Dr. Toft and PhD candidate, Ruti Soffer-Elnekave dive into what neoliberalism actually is and why it matters in social work practice. They discuss  transactional interaction and exchange, social contracts and social provisioning,  marketization and the important connection to social service providers and non-profit work.  The hosts also discuss the complexities of the social work profession as it relates to client engagement, risk assessment, and prevention.

RESOURCES and transcript available at:
https://cascw.umn.edu/portfolio-items/theoretical-underpinnings-in-child-welfare-podcast-series/

Episode 1: What is Neoliberalism…and Why Does it Matter for Social Work?

Dr. Jessica Toft and PhD candidate Ruti Soffer-Elnekave take a look at what early research tells us about how neoliberalism affects child welfare services. For example, limits on worker protections such as unions, healthcare accessibility, and government regulations on TANF for families.

RESOURCES and transcript available at:
https://cascw.umn.edu/portfolio-items/theoretical-underpinnings-in-child-welfare-podcast-series/

Episode 2:

IIn this episode, Erin Ward, from the University of Minnesota LEND Program (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities), interviews Heather Van Brunt, Program Manager at MN Adopt. MN Adopt is an organization in Minnesota that provides support and resources to foster and adoptive families. Erin also interviews Alyssa Mason, a pediatric occupational therapist working in a school district. Alyssa is a second year LEND fellow. Both guests share information and insight for foster and adoptive families in the midst of navigating parenting resources, specifically for children who have experienced trauma.

RESOURCES:
https://www.mnadopt.org/
https://lend.umn.edu/
https://www.proofalliance.org/
https://adoption.umn.edu/
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/index.html
https://www.hennepin.us/residents/human-services/seniors-disabilities-supports
https://www.pacer.org/
https://adoptionsupport.org/

Disability and Child Welfare Episode 4: LEND interview with Heather Van Brunt and Alyssa Mason

Faith Eidson, LMSW interviews Dr. Marva Lewis to discuss the impact of early caregiving relationships on a child’s ability to self-regulate.

RESOURCES:
http://www.psychology.sunysb.edu/attachment/online/inge_origins.pdf
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258144317_Attachment_and_Culture

Attachment and foundations of self-regulation

Christine Cole, LCSW, IMH-E interviews Kristin Irrer, IMH-E to discuss how recognizing the various developmental needs of children is crucial for Child Welfare workers in order to appropriately engage with youth and families.

Applying a developmental lens to child welfare work

Kate Walthour, MSW, LISW talks with Anna Paulson, M.Ed. and Janell Schilman to discuss the referral and evaluation process when there are concerns about a child’s development and when screening is required through the Child Protection and Treatment Act (CAPTA).

RESOURCES:
Help Me Grow Minnesota 
https://vimeo.com/596213650/abcefc7f10
Pacer Center-Champions for Children with Disabilities
https://www.pacer.org/
Help Me Connect
https://helpmeconnect.web.health.state.mn.us/HelpMeConnect/

The importance and process of early childhood screening

Kristin Johnson, MSW interviews Professor Daniel Berry to explore the interactions between genetics and the environment on a child’s brain development.

RESOURCES:
Institute of Child Development:
https://icd.umn.edu/
Childrens Emotional Development is Built into the Architecture of Their Brains
https://cascw.umn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Childrens-Emotional-Development-Is-Built-into-the-Architecture-of-Their-Brains.pdf

Applying a neuroscience lens to child welfare work

In this episode of the Heart of Supervision podcast, Mimi Choy-Brown (host) talks with Dr. Alyssa Meuwissen from the Reflective Practice Center at the Center for Early Education and Development at the UMN about the basics of what reflective supervision is and how it could be an important tool for the child welfare workforce.

RESOURCES:
https://ceed.umn.edu/reflective-practice-center/
https://ceed.umn.edu/reflective-practice-center/reflective-interaction-observation-scale-rios/

The Reflective Supervision/Consultation Model with Dr. Alyssa Meuwissen

There is a movement of energy in, through and around each of us. Meditation can be an incredible tool to help us respond to these energies. People who enter into professions such as child welfare tend to be sensitive and empathetic, and are naturally more impacted by the energy of others. Finding ways to address these energies and messages can be profoundly helpful. This initial episode of The Practice Space offers an introduction to the meditation skills that can help us to build resistance and better sustain ourselves in practice.

Episode 1: Creating Space In and for Ourselves in Practice: An Introduction

Introducing a series of child welfare related podcasts featuring a varietry of topics, people and perspectives.  The series will touch on chemical and mental health, disabilities, theoretical underpinnings in child welfare and more.

Intro Core Series

The Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW) is committed to connecting child welfare professionals to relevant and accessible training resources. We are excited to bring you the latest in research, policy, and practice via podcasts. This channel will cover a wide range of topics and will feature interviews with researchers, policy makers, frontline child welfare workers, community members, and many others. If you would like a transcript of any of our podcasts, please visit our website podcast page: https://cascw.umn.edu/podcasts/.