to support each other in abolition work, particularly out of the discussions over the last year where many social workers and national social work organizations have supported social workers either working with the police or replacing police, and the NAASW says a loud “no” to both. They share their definitions of abolition and discuss how – and if – abolition can be applied as a framework for social work. They talk about ways that social work has supported – and continues to support – carceral systems, surveillance, and gatekeeping – and the connection to white supremacy and liberalism/individualism. There is also discussion on social workers – and social work as a whole – not living up to the Code of Ethics and social work values, especially with emphasis on licensure and private practice. They emphasize the need to engage in collective work and support to envision the world we want, as well as how to take smaller steps to implement abolition in the present while working towards a long-term larger vision. Members share their experiences working in the field in ways that do and do not align with abolition and how they navigate that, again stressing the importance of how their collective provides a supportive space where they can engage in abolition work. This is an excellent discussion for those looking to learn about abolition as well as folks who are already doing this work. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. www.naasw.com Twitter: @AbolitionistSW Instagram: abolitionistsw Facebook: @NetworktoAdvanceAbolitionistSocialWork Cameron Twitter: @CamRasNYC Durrell Twitter: @builtfoesuccess Michelle Twitter: @narwhaldreaming Vivianne Twitter: @viviviannne Instagram: viviviannne

Episode 42 Guests: Nicole Vazquez, MSW, MPP & Susana Victoria Parras, LCSW, PPSE Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Check out the new Doin' The Work Collection of hoodies, tees, mugs, and tote bags! Rep the podcast you love while doin' the work. Thank you to this episode's sponsor! The University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Social Work (UTK) has a phenomenal social work program, with the opportunity to do your bachelor's master's, and doctorate of social work online. Scholarships are available. In this episode, I talk with Nicole Vazquez and Susana Victoria Parras about critical race theory (CRT) in social work practice. Nicole brought the fire on Episode 37 Critical Race Theory and Social Work and I'm so excited and honored to have her back. Nicole is a critical race scholar, the former Field Director and Chair Designee at Cal State Dominguez Hills' MSW program, and currently runs Vazquez Consulting. She is a queer Afro-Latinx cisgender woman of Mexican American and Panamanian parents. Susana is a justice/healing based therapist in South Central, Los Angeles, California, and a former school social worker. She is a mother, partner, daughter of Guatemalan immigrant parents, and on the path to liberation, healing, and restoration. Nicole and Susana cover so much in this episode! They talk about the micro-macro divide and how that separation is challenged by CRT. They discuss how CRT provides a framework to be grounded in an understanding of positionality and power, and get into specific examples of how to apply the tenets of CRT to social work practice. Susana stresses the importance of interconnectedness and how she now practices in a way where she looks at how these tenets “live in the body” rather than only intellectually. Nicole explains how to utilize CRT in having a historical and contextual understanding of the forces impacting people's lives, put together with practitioner humility, to work authentically and collaboratively with people, rather than from a savioristic, paternalistic approach. They explain how CRT's critique of liberalism – individualism – shows us how liberalism blames people for their conditions, and takes so much away from us, especially community and culture. We explore ways social work and social work education perpetuate oppression. We discuss how the social work concept of professionalism can separate us, and they explain how separation comes from colonization and white supremacy, and that connection and healing comes from ancestral/Indigenous ways. Susana talks about feeling limited by CRT and shares what she calls healing justice work. We also talk about if social work can truly be decolonized. Nicole and Susana's message is deeply transformative and uplifting. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. Nicole Twitter: @vazquez_consult Instagram: vazquezconsulting Susana Instagram: heal2gether Twitter: Heal2gether_

Episode 41 Guest: Hayden Dawes, LCSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Check out the new Doin’ The Work Collection of hoodies, tees, mugs, and tote bags! Rep the podcast you love while doin’ the work. Thank you to this episode’s sponsor! The University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Social Work (UTK) has a phenomenal social work program, with the opportunity to do your bachelor’s master’s, and doctorate of social work online. Scholarships are available. In this episode, I talk with Hayden Dawes, who is PhD student, researcher, therapist, clinical social worker, speaker, and compassion warrior in Greensboro, North Carolina. Hayden talks about his work on mental health disparities and equity, training clinicians with a cultural humility and anti-racist focus, and how all of this connects to policy. We discuss the need to talk about race, racism, and other forms of identity and systemic oppression within the clinical setting, as well as work on ourselves. Hayden explains some of his approaches to teaching and talking about racism, white privilege, and homophobia, rooted in a structural analysis. He shares how he looks at how internalized oppression affects him, particularly negative internalized messages, and how he has done that work clinically with clients – who are primarily people of color and LGBTQIA – to identify when “the oppressor is speaking.” Hayden emphasizes the need for White therapists to talk about race and racism with White clients and how racism should not only be a conversation for Black and Brown folks. We get into a discussion about identity, spaces, and different ways of pushing for change. Hayden also shares about how he got into this work. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. www.hcdawes.com Twitter: @hcdawes Instagram: hcdawes Newsletter

Episode 40 Guest: Anjanette Young, LCSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Check out the new Doin’ The Work Collection of hoodies, tees, mugs, and tote bags! Rep the podcast you love while doin’ the work. Thank you to this episode’s sponsor! The University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Social Work (UTK) has a phenomenal social work program, with the opportunity to do your bachelor’s master’s, and doctorate of social work online. Scholarships are available. In this episode, I talk with Anjanette Young, who is a licensed clinical social worker and the CEO and founder of Café Social Work in Chicago, Illinois. Anjanette shares her experience of being terrorized in her home by the Chicago Police Department. Twelve white male police officers forced their way into her home when executing a warrant based on incorrect information, handcuffed her, and held her at gunpoint for 30 to 45 minutes, all the while Anjanette was naked because she had just gotten out of the shower after a long day at work. Despite her pleas that they were in the wrong home, all of them ignored her. An excellent lawyer and local news station helped expose the horrific raid and eventually forced the city to release the body cam footage, as well as evidence showing that the Chicago mayor knew about the raid and covered it up. Anjanette explains how this experience has led her to learn more about the Chicago Police Department’s repeated violations of the rights of Black and Brown Chicago residents, and how she is now fighting the City of Chicago in order to make sure this does not happen to anyone else. She talks about how she has mainly practiced direct service social work for over 25 years, but has now become a social justice activist, focused on policy change. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. www.cafesocialwork.com Twitter: @AnjanetteYoung0 Instagram: cafesocialwork Facebook: @Anjanette.Young.1 LinkedIn: Anjanette Young Email: anjanettelyoung.11@gmail.com

Episode 39 Guest: Kristen Brock-Petroshius Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Check out the new Doin’ The Work Collection of hoodies, tees, mugs, and tote bags! Rep the podcast you love while doin’ the work. Thank you to this episode’s sponsor! The University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Social Work (UTK) has a phenomenal social work program, with the opportunity to do your bachelor’s master’s, and doctorate of social work online. Scholarships are available. In this episode, I talk with Kristen Brock-Petroshius, who is a PhD candidate in Social Welfare at UCLA and a community organizer with White People 4 Black Lives in Los Angeles, California. We discuss Kristen’s experiences as a white person doing racial justice organizing with white people as part of Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) and deep canvassing as a strategy to engage people who may not be in support of a particular issue. Kristen shares how she got into racial justice organizing and her evolution from an ally approach to one that recognizes that racism and white supremacy deeply harm everyone – differently, of course – and the importance of organizing with white people to talk with other white people and do this work in white communities as a way to build political power that can pass much needed legislation as part of larger racial justice movements and platforms. She details how deep canvassing was used on the Reform LA Jails campaign in LA, led by Patrisse Cullors, and provides examples of what a deep canvassing conversation looks like. We also get into the origins of deep canvassing, which came out of same-sex marriage and transgender justice movements. Kristen talks about when deep canvassing can be utilized and when other approaches are needed. She explains how and why she entered academia in order to research effective social justice strategies and where things may be headed with deep canvassing. I hope this conversation inspires you to action. Twitter: @4heartsnminds Email: brockpet@ucla.edu

Episode 38Guests: Garland Jaggers, MSW & Denise McLane-Davison, PhD, AMHost: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.comListen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, SpotifyFollow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on FacebookJoin the mailing listSupport the podcastDownload transcript Thank you to this episode’s sponsors! The University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Social Work (UTK) has a phenomenal social work program, with the opportunity to do your bachelor’s master’s, and doctorate of social work online. Scholarships are available. Designs by Tee brings you positive, socially conscious tees and accessories. Use code TeePod5 for $5 off your next order. In this episode, I talk with Mr. Garland Jaggers and Dr. Denise McLane-Davison about their work with the National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW). I am incredibly grateful for their participation in this interview. This is important history–and current work–and I’m honored to amplify it on Doin’ The Work. Mr. Garland Jaggers is a former Professor in the Black Studies Department at the University of Detroit and a co-founder of both Detroit’s Association of Black Social Workers and the National Association of Black Social Workers. Dr. Denise McLane-Davison is an Associate Professor at Morgan State University and the Founding Researcher and Archivist of the National Association of Black Social Workers. They discuss the history of NABSW, which started in 1968, soon after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., when a group of Black social workers brought up concerns of racism to the mostly white National Association of Social Workers (NASW). They took over the stage and made demands at the National Conference on Social Welfare (NCSW), walked out, and decided to create their own organization. Mr. Jaggers explains the main issues at the time and details the experience. Dr. Davison explains the need to center Black expertise in research, curriculum, teaching, and other forms of practice. We discuss NABSW’s work developing Black researchers and practitioners, their own code of ethics, and positions on issues such as transracial adoption and licensing. Mr. Jaggers and Dr. Davison share their thoughts on the social work profession, racism, and Black liberation. They talk about their focus on the Black family and community, strengths-based liberatory approaches, and commitment to do this work “by any means necessary.” I hope this conversation inspires you to action. If you are interested in purchasing Mr. Jaggers’ books That Rare Moment in History Volumes I & II, please contact Mr. Jaggers at garland_jaggers@att.net. National Association of Black Social Workershttp://www.nabsw.org/ Mr. Garland JaggersEmail: garland_jaggers@att.net Dr. Denise McLane-DavisonTwitter: @DeniseDavisonEmail: Denise.Davison@morgan.eduArticle: The Strength of Black Families: The Elusive Ties of Perspective and Praxis in Social Work Education  

Episode 37 Guests: Laura S. Abrams, MSW, PhD; Nicole Vazquez, MSW, MPP Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW   www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript   Thank you to this episode’s sponsors!   The University of Tennessee Knoxville College of Social Work (UTK) has a phenomenal social work program, with the opportunity to do your bachelor’s master’s, and doctorate of social work online. Scholarships are available.   Designs by Tee brings you positive, socially conscious tees and accessories. Use code TeePod5 for $5 off your next order.   In this episode, I talk with Dr. Laura Abrams and Nicole Vazquez about critical race theory (CRT) in social work. Shout out to my former student Gaby for suggesting I do a podcast episode explicitly about CRT in response to the anti-CRT executive order. Laura is the Chair and Professor of Social Welfare at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. Nicole is a critical race scholar, the former Field Director and Chair Designee in Cal State Dominguez Hills’ MSW program, and currently runs Vazquez Consulting. They discuss the history of CRT, honoring the scholars of legal studies who developed CRT, with the analysis that the law is not neutral, and has been used to oppress people of color and others from marginalized groups. Laura and Nicole provide an overview of some of the core tenets of CRT, using specific examples that connect to social work, and ways to implement them in practice. Some of the core tenets covered are: race is a social construct, racism is an ordinary everyday experience, myth of colorblindness, critique of liberalism and the myth of meritocracy, differential racialization, interest convergence, and counter-narratives. They talk about white supremacist culture and its impact on all of us, particularly how it works to strip communities of color from their collective and community-based cultures. We discuss CRT’s fit with social work’s social justice focus and how social work educators, students, and practitioners can implement CRT in their work and programs. We also talk about barriers to change and how to address them. I hope this conversation inspires you to action.   LauraTwitter: @labramsuclaInstagram: prof.abrams   NicoleTwitter: @vazquez_consultInstagram: vazquezconsulting

Episode 36 Guest: Nathan Stephens, MSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW   www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript   This episode is sponsored by Designs by Tee, bringing you positive, socially conscious tees and accessories. There’s now a Doin’ The Work collection with hoodies, tees, tote bags, and mugs! Use code TeePod5 for $5 off your next order.   In this episode, I talk with Nathan Stephens, who is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at Illinois State University and a PhD candidate in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis at the University of Missouri Columbia. Nathan gives a raw and vulnerable account of his experience from being in prison for selling drugs, to spirituality and healing, to social work. He shares about how he grew up and the trauma he experienced, as well as those who supported him, and how he wanted to find ways to give back to the community and help Black youth who are born into similar conditions as he was. Nathan highlights how school was a safe space for him to get away from the abuse he experienced at home, and that his academic performance was a strength, so he was excited to go back to college after prison, and he excelled. He discusses how he uses his life experience to inform his analysis, teaching, research, and community work, which includes creating programs for Black men, teaching a course in a prison called Social Justice in Social Work, and working with Black male youth groups in the community. Nathan further explains that his research looks at critical topics like racialized stress and the trauma from hypersexualization and sexual abuse of Black boys and men, and how we need to talk about these issues. We also discuss hypersurveillance by police in Black and Brown communities versus white suburbs and rural areas; who gets arrested, charged, and convicted; and how arrest records can be a major barrier to employment, including being a social worker. I hope this conversation inspires you to action.   Twitter: @TheN8Stephens Facebook: Mister Nathan Stephens LinkedIn: Nathan Stephens

Episode 35 Guests: Alicia Martinez, MSW; David “Tiny” Estrada; Shipra Parikh, PhD, LCSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW   www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Transcription services provided by FIU’s Disability Resource Center   This episode is sponsored by Designs by Tee, bringing you positive, socially conscious tees and accessories. Use code TeePod5 for $5 off your next order.   In this episode, I talk with Enlace Chicago’s Violence Prevention Manager Alicia Martinez, Street Outreach Worker David “Tiny” Estrada, and Social Work Educator and Clinical Supervisor Shipra Parikh, in the Little Village community in Chicago. They talk about the work they do in their community with families and youth by engaging in assistance services, counseling, conflict mediation and restorative justice, youth leadership and advocacy, anti-adultism, school transformation with restorative justice and a trauma-informed approach, and much more. Alicia explains that Little Village is a primarily Latinx community that is resilient and hardworking, but deals with structural barriers that affect basic needs, survival, employment, health care, and opportunities. David discusses how COVID-19 is currently the biggest challenge facing the community, and how Enlace has shifted how they work to continue to support their community, from phone calls with youth to organizing food distributions. Shipra talks about the increased gentrification and the community’s response, specifically supporting local businesses rather than larger corporations that move in. Alicia explains that one of the ways COVID-19 has hit Little Village hard is that most residents are considered essential workers and have been exposed to greater risk, resulting in families losing loved ones. We talk about how Chicago often gets talked about nationally in a negative way and David shares a story of how Black and Brown communities came together for peace and to support each other. Alicia, David, and Shipra all talk about what they love about this work and how Enlace Chicago models within their organization the kind of world they want to see. We also talk about the election. I hope this conversation inspires you to action.   www.enlacechicago.org Twitter: @EnlaceChicago Instagram: enlace.chicago Facebook: Enlace Chicago LinkedIn: Enlace Chicago www.drshipraparikh.com

Episode 34 Guests: Dawn Brown, MSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW   www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Transcription services provided by FIU’s Disability Resource Center   This episode is sponsored by Designs by Tee, bringing you positive, socially conscious tees and accessories. Use code TeePod5 for $5 off your next order.   In this episode, I talk with Dawn Brown, who is a social work educator and the Legislative Chair of the National Association of Social Workers Florida Chapter. Dawn talks about activities and strategies social workers can use to engage in legislative advocacy and how NASW-FL has a big event called LEAD (Legislative Education Advocacy Day) where they bring social work students to the Florida Capitol once a year to meet with lawmakers and attend committee hearings. We talk about the importance of voting, especially this November, and what is on the line. Dawn shares what voting means to her as a Black woman, and stresses that voting is important at all levels of government – national, state, and local. She explains that voting is just the beginning, and that we need to hold elected officials accountable, build relationships with them to push for a social justice agenda, and support candidates for office who are aligned with the goals of racial, social and economic justice. She also talks about how she got into this work. I hope this conversation inspires you to action.   www.naswfl.org legchair.naswfl@socialworkers.org Twitter: @DBReclaimMyTime Instagram: virgo10212

Episode 33 Guests: André Marcel Harris, BSW; Dashawna J. Fussell-Ware, MSW; Deana Ayers, BSW; Vivian Taylor, MSW Host: Charla Cannon Yearwood, LSW   www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Transcription services provided by FIU’s Disability Resource Center   This episode is a collaboration with SWCAREs – Social Work Coalition for Anti-Racist Educators – who are doing phenomenal work to transform social work. SWCAREs members Charla Yearwood and Laura Hoge dropped serious knowledge on Episode 27 White Supremacy in Social Work. I’m so excited that Charla is back on Doin’ The Work, this time as the host. Charla facilitates a discussion with a group of amazing Black social workers who talk about their experiences with social work education.   I chose to pass the mic to Charla because I wanted to give this platform to Black social workers to have a conversation without white people, so that it could be really open without any filter I may impose on it when I’m interviewing.   I’m grateful to Charla for doing this and to André, Dashawna, Deana, and Vivian for their time, courage, and vulnerability. They are giving the social work world a gift with this episode. Something that jumped out to me about their stories is how social work education is so violent towards Black students on so many levels. This has to change.   The guests’ social media and contact info, along with Cash App and Venmo accounts are in the show notes, so please give them support. I hope this conversation inspires you to action.   SWCAREs www.swcares.org   André’s info: Twitter: @andreharris89 Instagram: @andremarcelharris Facebook.com/AndreMarcelHarris Cash App: $AndreMarcelHarris   Dashawna’s info: Twitter: @msfdubs Cash App: $docfw22 Venmo: @shawnafw PayPal: www.paypal.com/paypalme/shawnafw   Deana’s info: Twitter: @deanajayers Instagram: @deanajayers www.deanajayers.com Venmo: @djayers   Vivian’s info: Twitter: @TayloredLooks Cash App: $TayloredBills Venmo: @Vivian-Taylor-25   Black Men in Social Work Twitter: @blackmeninSW Instagram: @blackmeninsocialwork Facebook.com/blackmeninsocialwork

Episode 32 Guest: K Agbebiyi, MSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW   www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Transcription services provided by FIU’s Disability Resource Center   In this episode, I talk with K Agbebiyi, who is a prison abolitionist in Washington Heights, New York. K explains that prison abolition is a dual process of creating the world we want to live in, which includes new ways of addressing harm, and working to close prisons now. K connects mass incarceration and policing to the history of chattel slavery, all rooted in anti-Blackness, and discusses how defunding the police is one part of the overall goal of prison abolition. They talk about how to get involved in prison abolition on a local level, tracking government budgets to see how much spending is going to policing and the construction of new jails, and connecting with others who want to do something about it. K explains how they got into this work, which started with organizing for racial justice, LGBTQ justice, and reproductive justice before focusing on prison abolition. They share about being a survivor and organizing with other survivors who do not want incarceration to be done in their name. We discuss accountability and safety, as well as links to child welfare and social work. K shares recommended readings for people who want to learn more. I hope this conversation inspires you to action.   www.8toAbolition.com Instagram: @sheabutterfemme Twitter: @sheabutterfemme sheabutterfemme@protonmail.com @survivepunishNY  

Episode 31 Guest: Lutze Segu, MSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW   www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Transcription services provided by FIU’s Disability Resource Center   In this episode, I talk with Lutze Segu, who is the Social Justice Doula, from Miami, Florida. Lutze explains that she works to “create the conditions for social justice learning and transformation to take place” for individuals and organizations. She talks about how she loves seeing people grow and become committed to antiracist social justice work, become politically active, how she deeply believes in the inherent value and good of people to change, and that even though conditions in the world can be terrible, she always has hope doing this work. Lutze shares techniques she uses with people to help with this transformation and explains how theory, specifically Black Feminism, saved her life, helping her to see how systems oppress and that people are not to blame for their conditions, and how this relates to social work’s person-in-environment approach. We discuss the white supremacy enacted by social workers and clinicians who pathologize oppression, placing the problem inside clients, rather than acknowledging the violence of this “anti-Black, anti-woman, anti-queer, anti-trans, anti-immigrant world” and how social workers should be committed to social justice, not gatekeeping and the maintenance of oppression. She challenges us to ask ourselves what we are really practicing and “how are we personally going to divest from anti-Blackness.” Lutze also talks about how she got into this work, sharing a powerful story of what it meant to attend Florida Memorial University, an HBCU in Miami. I hope this conversation inspires you to action.   www.lutzesegu.com Instagram: @socialjusticedoula Twitter: @FeministGriote

Episode 30 Guest: Mark Houston, LCSW and Pauline Green, Esq Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW   www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Transcription services provided by FIU’s Disability Resource Center   In this episode, I talk with Pauline Green, Executive Director and Mark Houston, Clinical Manager, of The Alliance for GLBTQ Youth in Miami, Florida. They discuss the multiple aspects of the work they do with LGBTQ youth in Miami-Dade County, such as care coordination, clinical services, community education, training for service providers and educators, and policy change. We explore some key issues affecting LGBTQ youth, particularly safety and homelessness, as well as multiple forms of oppression such as homophobia, transphobia, and racism. Mark and Pauline talk about how The Alliance builds community in a youth-led, affirming space that builds on the resiliency many LGBTQ youth already possess. We discuss the harm that can be done by social workers and clinicians who do not challenge heterosexism and cisgenderism. Pauline and Mark also share how they got into this work. I hope this conversation inspires you to action.   www.glbtqalliance.org Instagram: @glbtqalliance Facebook: @glbtqalliance Twitter: @glbtqalliance

Episode 29 Guest: Tre King, MSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW   www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Transcription services provided by FIU’s Disability Resource Center   In this episode, I talk with Tre King, who is a Mental Health Coordinator in Miami-Dade County Public Schools. Tre explains how he is one of 65 mental health coordinators in the school district’s Department of Mental Health Services, and that he and his colleagues each serve five schools of various grade levels. We talk about the issues affecting students and how Tre works with them. Tre discusses what it is like to work within the same school district he attended, in his own community, and how he sees himself in his students. We explore how marginalized and oppressed communities are talked about in social work classrooms and the profession versus Tre’s reality of his own background and current social work practice. Tre talks about trainings he’s done in the community, such as Mental Health First Aid. Tre also shares how he got into this work. I hope this conversation inspires you to action.   Twitter: @Tre_King_MDCPS http://mentalhealthservices.dadeschools.net/ MDCPS Mental Health Services Twitter: @MDCPS_MHS MDCPS Mental Health Services Parent Assistance Line: (305) 995-7100 operational Monday-Friday 8am-4pm to assist students and their families with Mental Health Support

Episode 28 Guest: Alejandra Martinez Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW   www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Transcription services provided by FIU’s Disability Resource Center   In this episode, I talk with Alejandra Martinez, who is the Workshop Coordinator of the Border Rights Project of Al Otro Lado, a bi-national, social justice legal services organization serving deportees, migrants, and refugees in Tijuana, Mexico and San Diego and Los Angeles, California. Alejandra talks about the incredibly challenging conditions faced by people who are migrating and seeking asylum and the inhumane U.S. policies such as an illegal waitlist, the highly controversial family separation, and the MPP-Migrant Protection Protocol law, also known as the “Remain in Mexico” policy, as well as how U.S. asylum procedures are constantly changing and unpredictable. She explains that she and her team provide a safe, supportive space in Tijuana, where they acknowledge the trauma and long journey many asylum seekers and migrants have experienced. Alejandra discusses how the Border Rights Project provides legal orientation and a “Know Your Rights” session for asylum seekers, as well as connects them to additional services such as shelters and medical care. She tells how Al Otro Lado recently reunited 29 families who had been separated, and she shares how she got into this work. I hope this conversation inspires you to action.   www.alotrolado.org Twitter: @AlOtroLado_Org Instagram: @alotrolado_org Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlOtroLadoOrg alejandra@alotrolado.org

Episode 27 Guests: Charla Cannon Yearwood, LSW and Laura Hoge, LCSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW   www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Transcription services provided by FIU’s Disability Resource Center   In this episode, I talk with Charla Cannon Yearwood and Laura Hoge, two members of SWCAREs – Social Work Coalition for Anti-Racist Educators. Charla is a clinical assistant professor of field at Indiana University School of Social Work. Laura is a psychotherapist, community organizer, activist, and has been an adjunct professor at multiple universities. Charla and Laura talk about SWCAREs’ mission to dismantle white supremacy in social work education and why this mission is needed. They explain what they mean by white supremacy in social work and provide historical and current examples ranging from leaving out Black and other social work leaders of color from history, to practices that do more harm than good to communities of color, to how boundaries and other ethics often seem to be designed by white social workers for white social workers. There is so much covered in this episode and it is just the start of these explicit conversations on the podcast. I hope this conversation inspires you to action.   www.swcares.org Twitter: @swcares2 @CharlaYearwood @LauraHoge

Episode 26 Guests: Brenton Gicker & Chelsea Swift Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW   www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Transcription services provided by FIU’s Disability Resource Center   In this episode, I talk with Brenton Gicker and Chelsea Swift of CAHOOTS – Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets, a 24/7 mobile crisis intervention program of the White Bird Clinic in Eugene, Oregon. CAHOOTS, which pairs a mental health crisis worker and a medic in a big white van, has been receiving national attention as a model for a crisis response alternative to the police or fire department. Chelsea and Brenton share what a typical shift is like for them and how 911 calls are routed to them rather than the police for certain situations. We discuss the cost-effective approach of CAHOOTS as well as the humanitarian benefits, such as de-escalation and fewer arrests, by utilizing the skills of medical and mental health professionals rather than the police. Brenton and Chelsea both share how they got into this work, and how they began as crisis workers and then each decided to become medics, Brenton a registered nurse, and Chelsea an emergency medical technician. I hope this conversation inspires you to action.   www.whitebirdclinic.org/cahoots Twitter: @WhiteBirdClinic Facebook: www.facebook.com/WhiteBirdClinic

Episode 25 Guests: T. Marie King & Abigail Schneider Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW   www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Transcription services provided by FIU’s Disability Resource Center   In this episode, I talk with T. Marie King and Abigail Schneider of the Jefferson County Memorial Project (JCMP) in Birmingham, Alabama. T. Marie is a Community Activist/Organizer and JCMP Core Coalition Member. Abigail is the JCMP Project Director. They explain that JCMP came together to answer the call from the Equal Justice Initiative for the 800 counties across the United Stated with documented lynchings to retrieve their monument from the National Memorial for Peace and Justice and place it in their county. They talk about their work to recognize and honor the victims of lynching in Jefferson County, beginning with research into who the 30 documented lynching victims were, their lives, and their humanity. T. Marie tells the story of her great-uncle Ed Bracy who was murdered by a racist white mob in 1935 for organizing sharecroppers. They also discuss their educational outreach and advocacy work for racial justice, as well as how they got into this work. I hope this conversation inspires you to action.   info@jeffersoncountymemorial.com  www.jeffersoncountymemorial.com  IG: jeffcomemorial Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffersoncountymemorialproject EJI: https://eji.org

Episode 24 Guest: Eric Ward Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW   www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Transcription services provided by FIU’s Disability Resource Center   In this episode, I talk with Eric Ward, who is the Executive Director of Western States Center, in Portland, Oregon. Eric has years of organizing against white supremacy, with a particular focus on white nationalist organizations. He details how antisemitism and racism are at the core of white nationalism and encourages us to understand the problem in order to address it. Eric explains how white nationalism is a growing social movement in the U.S. that is building political power and having a major impact on legislative policy. We’ve seen this with the current administration’s immigration policy and clear connection to white nationalism. Eric shares strategies Western States Center uses to organize, such as local research shared with civil rights organizations, coalition building, school-based materials, and trainings – and provides a variety of ways everyone can fight white nationalism. He also talks about how he got into this work. I hope you enjoy the conversation.   www.westernstatescenter.org/ Twitter: @wstatescenter

Episode 23 Guest: Jordan Thierry Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW   www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript Transcription services provided by FIU's Disability Resource Center   In this episode, I talk with Jordan Thierry, owner and creative director at Dream Chase Media, and policy consultant. We talk about Jordan’s work on the frontlines of storytelling and his films, including The Black Fatherhood Project, which provides a historical and present day context to the structural forces impacting Black families, and his new project Grandma’s Roses, which will be a series on YouTube focusing on the stories of grandmothers of color that was inspired as a tribute to his grandmother after she passed. Jordan discusses details of the stories these grandmothers shared with him about their lives and what this process was like for him. He talks about his goal of educating people and inspiring them to action. He also explains his policy work with The Alliance for Boys and Men of Color. Jordan shares how he got into grassroots storytelling and social justice organizing. I hope you enjoy the conversation.   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DreamChaseLife/ IG: @DreamChaseLife Jordan@Dreamchasemedia.com YouTube: www.dreamchase.life

Episode 22 Guest: Rachel Frome, MSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW   www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcast Download transcript   In this episode, I talk with Rachel Frome, who is the Program Coordinator of Social Workers Against Solitary Confinement, a national task force dedicated to ending solitary confinement. Rachel discusses the negative impacts of solitary confinement, especially how it can cause and exacerbate mental health issues. She describes alternatives to solitary confinement, as well as the challenges of organizing for an end to solitary, and how lawmakers and those running prisons use wording such as “administrative segregation” as a way to deny that prisoners are held in solitary. We explore the connection between the work to abolish solitary confinement with the work to end mass incarceration, as well as the dialogue Social Workers Against Solitary Confinement has with social workers who work in these settings. Rachel shares the story of how she got into this work and urges all social workers to work to abolish solitary confinement and mass incarceration. I hope you enjoy the conversation.   Website: https://www.socialworkersasc.org/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SWASC/ Twitter: @end_solitary Email: contactSWASC@gmail.com Personal email: rachelfrome@gmail.com Conference Info

Episode 21 Guest: Asia Piña, MSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW   www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcastDownload transcript   In this episode, I talk with Asia Piña, who is an Early Defense Social Worker for the Family Defense Practice at Bronx Defenders, in the Bronx, New York. Asia explains how she works with a team of social workers, parent advocates, and attorneys to best defend parents who are being charged with abuse and neglect of children. We discuss the disproportionate numbers of Black and Brown children, as well as children in poverty, who are removed from their parents, and how racism and systemic oppression set the framework of many child welfare policies and practices. Asia describes that the beautiful, diverse families in the Bronx who love their children, feel like they are under constant surveillance by the state, in the form of the New York Police Department (NYPD) and Administration for Children’s Services (ACS). She also talks about how she got into this work, practicing self-care, and shares a message for students interested in working in the child welfare system. I hope you enjoy the conversation.   Twitter @BronxDefenders Facebook @bronxdefenders  Instagram @bronxdefenders info@bronxdefenders.org

Episode 20 Guest: Ocesa Keaton, MSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW   www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcastDownload transcript   In this episode, I talk with Ocesa Keaton, who is the Executive Director of Greater Syracuse H.O.P.E. in Syracuse, New York. Ocesa details the incredibly comprehensive and thoughtful strategies H.O.P.E. uses in their anti-poverty work at both the systems and individual levels to eliminate systemic barriers that maintain inequity and prevent people from having opportunities. We discuss the racial wealth gap in the U.S. and stereotypes and inaccurate beliefs about people in poverty. Ocesa shares her journey of wanting to become an entertainment lawyer but choosing social work due to her own health issues and a social worker who helped her. She stresses the importance of policy work and why voting is critical for social change. I hope you enjoy the conversation.   greatersyracusehope@gmail.com www.greatersyracusehope.org

Episode 19 Guest: Margo Walsh Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW   www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcastDownload transcript   In this episode, I talk with Margo Walsh, who is the Founder and CEO of MaineWorks and the Chair and Co-Founder of the Maine Recovery Fund, both in Portland, Maine. We discuss how MaineWorks was created to provide jobs to convicted felons transitioning back to society from jail or prison due to the barriers they face finding employment. Margo discusses how Maine has been hit hard by drug addiction, particularly opioids, and how many of her employees have significant barriers to successful reentry to society beyond simply having a job. Margo explains the problems with the term ex-felon and how a felony conviction negatively impacts the person for life. We talk about mental health and recovery, and Margo shares her story of how she got into this work. I open up about a friend of mine who was a felon and died by suicide. I hope you enjoy the conversation.   Margo’s email: margo@maineworks.ushttps://www.maineworks.us/https://www.mainerecoveryfund.org/

Episode 18 Guest: Christopher Cuevas Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW   www.dointhework.com Listen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on Facebook Join the mailing list Support the podcastDownload transcript   In this episode, I talk with Christopher Cuevas, who is the Executive Director of QLatinx in Orlando, Florida. They talk about how QLatinx was created in the aftermath of the Pulse nightclub shooting on June 12, 2016. Chris shares about the intense pain and healing that took place, and discusses the longstanding systemic oppression faced by the LGBTQ+ Latinx community – the barriers to access culturally competent mental health services; marginalization from the white, middle-class LGBTQ community; and lack of protection under federal and state law. This is a powerful story of how LGBTQ+ folks of color came together to create a powerful grassroots racial, social, and gender justice organization dedicated to the advancement and empowerment of Central Florida's LGBTQ+ Latinx community and the continued work they are doing. I hope you enjoy the conversation.   QLatinX Website & Social Media Links https://www.qlatinx.org/                                  http://www.facebook.com/qlatinx http://www.instagram.com/qlatinx                 http://www.twitter.com/qlatinx   Christopher’s Email & Social Media Links christopher@qlatinx.org                                   http://www.facebook.com/chrisjaycuevas http://www.twitter.com/chrisjaycuevas         http://www.instagram.com/chrisjaycuevas

Episode 17 Guest: Leili Lyman Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSWwww.dointhework.comListen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on FacebookJoin the mailing listSupport the podcastDownload transcriptIn this episode, I talk with Leili Lyman from Richmond, California. Leili explains how she learned how to conduct Youth Participatory Action Research at the RYSE Youth Center while she was in high school, and that her research explored why marijuana was the primary coping strategy for youth in her community. We discuss what led youth to state that they did not feel safe talking to adults and that marijuana was a safer option. Leili talks about issues that are common for youth growing up in Richmond, such as experiencing trauma, a lack of resources, and stigma and other barriers towards counseling. Leili also shares about her current studies and research at UC Berkley as well as being a first-generation college student. I hope you enjoy the conversation. Leili’s email: leililyman0705@berkeley.edu Article in Chronicle of Social Change: https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/child-trauma-2/why-do-so-many-youth-use-marijuana-as-a-coping-tool-heres-what-youth-had-to-say RYSE Center: https://rysecenter.org

Episode 16 Guest: Elissa Hardy, LCSW Host: Shimon Cohen, LCSW www.dointhework.comListen/Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify Follow on Twitter & Instagram, Like on FacebookJoin the mailing listSupport the podcastDownload transcriptIn this episode, I talk with Elissa Hardy, who is the Community Resource Manager at the Denver Public Library in Denver, Colorado. Elissa details the evolution of library social work and how social workers and peer navigators work with librarians to serve diverse populations across twenty-six total locations. We discuss the work Elissa and her team carry out providing social work services to library customers experiencing a range of issues such as homelessness, immigration and refugee status, gentrification, access to benefits, mental health, reentry from incarceration, and much more. Elissa explains how her team has been able to intervene with people struggling with addiction, specifically opioid use, and how they have stopped over 23 overdoses. She also shares her story of how she got into this work. I hope you enjoy the conversation. Elissa’s email: ehardy@denverlibrary.org Denver Public Library website: http://denverlibrary.org