inSocialWork - The Podcast Series of the University at Buffalo School of Social Work

In this episode, Drs. Craig and Muskat discuss their qualitative study of social work roles in hospital settings. Seven major roles emerged from their analysis: bouncer, juggler, janitor, broker, firefighter, glue, and challenger. Drs. Craig and Muskat draw attention to the importance of understanding and articulating the value added by professionally trained social workers toward understanding and addressing the social determinants of health.

In this episode, UB School of Social Work faculty members and co-directors Susan Green and Thomas Nochajski introduce the new Institute for Trauma and Trauma Informed Care. They describe the series of events and experiences that led to the development of the Institute and how the needs of the service delivery systems in the Buffalo area led to the development of, and continue to inform, the Institute's mission. Current activity and future plans are discussed.

In this episode, Dr. Robin Bonifas discusses her research on senior bullying and relationship changes in assisted living facilities. Dr. Bonifas shares her findings on how seniors experience problematic behaviors in assisted living facilities, how they cope, and their ideas on how to address bullying at the individual and facility level.

In this episode, Dr. Amy Watson and Brian Kelly discuss their research into Forensic Assertive Community Treatment, an adaptation of traditional ACT that attempts to explore the unique challenges faced by previously incarcerated persons with mental illness as they re-enter communities. Dr. Watson and Mr. Kelly interpret their findings and advocate for a broader response beyond focus on this population's mental illness to an appreciation for environmental factors (such as housing) in the population's attempts to avoid recidivism and experience success in the community.

In this episode, Dr. Janis Whitlock discusses the disturbing phenomenon of self-injurious behavior among adolescents and young adults. Dr. Whitlock discusses the causes, prevalence, and risk factors of self-injurious behavior and explains its active though maladaptive coping dimension as well as the challenge of finding effective treatment.

In the second of a two-part podcast, Dr. Shelly Wiechelt and Dr. Corey Shdaimah return to conclude the discussion of their research into women engaging in street-level prostitution in Baltimore, Maryland.

In this episode, Dr. Elizabeth Strand discusses Veterinary Social Work (VSW) as a subspecialty of social work practice that is a part of the One Health Initiative. One Health embraces the fact that health and well-being among humans, animals, and the environment are inextricably linked - a concept that adheres to social work's guiding "ecological perspective." Dr. Strand offers an introduction to VSW and her work in it.

In part one of a two-part podcast, Drs. Wiechelt and Shdaimah discuss their research of women in prostitution in Baltimore, Maryland. They describe how they were drawn to study the women, explain the importance of debunking popular myths related to this population, and emphasize why trauma-informed services rather than punitive and shaming responses are warranted.

In this episode, Drs. Engle and Craig discuss their training and research study in which they adapted Motivational Interviewing (MI) skills to a strengths-based case management already in place at an agency. They describe their experience in developing MI skill acquisition in service staff, the unique needs of this population, and MI's broader applications based on their findings.

Dr. Gibson speaks about her research exploring the experiences of kinship caregivers parenting African American children, who are disproportionately suspended under school zero tolerance policies. Dr. Gibson describes the emotional and relational costs of suspensions on families and strategies to help caregivers (often grandmothers) avoid pitfalls in the education system.

In this podcast, Dr. Eugene Walls discusses his research on school engagement among sexual minority students. His research is aimed at understanding the contributing roles of school climate, adult allies, and gay-straight alliances in predicting academic outcomes.

In this episode, Dr. Manisha Joshi utilizes a unique lens to look at a familiar topic. She describes her research regarding the role of changing attitudes related to intimate partner violence (IPV) in three Central Asian countries. Dr. Joshi discusses what she has learned about the context in which IPV occurs in these countries and its impact on help-seeking and reporting behavior of the women who live there.

In this episode, Dr. Pam Miller discusses her research on social worker attitudes, values, and practices since the enactment of Oregon's Death with Dignity Act.

The Living Proof Podcast Series is taking a break for the holidays. This short message, recorded by our hosts, offers holiday wishes on behalf of our team and a taste of what's in store for our listeners in the new year.

In this episode, Dr. Nicole Ruggiano discusses a client-driven and self-directed approach to consumers' long term health care, providing an alternative to traditional, agency-provided and managed care. She describes the positive outcomes related to the consumer-directed model and anticipates the barriers and costs in embracing the approach.