The Social Work Lens

“She said that the only thing that made this thing (a child being removed from their home) even a teenier bit more bearable, was that she saw tears in the social worker’s eyes” – Dr. Nicki Weld describing compassionate courage.

Join host Kate Cunningham as she talks with Dr. Nicki Weld about the concept of courage, and the importance of caregivers and child welfare workers being authoritative and compassionate in their relationships with children and families.

Show notes and Transcripts available at: https://vermontcwtp.org/podcast/

 

 

Join Cassie as she talks with Dr. Laura Biggart about The Team as Secure Base Model.  The Team as a Secure Base model is an adapted version of Gillian Schofield and Mary Beek’s Secure Base model (we have an episode on this- check it out!) used in foster care, adoption, residential care and schools; and draws from social workers’ experiences and their articulation of what helps create trust as a foundation for effective teamworking.

Show notes and transcripts available at: https://vermontcwtp.org/lens-podcast/

Safety and Security are at the heart of any meaningful relationship, especially the relationship between caregiver and child. In this episode, Cassie talks with Professor Gillian Schofield PhD about the Secure Base model, which provides a framework for building positive relationships and promoting security and resilience, not only in foster care, adoption, and residential care, but also in schools, workplace teams and a range of diverse settings. The Secure Base model, used widely in the United Kingdom and abroad, draws from attachment theory and proposes five dimensions of caregiving, each of which is associated with a corresponding developmental benefit for the child.

 

Show notes and transcripts available at: https://vermontcwtp.org/lens-podcast/

Talking with kids about their sexual development can certainly be uncomfortable. When you are a caregiver or a Family Services worker, having those conversations with a child you barely know might feel doubly uncomfortable. Add to that a limited knowledge of normative sexual development; maybe sprinkle in some myths, values, and a healthy sense of shame instilled upon you in your own upbringing, and you’ve got yourself one heck of an uncomfortable conversation. 

 

In today's episode Tammy Leombruno will continue talking about using a continuum of behavior to help us identify when sexual behavior is normative, of concern or potentially problematic; how to respond in the moment; when to reach out for help and she’ll suggest some resources to support you in your own learning. Show notes and transcripts available at: https://vermontcwtp.org/podcast/

Talking with kids about their sexual development can certainly be uncomfortable.
When you are a caregiver or a Family Services worker, having those conversations with a child you barely know might feel doubly uncomfortable. Add to that a limited knowledge of normative sexual development; maybe sprinkle in some myths, values, and a healthy sense of shame instilled upon you in your own upbringing, and you’ve got yourself one heck of an uncomfortable conversation.

In this episode Tammy Leombruno will talk about using a continuum of behavior to help us identify when sexual behavior is normative, of concern or potentially problematic; how to respond in the moment; when to reach out for help and she’ll suggest some resources to support you in your own learning. Show notes and transcripts available at: https://vermontcwtp.org/podcast/

 

Join host Pete Cudney and guest Nam Holtz as they explore some of the complexity of adoption and transracial adoption. Adoption is complicated, transracial adoption even more so. In this conversation Nam highlights the importance of examining some of our taken for granted assumptions, and the need to have open and sometimes uncomfortable conversations to best support children and families involved in adoptions.

Show notes and transcripts available at https://vermontcwtp.org/podcast/

 

Last season we brought you an introduction to Safety Culture and Safety Science with Mike Cull.  Well guess who’s back? On today’s episode Cassie & Pete welcome Mike Cull and his colleague Elizabeth Riley to talk about Why Feeling Connected to your Colleagues Matters.  Mike and Elizabeth will help us explore the connection between psychological safety and workplace connectedness, they’ll talk to us about professional intimacy, and help us strategize how to use these concepts in the workplace.

Link to show notes and transcripts at our website: https://vermontcwtp.org/podcast/

What is an uncomfortable conversation and why should we have them?   Join Cassie Gillespie & Kate Cunningham as they dig into uncomfortable conversations, what happens in your body when we try to have them, and some tips to have them more effectively.

Transcripts and show notes available at https://vermontcwtp.org/podcast/ 

 

 

Youth in DCF custody can feel stigmatized by the many stereotypes and common misconceptions about their experiences.  Jaylyn and Ashley were two youth in custody who are now young adults; they discuss how the assumptions made by the professionals and caregivers in their lives have impacted them, and they offer thoughts for improving relationships with youth in care.