Listen.Up.People.: Recent Episodes
USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
Listen.Up.People. features faculty, alumni and community partners of the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work who are dedicated to advocacy on the most critical issues of our time. We’re talking about what’s happening and why it’s happening.
The practices of social work and dentistry have common threads rooted in well-being.
Roseann Mulligan, DDS, the Charles M. Goldstein Professor of Community Oral Health and associate dean of dental public health and community outreach at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry at USC, and Margarita Artavia, teaching professor at USC Social Work, created an interdisciplinary collaboration and internship program that provides compassionate, comprehensive oral health care to underserved individuals and communities in Los Angeles.
music by The Intimate Yellers, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube
For four decades, research has proven that Housing First – an evidence-based approach based upon principles of consumer choice, harm reduction and immediate access to permanent independent housing – produces higher rates of persons exiting homelessness than any other approach that’s been studied. Yet, these results are now being challenged by the federal government.
Ben Henwood, professor, and Sam Tsemberis, who developed the Housing First approach and founded the Pathways Housing First Institute, discuss this groundbreaking model that has been at the forefront of efforts to end homelessness.
music by The Intimate Yellers, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube
Public child welfare is one of the most misunderstood areas of social work practice, and which also tends to generate the most publicity.
Debra Waters-Roman, teaching professor, and Richard Carranza, MSW '15 and supervising children’s social worker for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, collectively bring 40 years of experience working with LA DCFS to dispel some of the myths around the services provided.
music by The Intimate Yellers, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube
Use of the arts can be an important tool for improving mental health in social work practice, often acting as a bridge to build trust between client and therapist.
Michal Sela-Amit, associate teaching professor, and Danielle Brown, associate teaching professor, are advancing the use of art and expressive practices to improve health and wellness.
music by The Intimate Yellers, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube
Tech and AI are everywhere – even in social work.
Jennifer Parga, associate teaching professor, and Jenebah Lewis, associate teaching professor, are creating pathways for ethical uses of technology in social work training and practice, preparing the next generation of professionals.
music by The Intimate Yellers, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube
People experience and interact with the world around them in many ways, with no one "right" way of thinking, learning and behaving.
Christina Paddock, associate teaching professor of practicum education, and Mona Kay, PhD '01 and founder of Neurodiverse Love, focus on the positive aspects of neurodiverse children and adults, helping them address challenges and empowering them to thrive.
music by The Intimate Yellers, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube
Community violence and trauma disproportionately impact marginalized youth populations. Studies show that youth who become involved with the juvenile justice system often begin their lives with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) or involvement with Child Protective Services.
Robert Hernandez, associate teaching professor, and USC MSW alumna Angela Montijo who works with Girls Empowerment Network in Austin, Texas, are youth justice advocates who seek to humanize the children trying to find their way out of a challenging system.
music by The Intimate Yellers, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube
It is often community response, such as mutual aid and collective action, that mitigate the most immediate impacts following a natural disaster.
Michàlle Mor Barak, Dean Endowed Professor of Social Work and Business, and Bistra Dilkina, Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Early Career Chair in Computer Science at USC Viterbi School of Engineering, are collaborating on a study that combines social science with machine learning to measure the positive effects of community resilience at the geographic level.
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A social worker’s ability to inform policy can often bridge the gap between community needs and government action to build a more just society. Sam Mistrano, associate teaching professor, and PhD alumna Melissa Bird who is running for congress in Oregon's 4th district, discuss how social work and public policy are deeply intertwined.
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People living with HIV and AIDS today are the first generation to age with this disease and pioneer a path for what that means. Sara Schwartz, associate teaching professor, and Paul Nash, instructional professor of gerontology at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, focus on this population of people aging with HIV/AIDS, and how our systems can best support them.
music by The Intimate Yellers, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube
School social workers play an increasingly important role in fostering students’ social and emotional well-being for productive learning in the classroom. Kerry Doyle, associate teaching professor, and MSW alumna Maria Ruelas, district social worker for the Lawndale Elementary School District, have experienced many different sides of social work in educational settings, in the training and education of school social workers and on the ground in classrooms.
music by The Intimate Yellers, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube.
Over half of individuals who die by suicide do not have a known mental health condition, and given that 50 – 60% to not tell anyone beforehand, and a core challenge of suicide prevention is identifying those most at risk of falling through the cracks. Carl Castro, professor and director of military and veterans programs, and John Blosnich, associate professor, are creating upstream interventions to illuminate and address this crucial gap in suicide prevention.
music by The Intimate Yellers, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube.
Health interventions in social work go beyond hospitals and medical facilities to shine a light on how social determinants can impact specific health conditions, and how interventions can be modified to reflect the culture and experience of the patient. Shinyi Wu, associate professor, and Jane Lee, associate professor, are conducting novel research with practical applications at the intersection of social work and physical health.
music by The Intimate Yellers, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube.
An estimated 27 million people are exploited for labor, services and commercial sex globally. Annalisa Enrile, teaching professor, and Holly Priebe Sotelo, associate teaching professor, have dedicated their careers to preventing and combatting human trafficking, with a vision to eradicate trafficking in all its forms.
music by The Intimate Yellers, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube.
More than ever, the disproportionate impact of climate-related disasters and pollution on marginalized communities is making climate change a significant social determinant of health. Michelle Zappas, director of the Master of Science in Nursing program, and Rick Newmyer, senior lecturer, are members of the sustainability faculty workgroup at USC Social Work that is addressing issues around environmental justice and impact.
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For over 10 years, the Interprofessional Education and Collaboration for Geriatrics (IECG) has trained USC students across the five health sciences schools to provide coordinated, team-based and patient-centered care specifically tailored to the needs of older adults. Dawn Joosten-Hagye, teaching professor at USC Social Work, and Tatyana Gurvich, associate professor of clinical pharmacy at the USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, are members of the IECG faculty who are putting theory into practice across seven health professions.
Read more about IECG's research on the impact of interprofessional education:
Journal of Interprofessional Care
Journal of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy
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Sports can serve as a protective factor for at-risk populations from elementary school to professional athletes. Steve Hydon, teaching professor of practicum education, and Aimee Odette, associate teaching professor, are members of a collaborative faculty group that created the Transformative Power of Social Work and Sports course at USC, demonstrating how the integration of social work and sports can promote inclusivity, personal growth and foster positive change within communities and society.
music by The Intimate Yellers, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube.
In 2024, 48.4 million people aged 12 or older struggled with substance use disorder in the past year. Olivia Lee, associate professor, and Jennifer Lewis, teaching professor, are members of the USC Institute for Addiction Science which aims to revolutionize the way substance use is discussed, treated and prevented, including the development of the first Master of Addiction Science degree at a major university melding social work, pharmacy and medicine together.
music by The Intimate Yellers, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube.
Approximately 80% of calls to police are social service related, including situations involving people experiencing homelessness, youth-involved crime or de-escalation of a disturbance. Rosemary Alamo and Rick Ornelas are the creators of the Social Work and Public Safety Program, a first-of-its-kind capacity-building partnership that integrates social work with law enforcement agencies and public safety organizations.
music by The Intimate Yellers, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube.
Active-duty service members and veterans experience their greatest challenges and vulnerabilities at key points of transition in their military careers. Carl Castro, director of military and veterans programs, and Sara Kintzle, research professor, are improving care for service members, veterans and military families during transitions by impacting policy - focusing not just on meeting their needs but ensuring they are equipped to thrive.
music by The Intimate Yellers, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube.
We have been the most intelligent species by far for tens of thousands of years. Now we created something that could compete with us in the very near future. John Oberg, DSW ’22 and CEO of Precina Health, and Josiah Bryan, chief technology officer for Precina Health, use AI to improve health and well-being, yet are deeply concerned about the role of AI in the workplace and how it may impact our daily lives.
music by The Intimate Yellers, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube.
Studies have shown that individuals who survive a violent crime or traumatic event will experience social and emotional problems as a result. Ruth Supranovich, associate dean for community and clinical programs, and Sarah Caliboso-Soto, clinical director of the Telebehavioral Health Clinic, are the creators of the Trauma Recovery Center – the first dedicated trauma center at USC - helping survivors in the community heal so they can live long, healthy and productive lives.
music by The Intimate Yellers, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube.
Every year, roughly 600,000 children spend some time in foster care. Julie Cederbaum, associate professor, and Sara Jimenez McSweyn, senior lecturer, delve into the issues related to experiences in the foster youth system, what happens when they age out of foster care, and support and resources needed for foster youth to thrive.
music by The Intimate Yellers, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube.
Overall, LGBT individuals experience significantly higher rates of mental and behavioral health problems than their heterosexual peers, yet efforts to address these disparities in the research world are lacking. Through their own research, John Blosnich, associate professor, and Gabriel Robles, assistant professor, envision of a world that promotes the physical, emotional and social well-being of all people regardless of sexual orientation.
music by The Intimate Yellers, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube.
For many people, homelessness is an issue that appears unsolvable and the best we can hope for is to mitigate it. Ben Henwood, professor and director of the Center for Homelessness, Housing and Health Equity Research, and Seth Pickens, managing director of the USC Homelessness Policy Research Institute, unapologetically believe it is within our reach to end homelessness in the United States, and discuss the challenges and potential solutions.
music by The Intimate Yellers, available on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube.
Maria Hydon, clinical associate professor, interviews Steve Hydon, clinical professor, about his extensive work on combating secondary traumatic stress and compassion fatigue.
Dr. Terence Fitzgerald, clinical associate professor at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, shares personal stories of his first experiences with overt racism and systemic racism in school.
Dr. Ruth White, clinical associate professor at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, shares her personal experience with systemic racism and thoughts on the proposed repeal of California's Prop 209, Affirmative Action Initiative.
Immigration can be a complex topic. USC faculty are working to understand and serve the unique needs of immigrants, refugees, and the communities they are part of. Join us for a candid and engaging conversation with two social work experts, Maria Hu and Omar Lopez, at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.
Professor Hu spent most of her career as a Psychiatric Social Worker for the LA Unified School District and is a consultant for the U.S. Department of Education as an educator on resilience strategies for educators. She developed a mental health initiative with the Consulate of El Salvador in Los Angeles to provide free short-term counseling regardless of immigration status.
Professor Lopez is a former undocumented immigrant from Mexico with significant professional experience in the field of immigration. He is the principal investigator of an international project that is seeking to improve the child protection system in El Salvador.
Homelessness is a hot button topic, but what exactly is it? USC faculty are at the forefront of pinpointing the underlying causes and unique social, emotional, and healthcare needs of people experiencing homelessness. Join us for a candid and engaging conversation with two social work experts, Benjamin Henwood and Eric Rice, of the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.
Professor Henwood is a national proponent of "Housing First," a model focusing on placing people in permanent supportive housing. He is also co-lead of the national Grand Challenge to End Homelessness. Professor Rice focuses on youth experiencing homelessness and works with colleagues in the USC Viterbi School of Engineering to merge social work science and artificial intelligence, utilizing technology to seek novel solutions to homelessness.
Both professors teach students in the USC Master of Social Work (MSW) program and use real world examples and research to prepare students to make an impact in their communities.
It's time for people to listen up about child trauma! This month we discuss how experiencing high levels of daily trauma can effect an individual's development throughout their lifetime.
It's time for people to listen up about child trauma! This month we discuss how experiencing high levels of daily trauma can effect an individual's development throughout their lifetime.
Hosted by Dr. Terence Fitzgerald, clinical associate professor, with Dr. Kim Finney, clinical associate professor, clinical psychologist and retired Air Force officer; and LAPD Officer Cody Silva, of the Newton Division in South Los Angeles and a recent graduate of the LEAD program, a joint venture of the LAPD and the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.
Hosted by Dr. Terence Fitzgerald, clinical associate professor, with Dr. Kim Finney, clinical associate professor, clinical psychologist and retired Air Force officer; and LAPD Officer Cody Silva, of the Newton Division in South Los Angeles and a recent graduate of the LEAD program, a joint venture of the LAPD and the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.
Host Dr. John Brekke, Frances G. Larson Professor of Social Work Research, is joined by Dr. Concepcion Barrio, associate professor, Dr. Paula Helu-Brown, assistant professor of psychology at Mount St. Mary's University, and alumnus Luis Juarez, MSW ‘17, a former undocumented immigrant, to discuss this issue and the work being done to provide solutions.
Host Dr. John Brekke, Frances G. Larson Professor of Social Work Research, is joined by Dr. Concepcion Barrio, associate professor, Dr. Paula Helu-Brown, assistant professor of psychology at Mount St. Mary's University, and alumnus Luis Juarez, MSW ‘17, a former undocumented immigrant, to discuss this issue and the work being done to provide solutions.
Host Dr. Terence Fitzgerald, clinical associate professor, Dr. Gabriel Crenshaw, clinical assistant professor, and Esther Lim, alumna and adjunct lecturer talk openly and honestly about the conscious choice to keep some people higher than others.
Host Dr. Terence Fitzgerald, clinical associate professor, Dr. Gabriel Crenshaw, clinical assistant professor, and Esther Lim, alumna and adjunct lecturer talk openly and honestly about the conscious choice to keep some people higher than others.
Host Dr. Terence Fitzgerald, clinical associate professor, Dr. Gabriel Crenshaw, clinical assistant professor, and Esther Lim, alumna and adjunct lecturer talk openly and honestly about the conscious choice to keep some people higher than others.
Host Dr. John Brekke, Frances G. Larson Professor of Social Work Research, is joined by Dr. Eric Rice, associate professor, and Lyn Morris, senior vice president of clinical operations at Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, to take a deep dive into this growing public health crisis.
It's time for people to listen up about child trauma! This month we discuss how experiencing high levels of daily trauma can effect an individual's development throughout their lifetime.
Hosted by Dr. Terence Fitzgerald, clinical associate professor, with Dr. Kim Finney, clinical associate professor, clinical psychologist and retired Air Force officer; and LAPD Officer Cody Silva, of the Newton Division in South Los Angeles and a recent graduate of the LEAD program, a joint venture of the LAPD and the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.
Host Dr. John Brekke, Frances G. Larson Professor of Social Work Research, is joined by Dr. Concepcion Barrio, associate professor, Dr. Paula Helu-Brown, assistant professor of psychology at Mount St. Mary's University, and alumnus Luis Juarez, MSW ‘17, a former undocumented immigrant, to discuss this issue and the work being done to provide solutions.
Host Dr. Terence Fitzgerald, clinical associate professor, Dr. Gabriel Crenshaw, clinical assistant professor, and Esther Lim, alumna and adjunct lecturer talk openly and honestly about the conscious choice to keep some people higher than others.
Host Dr. John Brekke, Frances G. Larson Professor of Social Work Research, is joined by Dr. Eric Rice, associate professor, and Lyn Morris, senior vice president of clinical operations at Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, to take a deep dive into this growing public health crisis.