The Social Workers Radio Talk Show: Recent Episodes

The Social Workers Radio Talk Show

The Social Workers Radio Talk Show airs live on UAlbany's WCDB 90.9FM in Albany, NY. Our mission is to use the medium of radio to educate and enlighten our university and extended communities about social work trends and current practices provided by social workers.

The Social Workers Radio Talk Show was conceived as a unique opportunity for the University at Albany's School of Social Welfare students to explore media opportunities in radio hosting, production and prep.

Hosted by Dr. Eric Hardiman and Alyssa Lotmore, LMSW.

UAlbany News Story: Q&A with Cheng Ren: Leveraging AI to Advance Housing Justice

https://www.albany.edu/news-center/news/2025-qa-cheng-ren-leveraging-ai-advance-housing-justice

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In this episode, we speak with Jennifer Harvey '12. While at UAlbany, Jen was in the Internships in Aging Project (IAP) and her passion for working with the aging population has only grown since. Jen discusses what led her to social work and the many projects that she is currently involved in (hint: they all have to do with aging!).

Bio

Jennifer joined Touching Hearts at Home of the Capital District in 2020 and became a co- owner in 2022. She brings over thirteen years of experience in geriatric social work, all in the Capital Region. Jennifer has a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary/Special Education from The College of Saint Rose, and a Master's Degree in Social Work (MSW) from The University at Albany. She is also a Certified Dementia Practitioner (CDP) and brings years of experience supporting individuals living with dementia and their families. In 2020, Jennifer founded the Senior Networking Resource Group (SNRG) as a way to keep area professionals connected throughout the pandemic. Four years later, it is a powerful network of aging services providers spanning the Capital District. Jennifer is an annual participant in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, captaining her company’s team each year. Jennifer is co-chair of the Capital Region Caregiver Coalition. In 2023, Jennifer became a member of the Board of Directors for LifePath in Albany, NY.

"How do we take care of the people who take care of the people."

We were able to chat with Sharon Kollar, LMSW '06 about her 20+ years of experience in non-profit and public child welfare organizations. Much of Sharon's work has focused on helping child welfare organizations create systems and environments that allow them to do great work. Sharon continues to use her macro and micro practice skills to help organizations improve their practice with children and families.

Bio:

Sharon Kollar ’06 is a social worker with over 20 years of experience in non-profit and public child welfare organizations. She joined Mathematica in September 2024 to serve as Associate Director for the National Child Welfare Center for Innovation and Advancement. For 16 years, Sharon led information-sharing networks, knowledge management, and dissemination efforts for the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (NCWWI). Her career has included monitoring, evaluating, and facilitating practice improvement efforts in public child welfare programs and providing direct services to adults, children, youth, and families. Her research includes child welfare workforce turnover, worker safety, and peer networking. Sharon has taught BSW and MSW Macro practice courses as an adjunct and served as an MSW field instructor for the University at Albany School of Social Welfare. As an independent consultant, she developed written products, facilitated workshops, connected jurisdictions with innovative practices, and created and implemented training curricula.

Jordan Steven Sher '81 is the author of four books, three of which focus on Bosnia. His latest two books are non-fiction and historical fiction delving into the war in the 1990s that produced war crimes and genocide. His new book is his first for Young Adults. He knows, however, that this will appeal to all ages. Jordan uses his social work background to grade his characters. Find out more at jordanstevensher.com.

Today we chat with the leadership team of the new College of Integrated Health Sciences (CIHS) at UAlbany. Erin Bell, a professor of epidemiology, biostatistics and environmental health, was named dean of CIHS, which encompasses the former School of Public Health and the School of Social Welfare. Victoria Rizzo is the senior vice dean of CIHS and the director of the School of Social Welfare.

In this episode we speak with Anne Bink, MSW '04, about her work in the disaster response area.

Since June, Anne Bink has served as Director of Mitigation and Resilience at Innovative Emergency Management, or IEM, where she collaborates with state, tribal, territorial and local governments to build resilience in infrastructure and communities before and after disasters.

From 2021 through May 2024, Ms. Bink served as the Associate Administrator of Response and Recovery at FEMA, where she led a team of 12,000 to deliver national response and recovery operations in an increasingly complex risk landscape. She oversaw a $200 billion portfolio of disaster recovery grants, including Public Assistance and Individual Assistance grant programs. Some highlights include:

Leading complex and high-profile response and recovery operations, including Hurricane Ian, a Category 4 Atlantic hurricane in 2022, and Typhoon Mawar, a Category 4 Pacific typhoon in 2023, in a highly effective and collaborative manner;
Managing an unprecedented pace of disasters – approximately one declaration every three days in CY 2023 alone – while evolving our policies and practices in alignment and coordination with state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) partners to ensure integrated response and recovery operations;
Developing and implementing the Individual Assistance Equity Interim Final Rule;
Modernizing the Individual Assistance registration process;
Implementing Enhanced Applicant Services for Individual Assistance, resulting in over 250,000 outreach calls and over $60 million in additional assistance provided as of October 2023;
Leveraging technology, including Artificial Intelligence, for response and recovery operations to enhance situational awareness, and expedite assistance to survivors and communities;
Advancing culture change within ORR through structural and process changes to maximize eligibility within FEMA authorities to expedite resilient recovery, with a focus on 406 mitigation; and,
Driving federal interagency, SLTT, and cross-sector collaboration, including a pre-disaster housing planning pilot, in coordination with HUD across four states.

As Deputy Commissioner for Disaster Recovery for New York State from 2018 through 2021, Anne Bink oversaw a portfolio of over $20 billion in active disasters. During her tenure, she secured six Major Disaster Declarations and led New York’s legacy disaster closeout effort, resulting in the closure of approximately 8,000 projects and nine disasters.

Under her leadership, New York State received the first Major Disaster Declaration for a pandemic event (COVID-19). Ms. Bink collaborated closely with FEMA to enhance existing guidance and policies under the Public Assistance and Individual Assistance programs throughout the pandemic, helping New Yorkers and the communities in which they reside recover. Ms. Bink also led New York State's development of new virtual outreach and educational methods under the Public Assistance Program, ensuring all eligible applicants had access to available assistance given the everchanging nature of the disaster and evolving eligibility criteria.

Ms. Bink oversaw the development of major wastewater system resiliency projects through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, including their complex financing structure of multiple federal, state and local funding streams. Two such projects, the Bay Park Conveyance Project and the Suffolk County Coastal Resiliency Initiative, will reduce nitrogen along Long Island’s shoreline and protect against storm surge in extreme weather events.

Ms. Bink first joined the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) in 2016 and served as the Deputy Commissioner of Administration and Finance prior to her work in Disaster Recovery programs. In her role in Administration and Finance, she led the development and implementation of a new state grant program protecting private non-profit entities from hate crimes and created a new risk management unit to strengthen agency operations and fiscal compliance.

Before joining the DHSES leadership team, Ms. Bink served in various leadership roles within the New York State Division of the Budget, including Unit Chief for Public Protection and General Government from 2014 to 2016, Assistant Unit Chief for Education from 2012-2014, and Associate Budget Examiner for Human Services from 2008-2012. In these roles, enacted budget proposals developed under Ms. Bink’s leadership resulted in improved core services and agency operations while saving New York taxpayers over $2 billion. Ms. Bink served as the lead in developing and negotiating key budget initiatives and policies, including an expansion of pre-kindergarten programs, a new Paid Family Leave program, Kinship Care program for youth in foster care, and re-entry programs for formerly incarcerated individuals.

Ms. Bink holds a Master of Social Work, a Master of Arts, and a Bachelor of Arts from The State University of Albany in Albany, New York. She lives in Loudonville, New York with her partner Laura and their four children.

With the UAlbany School of Social Welfare about to celebrate its 60th Anniversary, it was only fitting that Bill Serafin kicked off the first podcast episode of the academic year. Bill is a member of the first UAlbany MSW graduating class... the Class of 1967. Bill shares his memories of being a member of the first group of students enrolled at UAlbany's School of Social Welfare.

The Community and Public Service Program (CPSP) is a popular course for UAlbany students, as they are able to volunteer in the community and earn academic credit at the same time. CPSP Director, Sheri Stevens, joins us to chat about the history of the program, the value it brings to the local community, and the impact of volunteering on students.

We are joined by Visiting Assistant Professor, Caroline Sharkey. Caroline's research centers on collective efficacy and social cohesion to mitigate community violence and school shootings, the impact of trauma and historical trauma, and to address the needs of young people in city contexts. We speak about the role of meso/macro-therapeutic interventions, particularly digital storytelling, to foster positive youth development, empowerment, and reclamation.

We are joined by Angie Wootton, a new Assistant Professor at UAlbany's School of Social Welfare. Wootton’s mixed methods research focuses primarily on characterizing and seeking remedies to persistent mental health and behavioral health disparities in the LGBTQ+ community, primarily among sexual minority women, transgender and gender non-binary people, and those experiencing multiple intersecting forms of stigma, discrimination, and exclusion based on sex, gender, and sexuality. This work takes a strengths, resilience, and trauma recovery focus to identify and promote promising new pathways to wellbeing for multiply marginalized LGBTQ+ people.

Research interests: mental and behavioral health disparities; LGBTQ+ community connection and peer support; sexual minority women; LGBTQ+ social policy analysis; telehealth; COVID pandemic impacts

Clinical practice interests: social work at the intersection of health, mental health, and behavioral health; LGBTQ+ individuals and communities; motivational interviewing; harm reduction, strengths and resilience-focused practice, trauma recovery; counseling intervention development

We are joined by SSW and SPH alum, Taylor Perre ‘22. We speak about the intersection of social work and public health, Taylor’s program and policy work at the Home Care Association of New York State, and navigating the political arena to make macro-level change.

Bio:

Taylor Perre works at the Home Care Association of NYS as a Senior Associate for Public Health and Policy, working across major program and policy areas, grant-supported initiatives, and is a core member of the advocacy team interfacing with the Legislature, state agencies, and allied associations.

Taylor has a professional background in public health and social work, and an experiential concentration in aging, with positions and practica experience in quality and research, direct supportive services for older adults, behavioral health, hospital discharge planning, and elder abuse initiatives.

Taylor completed her Master of Public Health, Master of Social Work, and the Hartford Partnerships for Aging Education & the Internships in Aging Project at the University at Albany. She has two research papers published in the Journal of Hospice Care and Palliative Medicine about young adults’ values regarding advance directives and continues to research in the areas of advance directives, long-term care, nursing homes, and green house models.

In 2019, armed with a $6,500 University StAR grant, Associate Professor Carmen Serrano set out to establish a largely student-run podcast that would help to amplify the voices of underrepresented and marginalized UAlbany students and alumni, with stories that would prove both instructive and inspiring to others. Joining us today are Carmen Serrano and two student members of the UAlbany Stories Podcast, J-Lyn Thomas and Yesenia Melo.

More information via UAlbany News: https://www.albany.edu/news-center/news/2022-podcast-gives-voice-students-challenges-and-victories

In this episode, we speak with Meghan Keegan of the Albany Common Council. We discuss social workers as elected officials and the benefits of bringing the social work perspective to the table in the political arena.

Bio:

Meghan Keegan holds a Masters in Social Welfare (2006) from the University at Albany. She spent the first 15 years of her career working with special victims, at risk youth, and individuals with disabilities in the non-profit community based sector and in state government. That included 10 years of government oversight work holding publicly funded programs accountable and 7 years as a civilian investigator working alongside law enforcement on special victims cases throughout New York State. Meghan was a leader in organized labor and currently works for organized labor (PEF-AFLCIO).

Since 2015, Meghan has volunteered with a national non-profit organization (New Leaders Council) working to develop leadership capacity among young progressives with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. There she helped build the Capital District NY Chapter serving as Chapter Director and Institute Chair, served for 2 years on the National Programs Committee, and served as the National Policy Lead for the Women’s Caucus. Here in the City of Albany, Meghan helped to launch the first Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Programs, served on the Albany High School Community Engagement Team, and has been directly involved in various community efforts surrounding issues of gun violence, food security, access to affordable childcare and housing, and home ownership. Meghan lives with her husband and two rescue dogs in the City of Albany.

In this episode, we were joined by Lex Bhagat, Director of the Friends and Foundation of the Albany Public Library. We discuss how the library is making a difference in the community, particularly regarding the wi-fi expansion #KeepAlbanyConnected campaign aimed to bridge the digital divide.

We were joined by alumna Julia Duff '16, the Executive Director of the Spina Bifida Association of NYS. She discusses the organization's evolution from a local to a statewide chapter, the agency's growth and future goals, and the impact of UAlbany SSW interns on SBANYS's service delivery and success.

We were joined by Interim Dean and Professor, Vicky Rizzo. She speaks about her social work journey, vision for the SSW, goals as President of the NASW-NYS Chapter, and also shares some fun facts.

Bio:

Victoria M. Rizzo, LCSW-R, PhD, Interim Dean & Professor, School of Social Welfare, University at Albany, SUNY has dedicated her career to demonstrating the value of social work in health care settings and community-based organizations through her research, teaching, and workforce development activities. Dr. Rizzo’s research examines the impact of social work, and interprofessional interventions that include social workers, on health care utilization, health, and behavioral health outcomes for older adults coping with chronic illnesses, elder abuse, and care giving. She also examines the implications of the findings of her work for health care policy and the financing of the provision of social work services to older adults and their caregivers. Dr. Rizzo has extensive experience as a health care social worker and has conducted research with colleagues at Kaiser Permanente Health Care Systems, Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, and the Jewish Association Serving the Aging (JASA) in New York City. Various foundations, including the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, the Garfield Foundation of Kaiser Permanente Health Care Systems, the John A. Hartford Foundation, and the Commonwealth Fund, have funded her research. Since earning her Ph.D. in 2002, Dr. Rizzo has provided funding and mentoring to doctoral students in social welfare and social work and has served on more than 30 dissertation committees in multiple disciplines, including social work, economics, nursing, education, and engineering.

Dr. Rizzo is the President (2022 – 2024) of the National Association of Social Workers – New York State Chapter (NASW-NYS) Board of Directors, a distinguished scholar and fellow of the National Academies of Practice (Social Work Academy), a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, and a John A. Hartford Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholar.

Lynn Rothenberg graduated from the School of Social Welfare in 2008 after a career as a professional journalist. She recently completed a book-length manuscript that addresses her experience as a mother of a child battling addiction and its consequences.

Dr. Keli Rugestein is the author of "Relationsnip: Is there life after your adult child rejects you?" and discusses the factors that lead to estrangement, the impacts of estrangement, and what is the research saying on this topic.

Bio:

Dr. Keli Rugestein is a licensed clinical social worker and the executive director of Eastern Door Counseling Center. She has been in private practice for over 20 years in the capital region. Keli has focused in her practice over the years in family estrangement and is a clergy and congregation consultant.*

She has partnered with Fe Anam Avis, the author of PEAK: Parents of Estranged Adult Kids, A Resource for Recovery. Together they have run on-line groups for this group of people for over a year. The focus on parents who are estranged is because they are the largest group in our population to be affected by this growing phenomenon.

She has authored a book, Relationsnip: Is there life after your adult child rejects you? It’s anticipated release is late May or June. In it she explores the many facets of estrangement but more importantly, recovery from the many impacts of estrangement.

Kathleen Earle Fox, B.A.’67, M.S.W.’76, Ph.D.’96, is the author of a new book titled, "An Early History of the Wyoming Valley: The Yankee-Pennamite Wars & Timothy Pickering." She discusses how her social work background helped her to write a history book that is not like most history books, as this one pays attention to people and their motivations, and celebrates a group usually ignored in American History: the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois).

Fun fact: In 1965, Kathleen submitted the winning entry to UAlbany’s mascot-naming contest, and the Great Dane – which represented “the grace, distinction and ‘strength’ of the new university campus” – became both the nickname of the sports teams and their symbol.

Alyssa Rodriguez is part of a group of 1st year MSW students who are completing a media component as part of their field placement. Alyssa joined the show to discuss her experience interviewing guests and shares why she chose the topic of foster care. Her interview with a local foster care clinician is played following her interview with co-host Alyssa Lotmore.

Flora Canavan is part of a group of MSW students who are completing a media component as part of their field placement. Flora joined Dr. Hardiman and Alyssa Lotmore to discuss her experience interviewing guests and shares why she chose the topic of the crisis in the Ukraine. Flora's interview with Father Vasyl Dovgan of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Troy, NY is shared.

We were joined by J.T. Stone, a UAlbany journalism major and podcast host. J.T. shared his story about how his interest in celebrity gossip as a high school freshman led him to a passion for journalism and podcasting. Only now a college freshman, J.T. already has built a bit of a resume, specifically in using his skills of storytelling to help amplify voices... particularly around issues such as mental health.

Melinda Haselton is part of a group of MSW students who are completing a media component as part of their field placement. Melinda joined Dr. Hardiman and Alyssa Lotmore to discuss her experience interviewing guests and shares why she chose the topic of childhood bereavement. Melinda's interviews is shared.

Camila Grande is part of a group of 1st year MSW students who are completing a media component as part of their field placement. Camila joined Dr. Hardiman and Alyssa Lotmore to discuss her experience interviewing guests and shares why she chose the topic of abortion and reproductive rights. Camila's two interviews are also shared. Interview one is with Dr. Aurora Phillips, followed by an individual who discusses her experience and the need for support following an abortion.

We were joined by DTrae Carter, acting president of The Friends and Foundation of the Albany Public Library (FFAPL). We discuss how the FFAPL provides critical financial support to the Albany Public Library in order to help the Library provide education, literacy, career development, cultural enrichment, and lifelong learning. We also discuss how social workers are being brought into libraries as employees to address the needs of patrons who may be trying to navigate complex life issues.

We are joined again by Julie Bailey, LCSW, who discusses how to help children manage anxiety, different therapies used in the treatment of anxiety and trauma, and how we, as adults who are not immune to our own anxiety, can help children with their anxiety.

Bio: Julie Bailey, LCSW, has been a children’s therapist for approximately 20 years. After obtaining her Masters of Science in Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin, she participated in a year long certification course through Boston University specific to psychotherapy with children and the utilization of play therapy. She currently uses a variety of treatment strategies in her work, including play therapy, with children who have been sexually abused and traumatized. She is also a part-time lecturer at UAlbany for MSW students, teaching the Social Work Practice with Children class.

We speak with Dr. James "Jim" Caringi, '91 '07, who is a current Professor at the University of Montana’s School of Social Work. He is also a former WCDB 90.9FM DJ! Dr. Caringi discusses his research on primary and secondary traumatic stress, adverse childhood experiences, and his current area of focus - vaccine hesitancy related to COVID-19.

Bio:

James C. Caringi is a Professor and Chair in the University of Montana’s School of Social Work. A licensed clinical social worker with considerable practice experience with diverse populations in several locales, Caringi’s research and development interests encompass primary and secondary traumatic stress, adverse childhood experiences, participatory action research, and both professional and interprofessional team formation and collaboration. Caringi has been awarded over four million dollars in federal grants to pursue his research. He is a certified Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) “Master Trainer” trainer, committed to raising awareness about the impact of child abuse and neglect nationally. A commitment to social justice drives all his work. Jim and his wife Brenda live in the westside of Missoula and have two awesome daughters.

In this non-traditional episode, faculty, staff, and students were randomly interviewed. Without any time to prepare answers, the questions asked focused on the past, present, and future of social work and what it means to them - "Why Social Work?", "Why Now?", and "What Next?".

We are joined by Dr. Carmen Morano of UAlbany's School of Social Welfare and Dr. Tomoko Udo of UAlbany's School of Public Health. Both Dr. Morano and Dr. Udo are involved as researchers in a new Albany County pilot program, Albany County Crisis Officials Responding and Diverting (ACCORD). The program teams up social workers and paramedics to provide assistance in emergencies where a law enforcement presence is not necessary.

Bios:

Dr. Carmen Morano is a Professor and Doctoral Program Director at the School of Social Welfare. In addition to being a John A. Hartford Faculty Scholar, Carmen has served as Member and Chair of the HRSA Advisory Committee on Interdisciplinary Community Based Linkages and as the Managing Editor of The Journal of Gerontological Social Work. Carmen’s research focuses primarily in the areas of Gerontology and Interprofessional Collaboration and Education. He is the PI for several community-based program evaluation projects in Dementia caregiver programming, a multidisciplinary team response to Elder Abuse, and a number of community-based transitional care coordination programs targeting high risk adults. Carmen recently served as Co-Investigator for the Geriatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network. Along with Dr. Tomoko Udo, Carmen is evaluating the Albany County Crisis Officials Responding and Diverting Program (ACCORD). Dr. Morano frequently presents at national and international conferences and has been recognized for developing and providing interprofessional education and collaboration training. Dr. Morano’s edited text, Social Work Perspectives on Interprofessional Education and Collaboration is published by NASW Press.

Dr. Tomoko Udo is Associate Professor at Department of Health Policy, Management, and Behavior, School of Public Health. She has also been serving as a Health Policy Advisor for COVID for the University since Spring 2020. Her research focuses on identifying ways to improve health care for individuals with various behavioral health issues, including substance use disorder. Her work has been supported by funding agencies such as New York State Department of Health, CDC, NIDA, National Office of Drug Control Policy, and New York State Health Foundation. She also works as an evaluation consultant for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. Along with Dr. Morano, she leads the project to evaluate the Albany County Crisis Officials Responding and Diverting program.

UAlbany SSW alumnus, Jordan Steven Sher '81, joined us to discuss his new book entitled, "And Still We Rise: A Novel about the Genocide in Bosnia."

Bio: Jordan Steven Sher has had three careers- in the non-profit sector as a social worker and administrator; as a middle school teacher; and currently as an author. All of his work throughout has been informed by his social work training in the graduate program, and his experience as a social worker. His current book, which will be published later this fall by Atmosphere Press, is fiction yet relied upon extensive research into the genocide in Bosnia from 1992-1995, as well as interviews with survivors of the concentration camps and other atrocities that befell the majority Muslim population in that country. Jordan lives in Northern California with his wife. He has two grown children.

Kathryn Zox started The Social Workers on WCDB Albany 90.9FM in the fall of 2011. She is no longer the host, but the impact of the show remains. Kathryn joins Alyssa and Eric to discuss the history of the show and what she is up to now.

Malikah Shaheed returned to the show, this time to discuss her new role as the NASW-NYS Division Director. She shares how her experience in the social work field led her to this new position and what she hopes to accomplish during her term.

Bio: Graduating over 15 years ago from University at Albany School of Social Welfare, Malikah sought to explore, experience, and practice all aspects of the social work field. Experiences include In and Outpatient Clinical Practice, Chemical Dependency, School Social Work, Medical Social Work, Child Welfare with Home Studies, and Contracted Short-term Social Work Case Management… all which have made Malikah a well-rounded clinician. She is a member of the National Association of Social Workers and Society for Social Work Leadership in Health Care. With total commitment to the practice and advancement of the field of Social Work, Malikah plans to keep challenging herself and her colleagues to higher levels to the benefit of social work clients.

We were joined by UAlbany SSW alumna, Allie Middleton JD LCSW C-IAYT, who is a published author, long term yoga & meditation practitioner, experienced social impact artist, and leadership mentor. She discussed her new book, Yoga Radicals: A Curated Set of Inspiring Stories from the Field.

Bio: Allie Middleton JD LCSW C-IAYT is a published author, long term yoga & meditation practitioner, experienced social impact artist, and leadership mentor. She has served in leadership positions in business, not-for-profit and government settings. Her speciality is curating conscious awareness-based practices in teams who flourish together and create well-being and innovative sustainable outcomes. A recipient of awards for excellence and diversity, Allie implemented a yoga-based program while Clinical & Rehabilitation Director at a community mental health organization in NY. She continues to offer embodiment training to individuals living and working with disabilities. Allie completed all PhD coursework and served as adjunct graduate level faculty, research assistant and peer-reviewer at the School of Social Welfare at StateUniversity of New York, Albany. Her interest in leadership & organization development for social change is documented in her most recent commissioned book, Yoga Radicals: A Curated Set of Inspiring Stories from the Field. Allie is a long term member of the Presencing Institute community, a global awareness-based action research learning organization. She is yoga therapy training faculty in an IAYT-accredited program and an advanced practitioner of Social Presencing Theatre.

alliemiddleton.com

We were joined by social worker and author, Renee G. Benson, who discusses her new book, Fifteen minutes on Illinois Street. It is a story about a cluster of people with very different backgrounds and ages who are feeling the secondary impacts of the pandemic.

Al Cardillo, President and CEO of the Home Care Association of New York State, returned to the show to share information on sepsis prevention and awareness. Al is an alumnus of the School of Social Welfare and also a part-time lecturer. He was joined by Kathy Zazarine who had lost her sister, Lois, to sepsis and shares her story.

Noteworthy Resources of Albany, Inc. is a nonprofit that expresses community through educational workshops, empowering support groups, and skateboarding. We are joined by its president & founder, Tatiana Gjergji, who talks about how the agency began, the power of community, and Skate Albany.

BIO
Tatiana is first generation American with refugee family members who who escaped Albania and Montenegro to provide a better life for the family. With a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Tatiana has developed experience working in the mental health and addiction support services field. On her personal time, Tatiana founded Noteworthy Resources in 2017 to offer individuals a sense of community, educational resources and support like how her family & other immigrant families need today. Tatiana’s business mindset shifted from “working harder” (learned from her parents) to “working smarter.” NWR provides a variety of educational workshops, empowerment meet-ups, skateboarding programs and other support services to other humans throughout the Capital District here in New York.

In a special Social Work Month episode, we chat with three SSW faculty members about their area of expertise and why social workers are essential. Guests: Dr. Victoria Rizzo, Dr. Wonhyung Lee, and Dr. Eric Hardiman.

We were joined by Beatrice Yorker who shared her expertise on Munchausen by Proxy, also known as Medical Child Abuse. This type of child abuse is potentially lethal, yet remains under-recognized.

Links mentioned in interview:

American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) Munchausen by Proxy theme issue of the March 2018 APSAC Advisor.

Webinar given to CSP by Beatrice Yorker on Munchausen by Proxy.

Bio:

Beatrice Yorker, JD, RN, MS, FAAN has a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Indiana University, a Master’s in Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing from the University of California, San Francisco, and a Juris Doctor from Georgia State University. She is currently a Professor of Nursing and Criminal Justice & Criminalistics at California State University, Los Angeles. For ten years prior, she served as Dean of the College of Health and Human Services, which included schools of Nursing, Social Work, Criminal Justice, Forensic Science, Kinesiology, Dietetics, Child Development, and Public Health. Her clinical career includes work in child-psychiatric nursing, forensic nursing and as an expert witness in criminal, family and civil cases. Bea’s research focuses on Munchausen by Proxy (MBP), a form of child abuse, and serial murder by nurses and other healthcare professionals. She published a Law Review article on covert video surveillance of MBP and was Co-Editor of The APSAC Advisor 2018 theme Issue on MBP that included APSAC’s Guidelines for Practice—a consensus document from the APSAC Munchausen by Proxy Task Force. She is a past board member of APSAC and currently serves on the Munchausen by Proxy Committee. She continues to teach psychiatric nursing and frequently offers training in MBP and Medical Child Abuse.

We were joined by Rachel Potter, LCSW, who discusses the psychosocial challenges faced by patients and families recovering from COVID-19. She speaks about some of the challenges in providing psychological care for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and identifies a few strategies for coping with uncertainty.

Bio:

Rachel Potter is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New York State. She is the clinical social worker at the Mount Sinai National Jewish Health Respiratory Institute. Rachel has created and led numerous patient support groups, classes, and special events. She is the developer and facilitator of wellness groups with Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine fellows and other medical trainees within the Mount Sinai Health System. Rachel is intensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Rachel’s interests include psychosocial impacts of chronic illness and faculty and trainee wellness. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rachel volunteered as a mental health liaison for front line workers on COVID inpatient units, as well as running support groups for the Pulmonary team and COVID outpatients.

We were joined by Jonathan Jones, the Commissioner of Recreation, Youth and Workforce Services for the City of Albany. He gave us an update on his departments and what resources and services will be available to city residents as we continue to navigate through this pandemic.

Bio:
Jonathan Jones is the Commissioner of Recreation, Youth and Workforce Services for the City of Albany. He has served in that role since January 2014. He is a member of the 2016 class of the Albany Business Review's 40 Under 40. Jonathan is a graduate of the University at Albany, earning both his bachelor's in sociology and his master's in Education Administration and Policy Studies.

Play therapy is a widely misunderstood therapeutic intervention with children. It is often dismissed as "just playing" or something to do with youth until they are ready to talk. Julie Bailey, LCSW, shares her expertise on play therapy, discusses the myths of play therapy, and outlines the powerful impact of the play therapy approach with children and their families. She also discusses how to use play therapy in non-traditional settings, such as via Telehealth.

Julie Bailey, LCSW, has been a children’s therapist for approximately 20 years. After obtaining her Masters of Science in Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin, she participated in a year long certification course through Boston University specific to psychotherapy with children and the utilization of play therapy. She currently uses a variety of treatment strategies in her work, including play therapy, with children who have been sexually abused and traumatized. She is also a part-time lecturer at UAlbany for MSW students, teaching the Social Work Practice with Children class.

Hillary (Closs) Dolinsky, MSW is a two-time alumna of the University at Albany School of Social Welfare. She was involved with The Social Workers Radio Talk Show when it first began at the SSW in 2011. She earned her undergraduate degree in social welfare in 2011, and then went on to earn her Master’s in Social Work (MSW) the following year. Since college, Hillary has worked in higher education, government, and non-profits. In these roles, she was the only social worker within the company. Hillary currently works at the Georgetown University Medical Center as a Communications & Research Administrator and is back in graduate school for a second time to earn her Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business.

How do I grieve—and survive? Well-meaning friends and family encourage grievers “not to dwell” on the loss, to “get over it” and “move on”—at a time when this is very difficult to do in today’s society. However, to thrive on the other side of grief requires finding solutions to questions we are living out but often do not ask because we are rushing to get grief over with. If explored, these questions can help individuals create a healing approach for themselves despite the pressure to hurry up and “get on with their lives.”

We were joined by Anne Grenchus, LCSW, who shares her expertise on this topic.

Bio:

For 25 years Anne Grenchus, LCSW has blended social work and philosophy in her academic and clinical studies and work. Her 5+ years of “exceptional” hospice home care and bereavement counselor work has proven that phenomenological existentialism can provide a practical framework through which people living in an individualistic society can explore life challenges. Anne teaches practical workshops to hospice staff on communication and de-escalation techniques for psychiatric and dementia patients by exploring patients’ lived experience of care provision, and, has taught phenomenological existentialism (the theoretical foundation of Svend Brinkmann’s work) to undergraduates. She brings this experience to bear in her teaching, her bereavement work for Hudson Valley Hospice, and her private practice work at Life Whispering Counseling.

The SNUG program aims to curb gun violence and save lives by intervening in the aftermath of shootings to prevent retaliation, working with high-risk youth to connect them to services and programs, and other community engagement initiatives. We were joined by three social workers who are part of this NYS program: Erika Mendelsohn, LCSW (Statewide Social Work Director of SNUG Street Outreach); Kristin Geiger, LCSW (SNUG Street Outreach Upstate social work supervisor); and Gbolahan Oyekunle ‘GB’ LMSW (SNUG street outreach social worker).

This episode shares a virtual panel discussion on the Americans with Disabilities Act during its 30th year. This event was part of the UAlbany School of Social Welfare's 'Learning From Alumni' Continuing Education Series. Panelists: Julia Duff, LMSW; Shameka Andrews, Disability Advocate; Cliff Perez, MSW; and James McDonald, MBA.

Natalie Turner and Mary Moller, both LMSW's and graduates from UAlbany's School of Social Welfare, Internships in Aging Project (IAP), discuss their work with individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. They will be giving an upcoming training through the continuing education program at UAlbany SSW.

This year is the 20th Anniversary of the UAlbany School of Social Welfare's Internships in Aging Project (IAP). We spoke with IAP Director, Linda Mertz, and three 2nd year MSW students - Nicole Gardy, Meredith Goldstein, and Rachel Robinson - about the program and why it is a unique gem of the SSW.

Associate Professor Dr. Julia Hastings, who holds joint appointment in the UAlbany School of Social Welfare and the School of Public Health, discusses the impact of COVID-19 on mental health in the Black community. She is currently conducting new research on the topic.

Bio:

Dr. Julia F. Hastingsis an Associate Professor in the Schools of Public Health and Social Welfare at the University at Albany (SUNY). She is interested in reducing health, economic, and service utilization burdens for racially diverse populations. Her research covers three thematic areas: Physical and mental health disparities (e.g., type II diabetes, depression, and oral health); welfare participation; and poverty. Hastings is currently principal investigator of Black family stress and caregiving of loved ones diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. She enjoys serving on the Black Child Development Community Board. In 2019, she was named Public Health Social Worker of the Year by the PHSW Section of the American Public Health Association.

Yoga-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Y-CBT) is a research based psychological paradigm that combines the scientifically documented effects of yoga with cognitive behavioral therapy. Co-creators Julie Greiner-Ferris and Dr. Manjit Khalsa join us to discuss more.

Bios:

Julie Greiner-Ferris is co-creator of Y-CBT, Yoga Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She is a clinical social worker and who attended the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work. She has over 25 years of practice in the field of Mental Health and is currently the Program Director of Outpatient Services at Riverside Community Care in the Blackstone Valley in Upton Massachusetts.

Dr. Manjit Khalsa is also co-creator of Y-CBT. She is a psychologist and a yoga teacher with over 30 year’s experience in both fields. She is also President of a yoga education and retreat center, located in Millis, Ma. Called Yoga at the Ashram. She is in private practice and also works at Riverside Community Care.

UAlbany School of Social Welfare Dean, Dr. Lynn Warner, joined us to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on social work education and how the SSW is adapting during this time.

Bio:

Lynn A. Warner is Professor and Dean in the School of Social Welfare at the University at Albany, SUNY. She is entering her 3rd year as Dean at the school, but has been on the faculty at SSW for more than 10 years. During that time she’s taught in the MSW and PhD programs and collaborated with faculty and staff in many administrative roles, including director of the MSW program and associate dean for research.

Her research focuses on disparities in the delivery of mental and behavioral health services, especially disparities experienced by groups who are vulnerable because of low-income status or age, and who are racial or ethnic minorities. She is helping lead the team at UAlbany that was commissioned by NY Governor Andrew Cuomo to inform the state about the Differential Impacts of COVID-19 in minority communities and ways to mitigate those disparities.

She has published more than 60 peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters and her research has been supported by more than $1 million in national foundation and federal government grants. A current project, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Research Leaders Initiative focuses on of how behavioral health service providers in rural New York are adapting to significant changes in the way Medicaid managed care reimburses for their services.

Dean Warner is proud to be a first generation college graduate who earned a Master of Public Policy Degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and MSW and PhD degrees in sociology and social work from the University of Michigan.

We were joined by Marcus Stallworth, LMSW, and Qur-an Webb, MSW, of Welcome 2 Reality, LLC about their work on domestic minor sex trafficking.

Bios:

Marcus Stallworth, LMSW

Marcus Stallworth, LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker), is the Director of Director of Learning and Organizational Development at Welcome 2 Reality, LLC. Marcus operates with an assertive hands-on approach. Spending close to 20 years providing Child Protective Services, he is recognized by the State of Connecticut as an expert witness, providing testimony in numerous court proceedings. He has spearheaded several initiatives to promote fathers' engagement, prevent abuse and neglect, and address the dangers of social media. He has direct experience educating and supporting victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, training staff on sexual orientation and gender identity, and advocating for those in foster care. Marcus serves on the Board of Directors of the National Foster Parent Association and plays a leadership role in Connecticut's Fatherhood Engagement Leadership Team (FELT). He is also a member of Media Literacy Now’s National Advisory Council, which provides educators with advocacy and resources on media literacy education in schools.

Qur-an Webb, MSW

Qur-an Webb, MSW, is the Director of Operations at Welcome 2 Reality, LLC. Qur-an has been in the social work field for over 20 years. Qur-an is the Connecticut Chapter Lead for Media Literacy Now which focuses on education around media literacy. In this role, Qur-an was instrumental in getting Public Act No. 15-94 and Public Act No. 17-67 passed in Connecticut which now mandates school systems to educate the safe use of social media and computer programming instruction and create an advisory council must be was created related to digital citizenship, internet safety, and media literacy. He also works as an independent contractor and is an adjunct instructor. Qur-an is the vice president of the Association of Black Sports Officials. In this role, Qur-an advocates for the rights of and opportunities for Black sports officials and pushes for equality among officials. He also provides training and professional development opportunities domestically and internationally for the company.

We are joined by Benjamin Brubaker and Kate Gillespie of White Bird Clinic in Oregon. Both share their expertise in crisis intervention and discuss the CAHOOTS model (Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets).

Bios:

Benjamin Brubaker works as Administrative Coordinator of WhiteBird Clinic. He began serving White Bird in September 2006. Ben first started as a full-time Crisis Worker (Qualified Mental Health Associate) on WBC’s 24/7 Crisis Line and Walk-in Center. A few years later he joined the mobile crisis intervention team Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets ( also known as CAHOOTS) as a Crisis Worker. He has worked in the mental health field for over 18 years, having held positions such as: Crisis Worker, Hurricane Katrina Relief Operational Site Coordinator, Day Counselor for youth, AmeriCorps Team Leader, and Direct Care Provider. Ben is an active trainer at his agency and has a passion for sharing information about the CAHOOTS model with other communities interested in reimagining public safety.

Kate Gillespie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, she has worked for White Bird since 2010 as a crisis worker as well as a clinical supervisor, and an administrator. She has worked in the mental health field for nearly two decades. Kate’s background includes working in a state psychiatric hospital, local emergency departments, and crisis intervention for a mobile crisis unit. In addition to working at White Bird Kate has a private practice that focuses on healing trauma.

Serve Albany aims to make it easy for interested members of the Albany community to find a place to get involved, to volunteer, and to make a difference in their city. With kids home from school and limited in-person contact with individuals like teachers and coaches, now more than ever we need volunteers to be tutors and mentors. And that is what Serve Albany is focusing on in this week-long volunteer recruitment drive.

Jonathan Hentrich, who is the Director of Serve Albany and the Lead Pastor at Christ’s Church Albany, joins us to discuss more.

We were joined by Lakia Green who discussed Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma-informed care, with a particular focus on cultural and historical trauma.

Bio:

Lakia Green is the owner of One Spark Consulting, which specializes in in providing training, facilitation, and consulting services to organizations focused on advocacy, social justice, and societal change. She has over 25 years of experience in training, facilitation, and curriculum development. In addition, she is an experienced consultant, assisting agencies in identifying organizational deficiencies that can hinder growth.

Lakia’s passion is working in the area of diversity and inclusion. Using her unique Integral Diversity model, Lakia has helped numerous individuals and agencies discuss diversity-related issues and incorporate principles of inclusion into their organizational model. She combines her award-winning research and practical facilitation skills to deliver diversity training to groups across the country.

Lakia has a B.A. from the College of William and Mary and a M.A. in Organization Management and Development from Fielding Graduate University.

We were joined by three guests from the Spina Bifida Association of Northeastern New York - Executive Director Julia Duff, Heather Horwedel, and Michelle Miller. They discuss the agency, their upcoming Walk-N-Roll fundraiser, and why SBANENY is a great resource to those living with Spina Bifida and their families.

Dr. Phyllis Kosminsky's work focuses on grief, loss and trauma. She joined us today to discuss how Covid-19 changed the face of grief, both in the relation to death and non-death losses.

Bio: Phyllis Kosminsky is a clinical social worker in private practice in Westchester, New York, and at the Center for Hope in Darien, Connecticut, where her work focuses on grief, loss and trauma. Over the past 25 years, Dr. Kosminsky has provided individual counseling to hundreds of bereaved individuals, and has helped many more in bereavement support groups and in the aftermath of traumatic events. She has conducted trainings for mental health professionals nationally and internationally in the treatment of normal and problematic grief. Her publications include journal articles, book chapters, and the book Getting Back to Life When Grief Won’t Heal(McGraw Hill, 2007) Her book with John R. Jordan, Attachment Informed Grief Therapy: The Clinician’s Guide to Foundations and Applications was published by Routledge in February of 2016.

Dr. Kosminsky is an adjunct Professor of Social Work at Fordham University, and the Immediate Past President of the Association for Death Education and Counseling.

Tammy LaBrake, LCSW, is a therapist who specializes in the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). She discusses the disorder and the treatment methods that she uses in her clinical practice.

Bio:

Tammy LaBrake is a licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 30 years experience in a variety of settings. In 2006 she dedicated her outpatient private practice to the treatment of OCD. Before making it her sole mission to defy OCD, she taught social work courses at Siena College and held several different nursing home industry positions.

Now known for her expertise as an OCD therapist, Tammy is also the author of several books, including the OCD Coloring Book Journal, and theFace it With a Puzzle series.

Incoming MSW student, Cassie Lotker, speaks about relocating to Albany during the pandemic and protests, why she chose to move forward with her education during this time of so many unknowns, and why she's excited about starting her graduate work at UAlbany.

We are joined by Julie Bailey, LCSW, who discusses how to manage anxiety with children, roadblocks clinicians face when helping children cope with anxiety, activities for children to help them manage anxiety, and how we, as adults who are not immune to our own anxiety, can help children with their anxiety. Julie does regular workshops through the School of Social Welfare’s Continuing Education program and has an upcoming training scheduled for August 2020.

Bio: Julie Bailey, LCSW, has been a children’s therapist for approximately 19 years. After obtaining her Masters of Science in Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin, she participated in a year long certification course through Boston University specific to psychotherapy with children and the utilization of play therapy. She currently uses a variety of treatment strategies in her work, including play therapy, with children who have been sexually abused and traumatized. She is also a part-time lecturer at UAlbany for MSW students, teaching the Social Work Practice with Children class.

Alumna Natalie Turner discusses her experience as a BSW and MSW graduate, with a particular focus on her time in the Internships in Aging Project.

Bio: Natalie Turner is a case manager at the Alzheimer’s Center of Albany Medical Center. She received her BSW from the University at Albany in 2017 and continued on to get her MSW from the UAlbany, as part of the Internships in Aging Project. She has experience working with individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, facilitating support groups for people with the disease and caregivers, and delivering educational programs on Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Natalie is committed to helping people affected by dementia and their families.

Kevin O’Keeffe, Hilary Charles, and Cathy Vasquez are all licensed social workers at Albany Medical Center. They shared their experience about being medical social workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and discuss the importance of the social work profession. Social Workers are Essential Workers.

Bios:

Kevin O'Keeffe is a LMSW who graduated with his MSW in 2015 from U-Albany. He has been working at Albany Medical Center since August 2017. He has experience in providing Social Work interventions on Medical/Surgery Floors, and in the Emergency Room. He is currently the social worker on the Medical ICU, where he works with the Critical Care Team to provide families and patients support & guidance during a critical time in their lives.

Hilary Charles is an LMSW who graduated with her MSW in 2015 from Arizona State University. She has been working at Albany Medical Center since August 2018 initially assisting any unit that needed support and in May 2019 working on the Infectious Disease Unit. She has experience working with various populations across the lifespan. In her role as the Infectious Disease Medical Social Worker, Hilary assists patients by connecting them to resources within their communities and provides social and emotional support to patients and their families.

Cathy Vasquez is a LMSW who graduated with her MSW in 2017 from CUNY Hunter College in NYC. She has been working at Albany Medical Center since May 2018. She began as a medical social worker working in the outpatient pediatric hematology office and then switched over to the inpatient side of the healthcare field. She has experience in providing Social Work interventions on Medical/Surgery Floors on the Pediatric and Adult units. She is currently the social worker on the Medical Unit, where she works with the Interdisciplinary Team to provide families and patients support & guidance through safe discharge planning.

"Throughout history, sages, mystics, and philosophers called the place between certainty and 'what's around the corner,' 'the unknown.' Anticipating the unknown, 'the not knowing,' evokes anxiety when we lose sight of the harbor of our perceived safety. During this pandemic, social distancing, and isolation, 'what you thought you knew is dissolving,' according to Charles Eisenstein.

The desire and struggle to get back to 'normal' feeds the fear of uncertainty, compelling us to cling to what was, avoid what is, while trying to remain present."

William Mannel, LMFT shares his expertise in this area.

Bio:

Bill Mannle, LMFT is a Gestalt and Marriage & Family Therapist in private practice in Connecticut, USA. He is a former Adjunct Faculty in the Marriage & Family Program at Southern Connecticut State University where he served as a Clinical Supervisor and taught a course in Family of Origin.

As an international trainer and facilitator in the Family Constellations Method, he has conducted seminars in Connecticut, New York, California, Germany, Denmark, Australia, Mexico, Spain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Croatia & China.

Interested in the intersection of psychotherapy and spirituality, he is currently exploring “symptoms” as symbolic road signs for waking up.

“Meditation is about orientating ourselves to what is. When I sit down to meditate, I’m not trying to stop what is going on. I am trying to come into relationship with what is going on."

Karen Beetle, LMHC, is a therapist and mindfulness teacher in private practice in Albany, NY. She discusses how, in this time of uncertainty, we can incorporate mindfulness and meditation into our practice and our own lives.

Bio:

Karen Beetle, LMHC, is a therapist and mindfulness teacher in private practice in Albany, NY. She has been practicing meditation since 1995. Since 2006, she has been teaching Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) - the highly researched eight week intensive introduction to mindfulness meditation developed by Jon (CABET Zen) Kabat-Zinn. She has taught mindfulness to therapists, graduate students, community groups, and young people in the Capital Region for the past fifteen years. She continues to deepen her practice by sitting annual retreats and offering day-long and wilderness mindfulness practice opportunities.

UAlbany School of Social Welfare faculty members, Dr. Mary McCarthy and Dr. Catherine Lawrence, discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the child welfare workforce and the child welfare system itself, with a particular focus on tribal communities. Both Mary and Kate are involved with the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute, a collaborative organization that promotes organizational interventions focused on developing and retaining a diverse and effective workforce.

Bios:

Mary L. McCarthy, Ph.D., LMSW is a faculty member at the University at Albany School of Social Welfare. She is the Co-PI for the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute, Funded by the Children’s Bureau and Director of the Social Work Education Consortium, a partnership between the NYS Association of Deans of Schools of Social Work, NYS Office of Children and Family Services, and Commissioners of local Departments of Social Services in NYS. Dr. McCarthy worked in the child welfare field for 11 years both before and after receiving her MSW from the University at Albany in 1982. She was invited to work at Padjadjaran University in Bandung Indonesia in the fall of 2019 through the Fulbright Specialist Program.

Catherine K. Lawrence is an Associate Professor at the University of Albany School of Social Welfare. Her scholarship focuses on public human services, particularly in the areas of child welfare and income support. Her most recent research targets two key issues in child welfare organizations that prevent effective, just, services for children and families: workforce capacity and racial disparity. Dr. Lawrence is working with the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute to advance this research agenda. She also teaches introductory and advanced policy courses at the School of Social Welfare.

New York State now allows adult adopted persons and their descendants to request and obtain the adoptee’s original birth certificates. With this new law, the amount of adoption reunions may increase. Alumna Marie Dolfi, LCSW, is an Albany-based adoption counselor who works with all members of the adoption triad – adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents. Through her work with all members of this triad, she notes that adoption searches and reunion relationships are extremely complex and emotional, often leaving adoptees and birth parents overwhelmed in one of their most important life experiences.

Bio

Marie Dolfi is a NYS licensed clinical social worker in Albany, NY who is an adoption counselor, speaker, advocate, adoption support group leader, and Advisory board member of Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition NY. Marie received her BA in psychology from UAlbany in 1981 and her MSW in 1983. For over 25 years, Marie has diligently educated herself on relinquishment and adoption issues by attending adoption workshops, conferences, reading adoption books and adoption research, and listening to her greatest teachers - adoption triad members themselves. Marie’s website mariedolfi.com has detailed information about her services including the support groups she leads, her background, and adoption resources.

We virtually sat down with the National Association of Social Workers - NYS Chapter Executive Director, Dr. Samantha Fletcher, to discuss how the chapter is engaging with, and providing resources for, its members during this time of COVID-19. We discuss the role of social workers during this pandemic and how we can be at the table when addressing the inequities that are apparent during this pandemic.

Bio

Samantha Fletcher is an alumni of the School of Social Welfare at the University at Albany, where she earned an MSW and Ph.D. Prior to her tenure at the University at Albany, she worked for over 15 years in human services including a family law firm, a crisis pregnancy center, an Islamic school, as well as a personal training business.

While pursuing her Ph.D., Samantha served as the project coordinator of a peer support program for veterans, funded by the Joseph P. Dwyer Statewide Veteran Peer Support Program. She supervised the program development, implementation, and evaluation of 16 non-profit county programs focused on peer-delivered services. After earning her Ph.D., Samantha served as the Assistant Dean of Academic Programs and the Director of Admissions in the School of Social Welfare at the University at Albany. She worked with a diverse team of administrators and faculty to implement quality educational programming for social work students at all levels.

In September 2019, Samantha began her career with the National Association of Social Workers, New York State Chapter.

We were joined by Nick Pattison and Cassandra Grandeau, both 2nd year MSW students at UAlbany who are graduating this month. Nick was in the Albany Internships in Mental Health (AIMH) program and Cassie was in the Internships in Aging Project (IAP). They speak about their experience in each of their respective programs, why they wanted to work in the field, and how they are moving forward during this pandemic.

Sarah Mountz is an Assistant Professor at UAlbany’s School of Social Welfare and a faculty advisor of Fostering Leaders of Our World, a UAlbany student group composed of students with foster care backgrounds and their allies. She is joined by Selena Snow, the student Vice President of F.L.O.W., and they speak about the barriers to foster youth in higher education, how COVID-19 has impacted college students in foster care, what is being done at state levels to assist foster care youth during this time, and how social workers can support foster care youth.

Bios:

Selena Snow is finishing her sophomore year at UAlbany, where she is majoring in Psychology and minoring in Social Welfare. Selena has been in foster care since the age of three and is the vice president of the student organization, Fostering Leaders of Our World (F.L.O.W). F.L.O.W.'s mission is to advocate for improved educational access for foster youth and to raise awareness on campus about the experiences of UAlbany students with foster care backgrounds and to provide peer support.

Sarah Mountz is an Assistant Professor at University at Albany School of Social Welfare, where she teaches courses in Participatory Action Research, Human Behavior and the Social Environment, and Trauma Informed Child Welfare Practice. Dr. Mountz' research focuses on the experiences of systems involved LGBTQ youth and the educational experiences of foster care alumni. She is especially interested in youth organizing and activism.

In this segment, we interviewed Kristen Giroux who is the Deputy Director at IPH, formerly Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless. She discusses how IPH is responding during the COVID-19 outbreak, what this pandemic has shown about areas of need for the homeless population, and how individuals can support IPH.

Kristen Giroux is a licensed master social worker with 14 years’ experience working in human services. Kristen has been responsible for the development, growth, and strengthening of IPH’s diverse programs for the past eleven years. During her tenure, she has successfully written grants totaling over $1.5 million at the federal, state, county, and city levels. She is currently a Co-Chair of the Albany County Coalition on Homelessnessand serves on two of the Coalition’s committees. She is dedicated to serving the most vulnerable members of the community and ensures that IPH continues to provide the highest quality services. From her experience beginning as an intern while pursuing her master’s degree, she currently applies that experience at a decision-making level to actively improve homeless service systems while addressing the structural and institutional causes of poverty and homelessness.

In this episode we are joined by former journalist and reporter, Liz Benjamin, who shares information on how social workers can engage the media, navigate the political world for macro level change, and even create their own media content to get their message out.

About our guest:

Liz Benjamin currently is the Managing Director at Marathon Strategies, a communications and research firm. Before that, she was the host of “Capital Tonight”, a tv show that aired nightly on Spectrum News and focused on New York politics and policy. Benjamin was also the creator and editor of “State of Politics”, the show’s companion blog.

Prior to joining Spectrum News, Benjamin worked for four years at the New York Daily News, and for ten years at the Albany Times Union, where she covered everything from towns to Albany City Hall to the state Capitol, and she launched “Capitol Confidential” – the first blog focused on state politics operated out of the Capitol.

We were joined by UAlbany alumna, Erin Casey Pellegrino, who is the Vice President of Communications, Events & Marketing at the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE). She discusses her work at RISE, which is a nonprofit that educates and empowers the sports community to eliminate racial discrimination, champion social justice and improve race relations.

About our guest:

As Vice President of Communications, Events & Marketing, Erin Casey Pellegrino draws upon her nearly 20 years of experience in the sports and entertainment industries to bring RISE's mission to life through community outreach and storytelling opportunities.

An innovative leader with a global mindset, Erin has worked hundreds of live events, including 16 Super Bowls. Before joining RISE, she was the Director of Marketing & Communications at Sesame Street, where she provided strategic brand direction and creative oversight for their broadcast, digital and print campaigns. Prior to that, she spent 12 years with the NFL and New York Giants in their Communications, International and Events departments. Erin graduated from the University at Albany, where she was the Special Teams coach for the men's football team. She is a proud member of UA's Purple Family. An explorer at heart, she has visited more than 45 countries – including treks up Mt. Kilimanjaro and Machu Picchu. Erin resides in Manhattan with her husband, Matt.

This segment focuses on caring for our senior population during COVID-19. In part one, we are joined by Greg Olsen who is the acting director of the New York State Office for the Aging. The second segment features UAlbany School of Social Welfare alumna, Eden Hunter, who is employed at Shaker Place Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.

Greg Olsen is the acting director of the New York State Office for the Aging, where he oversees the agency’s day-to-day operations and the administration of federal and state-funded programs designed to assist the more than 3.7 million older adult residents in the state, as well as programs that assist family members and others involved with helping older adults needing greater levels of assistance. The NYS Office for the Aging assists older New Yorkers to be as independent as possible, for as long as possible, through advocacy and the development and delivery of programs and services that support and empower older New Yorkers and their families, in partnership with the network of public and private organizations that serve them. Greg has served in a variety of executive management positions within the agency.

Eden Hunter is employed at Shaker Place Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. She is originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota and came to Albany a few years short years go for graduate school. While at the UAlbany School of Social Welfare, Eden was also part of the Internships in Aging Project which is a program that is for MSW students who want to have a career working with the aging population.

In this episode, we discuss the UAlbany Big Event that occurred this past weekend... virtually. In the first half of the segment, we speak with the Dr. Martha Asselin who is the Director of the UAlbany Center for Leadership and Service and the Assistant Director, Cheryl Simmons.

The second half we are joined by Dr. Mary Ellen Mallia who is the Director of the Office of Environmental Sustainability at UAlbany. She discusses the #FillItForward campaign that was launched this past weekend at the Big Event and other initiatives that the Green Scene will be launching.

This student spotlight feature highlights UAlbany BSW senior, Sebastian Vidal. Sebastian a member of Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity, Presidential Honor Society, Psi Chi National Psychology Honor Society and Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society. Sebastian serves as a Peer Career Advisor, is the Vice President of the Baccalaureate Social Welfare Association, and a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters. He also served as a Resident Assistant. Sebastian is published in the inaugural Social Work student-led journal ‘Critical Conversations’, and was sponsored on a 5-week service learning trip in the Dominican Republic last summer with The DREAM Project. Sebastian is a social work intern at Albany International Center and also interns at the UAlbany Center for Leadership & Service on his initiatives for DREAM. Lastly, Sebastian has received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence & the President’s Award for Leadership - Outstanding Senior award.

Joe Bonilla is the managing partner, Senior Media Director and cofounder of Relentless Awareness, an Albany-based communications firm that specializes in Crisis Communication.

Joe Bonilla joined us recently and discussed all of the messages we have been getting from businesses, brands, and organizations, as well as what we can do to support local businesses and non-profits during this time. With information changing not only daily, but hour by hour, Joe joins us again to share some tips for organizations moving forward, what is currently happening in the Albany community to help those in need, and how we can support local businesses.

We are dedicating some episodes to highlight the experiences, research, and accomplishments of UAlbany School of Social Welfare students. This episode features BSW senior Jessica Rodgers.

Jessica Rodgers is a senior at UAlbany preparing to enter the Advanced Standing MSW program. She has an associate degree in human services, is the president of the Baccalaureate Social Welfare Association. She has spent the last several months as an intern with the Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley. Prior to going back to school to pursue a social work degree, Jessica worked with adults who have dementia and discovered a passion for direct-care work that had not been satisfied by her previous field of public relations. When she's not studying or at work, she enjoys reading and playing video games.

Jonathan Jones is the Commissioner of Recreation, Youth and Workforce Services for the City of Albany. He has served in that role since January 2014. He is a member of the 2016 class of the Albany Business Review's 40 Under 40. Jonathan is a graduate of the University at Albany, earning both his bachelor's in sociology and his master's in Education Administration and Policy Studies.

Loretta Pyles, PhD, is Professor at the School of Social Welfare at the University at Albany and Director of the PhD Program. She is also a meditation and yoga teacher, workshop leader, organizational consultant, and activist. Her work focuses on disasters, community organizing, and body-mind-spirit social practice. She is the author of Healing Justice: Holistic Self-Care for Change Makers; Progressive Community Organizing: Transformative Practice in a Globalizing World; and co-author of Production of Disaster and Recovery in Post-Earthquake Haiti: Disaster Industrial Complex.

Holly McKenna is president of the Friends and Foundation of the Albany Public Library (FFAPL) and past president of the Albany Public Library Board of Trustees. She discusses the ways that the FFAPL helps the Albany Public Library, the services available to the community, and how we can support.

With the coronavirus the focus of much of what is in the news right now, today’s guest is well versed in communication during a crisis and will speak to us about all of the messages we are getting from businesses, brands, and organizations, as well as what we can do to support local businesses and non-profits during this time.

Joe Bonilla is the senior media director, and co-founder of Relentless. Recognized as a leading communications professional based in the Northeast, major brands, companies, organizations, and public figures rely on Bonilla’s counsel and insight in moving their message forward with impressive results. One of Joe’s specialities is crisis communication and rapid response

Mary L. McCarthy, Ph.D., LMSW is a faculty member at the University at Albany School of Social Welfare. She is the Co-PI for the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute, Funded by the Children’s Bureau and Director of the Social Work Education Consortium, a partnership between the NYS Association of Deans of Schools of Social Work, NYS Office of Children and Family Services, and Commissioners of local Departments of Social Services in NYS. Dr. McCarthy worked in the child welfare field for 11 years both before and after receiving her MSW from the University at Albany in 1982. She was invited to work at Padjadjaran University in Bandung Indonesia in the fall of 2019 through the Fulbright Specialist Program.

About Kevin Hofmann:

Accomplished writer and public speaker Kevin Hofmann has appeared across the United States sharing his experience and guiding parents, students and professionals through today’s multicultural landscape. His perspective and light-hearted yet contemplative view resonates with people of all cultures and is sought by many. Kevin has been interviewed by media including Nightline ABC and NPR and is quickly becoming a trusted voice on the topics of race and adoption.

Kevin’s layered racial resume has led him to write Growing Up Black in White, a compelling memoir revealing his difficulties and joys growing up in a diverse family –particularly during a time and in a location where acceptance was tentative and emotions regarding race ran high and hot. Because his story also addresses the impact of race and culture in society, it serves as a catalyst for open discussions on diversity and inclusion as well as race and culture. Kevin has worked with several K-12 school districts, universities, and adoption agencies as a consultant in the area of cultural intelligence.

Hofmann lives with his wife and two sons in Toledo Ohio..

Emily Connor is an MSW student at UAlbany. Currently, she is interning at a mental health clinic. Her internship during her undergraduate career, at United Tenants of Albany, sparked a passion for systemic reform that has carried on throughout her graduate career. She has been coordinating with Citizen Action with the goal of establishing a student volunteer group. She hopes this group will bridge the gap between micro and macro students, showing the importance of unity and a drive for social change.

Samantha Rini, LMSW is the Political Education Program Manager at Citizen Action of New York. She is also a licensed social worker and an alumni of the UAlbany School of Social Welfare (graduated in '18). Samantha has been working at Citizen Action for 6 months in this new program where the major goal is to shift the narrative about income inequality in our society and that racial justice is economic justice. She knows we must move forward through collective activism that calls out racial capitalism and its' societal impacts in communities and relationships.

Citizen Action of New York is a grassroots, membership organization that spans New York State- from New York City to Buffalo. They fight for social, racial, economic and environmental justice, and battle against the forces of racial capitalism. Citizen Action approaches their issue work on a trajectory of structural reforms. They take on issues that make people’s lives better today while creating the political and ideological environment for transformational change and a world full of opportunity, love, respect and dignity.

Dr. Nicole MacFarland is the Executive Director of Senior Hope Counseling, Inc. & Executive Director of The Senior Hope Foundation, Inc. In May 2014 she graduated from the University at Albany’s School of Social Welfare Ph.D. program. Her dissertation focused on geriatric addictions. She is currently Clinical Assistant Professor for the School of Social Welfare and Clinical Associate Professor for the School of Public Health Policy, Management and Behavior for the University at Albany. Ms. MacFarland is the recipient of a Hartford Doctoral Fellows Pre-Dissertation Award and the 2009 Individual of Distinction in Addictions Education and Training Award for NYS. In 2010, she was honored as Social Worker of the Year for New York State at the Annual NASW-NYS conference. Over the past twenty five years, Dr. MacFarland has published two book chapters, several articles, developed on-line courses and has lectured locally, state-wide and nationally.

Hannah Reinhardt, a senior distance runner from Clarence, N.Y. is one of the most decorated distance runners in UAlbany program history, repeating as America East individual cross country champion this year, setting school records at both 5K and 6K, becoming the first Great Dane to win NCAA XC Regional championships, and qualifying for NCAA XC Championships. Today she speaks about the personal story she wrote for the America East Conference's AE Voices series. Their #BetterTo9ether initiative aims to help create more mentally healthy environments for AE student-athletes.

Amanda Matteson is UAlbany alum, a current School of Social Welfare doctoral student, and a Veteran. She is also an employee for the SUNY Research Foundation and does program evaluation for a veterans’ peer-to-peer support program, which she has been doing for the past five years. Amanda discusses her experience as a student veteran, the needs of student veterans, and her experience working with the veteran population.

Read more: https://blog.suny.edu/2019/11/an-education-is-helping-her-form-the-transition-from-service-to-country-to-support-of-others/

Lenize Villaca Cardoso is a visiting scholar at UAlbany from Sao Paolo, Brazil. Her dissertation is on the culture and history of college radio stations in the U.S. and Brazil. She will use her findings to apply to Mackenzie University's radio station in Brazil.

Stephanie Deyo is the Training Coordinator of the Surrogate Decision-Making Committee (SDMC) Program at the NYS Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs where she advocates for timely medical care for individuals with disabilities. Stephanie is responsible for recruiting and training volunteers who serve on the SDMC panels to make medical decisions on behalf of individuals who lack capacity and have no authorized, available, and willing surrogate to act on their behalf. In addition to her role at the Justice Center, she volunteers at Ellis Child and Adolescent Outpatient Treatment Center providing counseling services to children and families through a structural lens.

Prior to joining the Justice Center, she worked as an Outreach Specialist for the Homeless Action Committee Outreach Van for two years advocating and connecting individuals to services in the community. Additionally, she has several years of experience working with children who have autism supporting them with social and emotional development.

In May of 2019, Stephanie obtained her Master of Social Work from the School of Social Welfare, University at Albany. Stephanie has always had a passion for working with vulnerable populations and educating others to ensure individuals with disabilities and mental health disorders receive fair and equal treatment.

Fredrick W. Erlich is a founder and CEO of Living Resources, a not-for-profit health and human services agency has helped over 5,000 people with developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder and brain injuries throughout the Capital Region of New York State. Earlier in his career he served as Assistant Director for Program Development for the NYS Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities and Executive Director for the NYS Chapter of National Society for Autistic Children. Mr. Erlich holds a bachelor’s degree in political science, masters in Social Welfare, and Masters in Business Administration from the State University at Albany. He was named as a Distinguished Alumni. He served as an adjunct professor at the School of Business to teach human resource and organizational management classes.

Among the list of awards received, he is most proud of:

• 2019 Annual Elder Law Forum Panelist, June 2019

• The 2019 Champion of Character Award for Business and Community Leadership, The Academy for Character Education

• Anschel Weiss Community Builder Award – Jewish Family Services NENY

• The 2016 Excellence in Public Service Award from the University at Albany Alumni Association

• The 2011 Tech Valley Chamber of Commerce Not-for-Profit Agency of the Year for a service with more than 75 employees from the Albany-Colonie Chamber of Commerce

• The “2010 Achievement Award” as the best not-for-profit of the year from the Business Review

• The “Leadership Award in Promoting Employment” from the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities

• The Hudson Valley Community College “Lifetime Achievement” Award

• The Bishop Hubbard Award for promoting and creating services for people with disabilities

• The “Civic Leadership Award” from the Academy for Character Education at The Sage Colleges

• The “Ed Roberts Advocacy Award” from the Center for Independence of the Capital Region

• The “Visionary in the Field of Aging and Disabilities Award” from the Capital Area Consortium on Aging and Disabilities

Mary Moller, MSW, CAS, comes to us from The Center of Excellence for Alzheimer ’s Disease at Albany Med, and has worked in the community for over 16 years assisting families and caregivers as they try to balance many of the demands placed upon them. Mary is also an author of her new book, Alzheimer's Through the Stages, A Caregivers Guide. As a graduate from UAlbany School of Social Welfare earning an MSW, Mary has returned to the program as an adjunct professor and is pursuing her Ph.D. Mary has also earned a graduate Certificate of Advanced Study in Health and Wellness. In addition to her vast experience in aging and community based social work, Mary has presented at many conferences addressing caregiver health and wellness, compassion fatigue, caregiver burnout and speaks to the importance of prioritizing care for the caregiver.

Jonathan Richardson is a Communications and Special Projects Officer and will be working on communications, impact reporting, and special initiatives. Jonathan has over 8 years of communications and development experience. He is the current President of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Hudson Mohawk Chapter and was recently awarded AFP Global’s 2019 Oustanding Young Professional Fundraiser. Richardson is active in his community and passionate about professional development, community change, and social justice. One of his most notable achievements is the creation of the Emerging Nonprofit Leadership Accelerator program, which works to attract rising leaders working at New York Capital Region nonprofits and provide them resources, support and a network to succeed and stay in the sector. Richardson also serves on the board of Mission Accomplished Transition Services and the Capital District Chapter of the New Leaders Council.

He earned his Master of Social Work and Master of Public Administration degrees at University at Albany, SUNY, focusing on nonprofit management and social welfare policy. He completed research projects on the effectiveness of a nonprofit’s board of directors, marketing for human service agencies, and collaborations between local governments and nonprofit organizations. He received his bachelor’s degree in Religion, Linguistics and Gender Studies from the University of Rochester.

Teresa Gil, PhD, has a master’s degree is in Professional Studies in Humanistic Education, and her second is in Clinical Social Work. She also has a Ph.D. in Social Work from the State University of New York at Albany. She is the author of 'Women with Histories of Childhood Sexual Abuse: Mothering, Resilience, and Protecting the Next Generation'.

For over twenty-five years, Teresa has been a psychotherapist, professor, and trainer. She has a private practice working with women, children, and families dealing with addictions and recovery from child abuse and trauma. She is a full professor at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York, where she teaches General Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Child Psychology, and Psychology of Women. Her courses emphasize biological, psychological, and sociological factors that shape human growth and development. She has also taught on the graduate level.

Teresa works as a trainer and consultant in human service settings and has developed and facilitated more than two dozen workshops and clinical trainings on pertinent clinical and therapeutic issues. Her child welfare workshops are designed to provide child welfare staff with the knowledge and skills necessary to help assess and respond to families in crisis, including techniques for engaging families in a working relationship and skills for intervening effectively with clients. Teresa has facilitated large group workshops on communication, parenting skills, and family relations.

Lynn A. Warner is Professor and Dean in the School of Social Welfare at the University at Albany, SUNY. Although she just completed her first year as Dean at the school, she has been on the faculty at SSW for more than 10 years. During that time she’s taught in the MSW and PhD programs and collaborated with faculty and staff in many administrative roles, including director of the MSW program and associate dean for research.

Her research focuses on disparities in the delivery of mental and behavioral health services, especially disparities experienced by groups who are vulnerable because of low-income status or age, and who are racial or ethnic minorities. She has published more than 60 peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters and her research has been supported by more than $1 million in national foundation and federal government grants. Currently, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is supporting her current project to use Medicaid data merged with mortality data from 20 states in the U.S. to identify suicide risk profiles among youth. She is also funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Research Leaders Initiative for a study of how behavioral health service providers in rural New York are adapting to significant changes in the way Medicaid managed care reimburses for their services.

Dean Warner is proud to be a first generation college graduate who earned a Master of Public Policy Degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and MSW and PhD degrees in sociology and social work from the University of Michigan.

Alix Foisy is a social worker and therapist in the New York capital region who specializes in working with individuals who suffer from anxiety, those with chronic pain and illness and older adults. She is also a local yoga teacher and social entrepreneur who provides education on the reduction of anxiety and the retirement transition. She pairs the mind-body techniques of yoga with the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy model to help clients address how they feel emotionally and physically and to make a solid commitment to their goals. Alix discusses social entrepreneurship and how more social workers can get involved.

Victoria M. Rizzo, LCSW-R, PhD, Associate Professor, School of Social Welfare, University at Albany, SUNY has dedicated her career to demonstrating the value of social work in health care settings through her research, teaching, and workforce development activities. Dr. Rizzo’s research examines the impact of social work, and interprofessional interventions that include social workers, on health care utilization, health, and behavioral health outcomes for older adults coping with chronic illnesses, elder abuse, and care giving. She also examines the implications of the findings of her work for health care policy and the financing of the provision of social work services to older adults and their caregivers. Dr. Rizzo has extensive experience as a health care social worker and has conducted research with colleagues at Kaiser Permanente Health Care Systems, Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and the Jewish Association Serving the Aging (JASA) in New York City.

Dr. Rizzo has published 39 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. She is currently co-editing a textbook, entitled Gerontological social work and the grand challenges: Focusing on policy and practice. Dr. Rizzo is a distinguished scholar and fellow of the National Academies of Practice (Social Work Academy), a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine, and a John A. Hartford Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholar.

The author of 'On Conquering Schizophrenia', Robert Francis, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 10 years experience as a mental health therapist. However, it is his own 25-year-long battle with schizophrenia that makes this book different.

Read more: https://www.albany.edu/news/91728.php

This unique episode mixes old and new content for an engaging segment on media savvy social work.

UAlbany President, Dr. Havidan Rodriguez, sits down with The Social Workers to discuss the past, present and future of the University. UAlbany is celebrating its 175th year... Happy Birthday, UAlbany.

UAlbany SSW Associate Professor, Dr. Heather Larkin, shares her expertise on homelessness, adverse childhood experiences (ACE), Restorative Integral Support (RIS), and mind/body/spirit interventions.

In this 2015 throwback episode, now available via podcast, editor and author Harry Rosenfeld joins 'The Social Workers' as a guest. Mr. Rosenfeld has spent years as an editor at The New York Herald Tribune and the Washington Post. As the Metro Editor at the Post, he oversaw Woodward and Bernstein in the Pulitzer Prize-winning expose of Watergate. After leaving the Post, Mr. Rosenfeld began working with the Albany Times Union and Knickerbocker News. Although he retired in 1998, he continues to serve as a consultant to the Times Union and sits on its editorial board as Editor-at-Large. In 2013, Harry wrote From Kristallnacht to Watergate: Memoirs of a Newspaperman, which is a memoir of his childhood in 1930s Berlin under Nazi rule and his career path from the New York Herald Tribune to the Washington Post.

Gretta Hansing, Nicole Gentile, Bob Wright, and Will Schaefer, sat down with The Social Workers to discuss their MSW Capstone Project which tackles food insecurities.

Aside from listening, save the dates of April 29th - May 22nd when there will be a food drive happening. Boxes will be on all of the UAlbany quads/apartments, in the Campus Center and right here on the Downtown Campus.

When an infection goes unchecked, sepsis – a life-threatening systemic infection – can result. And the majority of sepsis cases begin at home, where diagnosis can take longer.This is not widely known, and until recently, efforts to combat this deadly disease focused on hospitals, not on identifying sepsis at home.

Al Cardillo, a lecturer in the School of Social Welfare, is leading the efforts to stop sepsis in at-risk patients being cared for at home, and was recently honored for his work. He is a 1981 LMSW alum of the School.

Read more: https://www.albany.edu/news/87449.php

Rossana Coto-Batres is the Education and Training Coordinator at the Northeast New York Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (NENYCOSH). She has a background in social work and has worked to train refugees and immigrants around

nutrition, health and safety topics. As an immigrant and children of immigrants, she has first-hand experience understanding the struggles many Latino and immigrant workers face in the U.S. Upon graduating from the University at Albany School of Social Welfare Master's Program in 2016, she completed the Occupational Health Internship Program, where she assisted in the coordination of a Trainers Exchange for 40 Spanish-speaking OSHA 10 trainers in the field of construction in New York City. This experience exposed her to the field of occupational safety and health, which combines her passion for immigration advocacy, public health, community organizing, climate justice, and environmental justice. She has experience training workers following natural disasters, and traveled with a team of occupational safety and health trainers to Houston to facilitate a Disaster Relief Train-the-Trainer program. Using her background in social work and as a yoga instructor, Rossana integrates elements of self-care and resiliency into trainings and conferences. Rossana serves on the Board of Directors of the National Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health, the Board of Directors of the New York Bicycling Coalition, NASW Program Review Committee and the Office of Mental Health Statewide Multicultural Advisory Committee.

Jennifer Harvey is the Education Specialist at Eddy Alzheimer's Services. She has been with EAS since 2016, and helped to develop their current programing under the Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Initiative from the NYS Department of Health. Jennifer has a Master of Social Work with a concentration in Gerontology from University at Albany (SUNY) and a Bachelor of Science in Special Education from The College of Saint Rose. She has experience in education, long-term care, adult day services, management, program development, and caregiver support services. She is a Certified Dementia Practitioner and dementia trainer for professional and family caregivers.

As part of the MSW curriculum, the UAlbany School of Social Welfare has been offering a capstone course in Community Engagement and Social Change. Taught by Associate Professor, Dr. Eric Hardiman, the course challenges students to develop and implement community-based social change projects that embody the values of social justice and the social work profession.

"EducateMeToo" is a group of 4 MSW students at the SSW (Anna Fields, Elisa Donato, Angela Grimshaw and Yvonne Garcia) who are dedicated to increasing awareness in their community about rape culture and toxic masculinity in light of the #MeToo movement. They will be holding a film screening and panel discussion on the new documentary film, The Bystander Moment: Transforming Rape Culture at its Roots, presented by Jackson Katz.

The event is FREE and will be held on April 23rd from 5pm-8pm on the UAlbany Downtown Campus in Milne 200. Parking will be made available for non-students/faculty and light refreshments will be provided. Register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/F6HFKFY

Chelsea Turnbull, Aubrea Ageda, Eileen Duran, Erin Caligiuri and Michelle Williams (all 2nd year MSW students) discuss how the book, 'Becoming' by Michelle Obama, motivated them to become more involved with policy work. This interview is in connection with their class, Women and Social Policy instructed by Dr. Kate Lawrence.

Kira Kosydar, Liz Sellman, Alison Kosinski, Natalie Brown, and Rae Eubanks (all 2nd year UAlbany MSW students) discuss how reading 'Redefining Realness' by Janet Mock helped them to have a better understanding of social policy in social work. This was done in connection to their class, Women and Social Policy.

Robert N. Swidler is the Vice President of Legal Services for St. Peter’s Health Partners, the Capital Region’s largest health care system, with 5 hospitals, 7 nursing homes, a medical practice with over 350 physicians, and many other facilities and services.

Mr. Swidler is also Editor of the NYS Bar Association Health Law Journal, a Governor’s appointee to NYS Task Force on Life and the Law, on the adjunct faculty of both the Alden March Bioethics Center at Albany Medical College and the Union Graduate College / Mt. Sinai Bioethics Program.

Over the years, Mr. Swidler played a significant role in drafting and advocating for several health care laws, including New York’s Health Care Proxy Law (1990) and Family Health Care Decisions Act (2010).

Laqueena Fernandez, Michelle Knightes, Jill Holland and Christina Hess Al-Junaid speak about their experience creating the RISE Leadership Conference for Women. This conference is part of their MSW Capstone Project.

Please join us for the first annual RISE Conference!

Reach

Inspire

Soar

Excel

Women Inspiring Confidence. Raising Awareness.

Hosted by four MSW students known as 'Social Works!'from the University at Albany's School of Social Welfare, RISE is an interactive conference aiming to provide young women with the skills needed to become professional leaders. Speakers from a variety of professional backgrounds will speak about their experiences as leaders and facilitate discussions and activities. There will be networking opportunities in order to foster space for organic mentoring. All speakers and facilitators are women who hold leadership positions in Albany community.

Topics will include:

Self-Care and Mindfulness

Leadership in Business and Politics

Women, Leadership, and Diversity

Leadership and the Arts

*When: Wednesday, April 10th 2019 from 11:30am-5:30pm

*This event is FREE and open to the public as well as University at Albany students

*Lunch will be provided

*Location: University at Albany's Downtown Campus, Milne 200

Register Here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3CSRBWF

Questions or concerns, contact Social Works! via email at SocialWorksAlbany@gmail.com

In this past live segment, now available on podcast, Sean Erreger, LCSW discusses his use of blogging and social media in social work, particularly with the topic of suicide prevention. Sean also explains how social media platforms, such as twitter, can be used for professional development, advocacy, networking, and much more. You can find more about Sean's work on twitter @StuckOnSW and at www.stuckonsocialwork.wordpress.com.

This episode was recorded during October's Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Barbara Rio-Glick is the Assistant Director of the BSW program at UAlbany's School of Social Welfare. Her area of expertise is in Domestic Violence.

Dr. Victor Asal is Chair of the Department of Public Administration and Policy and a Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University at Albany.

Asal’s research focuses on the choice of violence by nonstate organizational actors as well as the causes of political discrimination by states against different groups such as sexual minorities, women and ethnic groups. In addition, Asal has done research on the impact of nuclear proliferation and on the pedagogy of simulations. Asal has been involved in research projects funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the Department of Homeland Security, the National Science Foundation, and the Office of Naval Research.

Asal teaches courses on world and comparative politics, political violence and oppression, negotiation and research design. He has worked as a negotiation trainer in a variety of academic, governmental and military settings. Asal also is a past director of the Center for Policy Research.

Critical Conversations is the new student-led journal at the School of Social Welfare. The mission of the journal is to further the accomplishments of students in the School of Social Welfare by sharing knowledge and ideas cultivated by those in the BSW, MSW and PhD programs. The first issue will be released on March 13th as part of the school’s celebration of Social Work Month.

The editorial team sat down with 'The Social Workers Radio Talk Show' to discuss how this journal came to be, the process to make this idea a reality, and what we can expect in the first issue. The team includes PhD students: Amanda Aykanian, Nurul Widyaningrum, Catherine Kramer, Andrea Onstot, Dewi Kartikawatiningsih and Kirsten DiNicola.

Eunju Lee received her bachelor’s degree from Ewha Womans University (this is a correct spelling of this University) in South Korea and studied issues on gender equity, family policy, race and ethnicity, and immigrant adaptation in the University at Albany Sociology department. From 1999 to 2012, Dr. Lee conducted program and policy evaluation in the area of child welfare with the Center for Human Services Research using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Dr. Lee joined the SSW faculty in 2012 and teaches courses in MSW child welfare policy, MSW program evaluation, and a doctoral research methods seminar. Dr. Lee’s current research primarily focuses on two funded projects; the Healthy Families New York program and the Kinship Care Demonstration Project. Healthy Families New York is a home visiting program to improve the well-being of vulnerable mothers and their children. The project includes both process evaluation to improve program practice and a randomized trial which follows the participants over 15 years to assess program effectiveness. The second project, the Kinship Care Demonstration Project, aims to identify needs of kinship families, examine child welfare history and outcomes of children in kinship care, and asses the utilization of available resources by kinship families.

Marie Dolfi, LCSW sits down with Alyssa Lotmore of the Social Workers Radio Talk Show to discuss how identity formation is more complex for adoption triad members due to relinquishment, lack of information, the merging of family backgrounds and society’s negative portrayal of adoption and triad members. She includes information on the developmental stages of identity formation for adopted individuals with special focus on teenage years and transracial adoption.

The Executive Director of the National Association of Social Workers - NYS Chapter was a guest on our February 28th live show. Samantha Howell, Esq. spoke about the importance of legislative advocacy in social work.

NASW-NYS is a host of Social Work Legislative Education and Advocacy Day (LEAD) which is happening in Albany on Tuesday, March 5th 2019. The goal of this event is to further social workers’ knowledge about policy issues in substantive areas of social work practice, teach participants about legislative advocacy, and provide an opportunity for social workers to lobby on behalf of specific legislation.

Mark Lane, LCSW-R has over 29 years of experience in the mental health field including positions as a school, private practice and outpatient mental health social worker. His work focuses on collaborating with clients and helping them use strengths to obtain their goals. Mark also specializes in group therapy for children, adolescents and young adults. He provides solution focused training to therapists and teaches a graduate level class on solution focused therapy at the State University of New York at Albany.

Guest: Samantha Fletcher of UAlbany School of Social Welfare. Her research interests include social activism, social justice, peer support, program evaluation, gerontology, and veterans. In this 15 minute segment, Sam discusses her qualitative research on lifelong social activists and the connection to social justice.

This episode featured Sandy Camper who is a licensed acupuncturist. She recently gave a presentation at UAlbany on restoring vitality for older adults with the principles of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. As a holistic form of care, Chinese medicine addresses the psycho-emotional, as well as, the physical aspects of health. In the interview today, Ms. Camper will discuss how the principles of Chinese medicine can be used to identify imbalances in older people. She will also discuss how Chinese Medicine is uniquely able to identify and treat trauma, even when the trauma is in the distant past.

The Small Enterprise Economic Development (SEED) program is a loan program for future entrepreneurs and small business owners. UAlbany School of Social Welfare is a partner in this collaborative effort. Four UAlbany student interns speak about their work in the SEED program and how it relates to social work.

Students: Paige Meyers, Lieyeka Thomas, Ashley Whiteside, and Ibtissam "Ibby" Elboukari

Program Director: Kelly Gross

Dr. John Forsyth is a highly sought after teacher and trainer in the personal and practical use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and mindfulness practices to alleviate human suffering, awaken the heart and spirit, and to cultivate living well. He is also a professor of psychology and director of the Anxiety Disorders Research Program at the University at Albany.

Social workers can be media savvy. We must use appropriate media tools to inform the public, engage new community groups in problem solving, and advance new knowledge on current pressing social issues and on the resources, services, and supports to address them. Through these venues we can contribute to a better understanding of who we are as social workers and what we do as agents of change in society. Joe Bonilla, a leading communications professional, joins us to discuss how we can be media savvy social workers.

Bio:

Joe Bonilla is the managing partner, senior media director, and co-founder of Relentless. Recognized as a leading communications professional in the Northeast, major brands, companies, organizations, and public figures rely on Bonilla’s counsel and insight in moving their message forward with impressive results. From bringing ridesharing to Upstate New York and Long Island, promoting the burgeoning craft beverage industry, working with rising leaders at the local, state, and federal level, and lifting startup thrifts to Fortune 500 companies into the public conversation, Bonilla works tirelessly to enhance and advocate for each Relentless client.

Active within the community, Bonilla also serves as president of the board of directors for Capital CarShare, Inc., managing director of the Knickerbocker Film Festival, and is a board member for the University at Albany Alumni Association, Troy Preparatory Charter School, and Maria College. Bonilla previously served as chairman of the City of Albany’s Public, Educational, and Government Access Oversight Board. Bonilla is also a regular panelist of WAMC Northeast Public Radio’s nationally-syndicated and award-winning news and discussion program The Roundtable.

Bonilla, a graduate of the Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy at the University at Albany (B.A., Public Policy), has recognized by the Hispanic Coalition of New York (40 Under 40 Latino Rising Stars 2012), the Albany Business Review (40 Under Forty 2014), University at Albany (Thirty Under 30 2014), City & State Magazine (Albany Rising Stars 2017), and Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy (Young Alumnus in Political Science 2017).

Website: http://www.relentlessaware.com

Twitter: @joe_bonilla

Yoga Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Y-CBT): New research based treatment model which blends traditional psychological strategies with yogic practices and philosophies to address symptoms of anxiety and co-occurring symptoms of depression.

www.Y-CBT.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/YogaCognitiveBehavioralTherapy

Published workbook based on the Y-CBT treatment model: The Yoga-CBT Workbook for Anxiety

Dr. Manjit Kaur Khalsa Ed.D., co-creator of Yoga - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Y-CBT) is a highly experienced Psychologist, practicing at Riverside Community Care @ Upton, and in Private Practice in Millis MA. She is a long time yoga teacher and President of Sikh Dharma of MA, which houses Yoga at the Ashram in Millis, MA.

Julie Greiner Ferris is a Licensed Independent Social Worker with over 25 years of experience in the treatment of mental health issues. A graduate of Boston College GSSW, she is co-creator of Yoga - Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Y-CBT), and is currently the Program Director of Outpatient Services at Riverside Community Care, in Upton Massachusetts.

Award-winning filmmaker Edgar Barens sat down with the Social Workers Radio Talk Show to discuss his documentary film titled 'Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hill'. A screening of this documentary was held at the University at Albany School of Social Welfare on September 30th, 2015.

This episode featured Sheryl Kaplan, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, who discusses the impact of poverty, trauma and addiction on the developing brains of children. She speaks on how schools, families and communities can help address the resulting challenges.

The A-to-Z Self-Care Handbook with Dr. Erlene Grise-Owens and Dr. Justin "Jay” Miller

Dr. Erlene Grise-Owens and Dr. Justin "Jay" Miller spoke with co-hosts Alyssa Lotmore, LMSW and Dr. Eric Hardiman on The Social Workers Radio Talk Show about their book, 'The A-to-Z Self-Care Handbook for Social Workers and Other Helping Professionals'.

Dr. Grise-Owens, Dr. Miller, and Mindy Eaves are the editors of the book.

Editors of ‘The A-to-Z Self-Care Handbook for Social Workers and Other Helping Professionals’

“Self-care is an imperative for the ethical practice of social work and other helping professions. From A (awareness) to Z (ZZZZ--Sleep), the editors and contributors use a simple A-to-Z framework to outline strategies to help you build a self-care plan with specific goals and ways to reach them realistically.” The editors will discuss the inspiration for the book, the importance of self-care, and why we should read this book!

Erlene Grise-Owens (Ed.D, LCSW, LMFT, MRE), Mindy Eaves (CSW, MSW), and Justin “Jay” Miller (PhD)

Dr. Danna Bodenheimer spoke with co-hosts Alyssa Lotmore, LMSW and Dr. Eric Hardiman on The Social Workers Radio Talk Show about her new book, 'On Clinical Social Work: Meditations and Truths From the Field’.

Dr. Danna Bodenheimer, author of Real World Clinical Social Work: Find Your Voice and Find Your Way, discusses her book.

More information: https://www.socialworker.com/products-services/social-work-books/introducing-real-world-clinical-social-work-find-your-voice-/

Sherry Saturno is a national award social worker and dually licensed as a Nursing Home Administrator and Clinical Social Worker. She holds Master's degrees from Columbia and Long Island Universities. Sherry is a Stanford Certified Project Manager and completed a national post graduate fellowship at New York University Silver School of Social Work. She previously wrote and produced a national award winning documentary short film called "Human Investment", and has been published in Social Work Today and The New Social Worker Magazines.

Amanda Aykanian is a doctoral candidate at the University at Albany School of Social Welfare. She is also a Research Associate at Advocates for Human Potential in Albany, NY and serves as the Research and Project Lead for the National Center for Excellence in Homeless Services. She has more than 10 years of experience in community-based process and outcome evaluations, with expertise in quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. Broadly, her research interests include program and policy implementation, service system dynamics, the criminalization of homelessness, and the mobility of people experiencing homelessness. Her most recent work focuses on exploring the relationship between service use and the geographic mobility of people experiencing homelessness.

Elizabeth Cronin, Director of the NYS Office of Victim Services (OVS), sat down with co-host Alyssa Lotmore to discuss why the agency is an important resource in the communities around the State. January is also Human Trafficking Awareness Month and OVS is hosting a film screening on the topic on the UAlbany campus.

Dr. Loretta Pyles and Dr. Juliana Svistova, authors of 'Production of Disaster and Recovery in Post-Earthquake Haiti: Disaster Industrial Complex', discuss how media, policy, and NGO discourses created fertile conditions for the disaster industrial complex to flourish, including profiteering, non-profiteering, and militarized humanitarianism, all of which further disenfranchised Haitian citizen-survivors. At the same time, the authors show how Haiti was ripe with resistance, mutual aid, and community building.

Loretta Pyles, PhD, is Professor at the School of Social Welfare at the University at Albany and also a yoga and meditation teacher, workshop leader, and organizational consultant. Her new book is 'Healing Justice: Holistic Self-Care for Change Makers'. She is also the author of 'Progressive Community Organizing: Reflective Practice in a Globalizing World' and co-editor of 'Holistic Engagement: Transformative Social Work Education in the 21st Century'.

Dr. Mary McCarthy, of UAlbany School of Social Welfare, discusses the importance of college students registering to vote and participating in elections. She speaks about the importance of voting to political action, community power and social justice.

Joe Bonilla, managing partner and co-founder of Relentless Awareness, joined us for an engaging and informative discussion about voting, election polling and how campaigns are evolving.

Ogden Rogers, Ph.D. being interviewed on the SOCIAL WORKERS radio talk show. Originally broadcast on December 11, 2014 on WCDB 90.9 FM at the University at Albany, State University of New York. Dr. Ogden Rogers, author of Beginnings, Middles, and Ends: Sideways Stories on the Art & Soul of Social Work

Cessie Alfonso, a licensed social worker, speaks about her career as a forensic social worker who focused on death penalty cases. In this segment, Cessie talks about how she got into the forensic social work career, how new social workers can explore this specialization, and what this career is really like.

Our yearning to connect and belong is primal. The force that pushes and pulls one towards another is love. Unhealthy patterns from the past whether due to loss, war, abuse, deprivation or other traumas, can spread across generations and cause the heart to shut down. If left unattended, this disruption in the flow moves into the shadows and echoes through the family landscape often emerging in the present as an illness, emotional difficulties, addictions, anxiety depression, and broken relationships.

With its roots in Family Sculpting, Family Systems Theory and Psychodrama and Gestalt Therapy, Family Constellations is a unique, phenomenological approach to resolving generational trauma. A kind of "living map," it provides a creative and profound way of seeing into the hidden dynamics that shape our lives and the suffering we experience. It has the potential to touch us on a deep energetic level, to find the movements necessary unblock the flow of love, to open the heart, and to reconnect with those we love past and present. This work deepens the respect for the mystery of life and the forces that shape it.

Bill Mannle, LMFT is a Gestalt and Marriage & Family Therapist in private practice in Connecticut, USA. He first trained in Family Constellations between 2003-2005. He has since conducted seminars in Connecticut, New York, California, Germany, Denmark, Australia, Mexico, Spain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, and Croatia. He has led workshops in schools for both adolescents and teachers and is currently exploring Constellations as a method of supervision.

http://billmannle.com

Social issues faced by communities are increasingly complex, transcending the boundaries of any one agency, organization or profession. Across the country and the world, communities are looking for new and innovative ways to leverage existing resources in ways that better meet the needs of marginalized and disadvantaged populations. Though working across boundaries – whether professional or organizational – offer new opportunities to develop strong communities, it also comes with the challenges inherent to group-based work. The collective impact approach provides a framework and best practices for navigating collaborative work and its challenges.

Dr. Sarah Mountz, of UAlbany SSW, discussed her work with, and the experiences of, LGBTQ youth in fostercare. She spoke about her current research at UAlbany, where she is doing participatory research with students on campus who are in foster care.