Our podcast page features our own APHSA recordings as well as Essential Listening of interest to our members, including our Partners’ recordings. Podcasts allow us to take a deeper dive into important, timely topics effecting health and human services professionals and the individuals, families, and communities you serve. If you’re interested in adding to our podcast library with your own favorites, let us know!

APHSA Podcasts

Podcasts produced by APHSA, along with podcasts featuring APHSA as guest speakers.



Season 2, Episode 4 – Learning to Stand in Your Greatness

Shaneen Moore, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services Children and Family Services and Director of the Administration’s Child Support Division, tackles the effects of imposter syndrome that many BIPOC leaders face, as well as the deep importance of listening to people with lived experience.

Shaneen’s career in the human services sector began with an understanding of the value she brought as someone whose life was significantly enriched by the human services system. She stood in stark contrast to others who were on a more traditional career path, and so this episode talks about those differences along with the approach Shaneen takes to ensure she’s able to serve the communities of Minnesota while always being her authentic self.
Gain insight into what leaders can do to enhance their work with people from diverse backgrounds and learn what it means to stand in your greatness.

“Whiteness in Plain View: A History of Racial Exclusion in Minnesota,” by Chad Montrie: https://amzn.to/48zpcnj



Season 2, Episode 3 – Being Bold: Building Safe and Inclusive Communities

Emeka Madu, the Health and Government Solutions Manager with KPMG, joins us to share his unique perspective as a leader of color and second-generation Nigerian immigrant. Working within the private sector, Emeka is able to offer a different take on nationwide human services work than what we’re used to hearing.

For Emeka, it’s been about leaders being able to help others feel seen and applying that understanding to their approach to mentorship. He sees his personal history as a testament to that need and a reason to ensure that we include all identities in the conversations that drive us forward. This episode speaks to the necessity for BIPOC leaders to be bold in their efforts to build safe and inclusive communities while taking on underrepresentation in their respective industries.



Season 2, Episode 2 - Intersectionality and Authenticity

We speak to Jonathan Palmer, a nonprofit management consultant with director-level experience in local community centers throughout Minnesota. Jonathan details raw personal experiences that have not only shaped his professional journey but shed light on the profound impact of race on our nation.

Throughout the interview, he delves into the historical injustices that have disproportionately affected certain communities while also outlining tactics that leaders can adopt to take on the modern-day implications of the past—within the human services sector and beyond.

Listeners are given a call to action to create positive change while understanding that change comes through connecting with others and building something better together within your community.



Season 2, Episode 1 - Empowering Voices, Inspiring Change

In this discussion, Edgard Martinez, the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Manager at Children and Families First, connects insights from his personal and professional journey to the many challenges that race and sexual orientation present to BIPOC leaders. He discusses his work to create programs and structures that empower LGBTQ+ youth while also challenging the legal restrictions that impede their growth and well-being.

Pairing his passion for positive change with a long-term vision that recognizes the realities ahead, Edgar shows us that this work will not always be easy, but it will be worth it. His thoughts on how leaders can create a more inclusive environment will help you to build stronger organizations as you support individuals from diverse backgrounds.



Season 2, BONUS Live Episode - Nurture Yourself, Sustain the Work

In this exciting bonus episode of Disrupt the Dialogue, hosts Tina Wright Irvin and Alex Figueroa welcome their first live audience. Recording at the APHSA National Human Services Summit 2023 in Baltimore, MD, this episode gathers past guests from season one in a discussion focused on the importance of self-care for those of us in the human services sector.

The conversation moves from the personal—how individuals incorporate self-care practices such as journaling—to the more structural, as they talk about the challenges of helping others while working in spaces where they are sometimes asked to adjust who they are.

This panel of experts dives deep into the motivations behind their work, why they do it, and how they continue to do it while also offering advice and perspectives from years of experience. Listeners are provided with a road map for how they can sustain their efforts to better their communities and themselves.






Season 2, Episode 1: Nothing Can Be Changed Until It is Faced

As we kick off season 2 of Our Dream Deferred, co-hosts Tracy Wareing Evans and Karen Heller Key take a moment to reflect on their journey together and what brought them to their individual roles as advocates for positive social change. Episode 1 stories include family histories of taking on injustice along with recent changes in the world that have brought stark relief to issues of racial inequality and historic marginalization, together with a better understanding of the role human services can play in remedying these challenges. We also explore the importance of sharing perspectives, thinking critically, and taking action to both unlock and highlight human potential. Join us as we reflect on these insights and discuss plans for the rest of season 2.

Be a part of Our Dream Deferred: Subscribe to stay updated on future episodes. Use the hashtag #OurDreamDeferred. Write to us at [email protected].

Our Dream Deferred is produced by the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA). Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Bea Mitchell.


Season 2, Episode 2: Unwritten Rules that Shape Us

In this episode, we explore the importance of human-to-human contact and the impact it can have on our lives. Our guest, professor of psychology and public affairs at Princeton University and a recipient of a MacArthur Genius Grant, Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) Levy Paluck, emphasizes the value of engaging with people around us in order to have a positive impact on the issues that affect us all.

We also discuss the need to examine norms, how norms subconsciously filter how we interact with one another, as well as benefits of real-life conversations in shifting those norms.
Join us as we delve into the power of human connection and the unwritten rules that shape us.

Resources:

  • The effect of a supreme court decision regarding gay marriage on social norms and personal attitudes
  • Engineering social change using social norms: Lessons from the study of collective action
  • The Supreme Court Overturned Roe. Will Americans’ Views Toward Abortion Change
  • A report on a field experiment with London-area train commuters on the avoidance of pleasant conversations with strangers
  • Type Less, Talk More
  • Rational Ritual: Culture, Coordination, and Common Knowledge



    • Season 2, Episode 3: How Politics Became Our Identity

    In this episode, we’re joined by Lilliana Mason, Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University's SNF Agora Institute, and author of Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity. Bringing together her unique blended expertise in political science and social psychology, Lilliana (Lily) digs into the details behind partisan animosity and the disturbing increase in extreme partisanship, especially changing attitudes toward the use of violence in politics. Importantly, Lily’s work is helping us understand how the study of intergroup conflict applies in politics. Her work shows that Americans have becoming increasingly "socially sorted," resulting in lives where we live, work, and engage almost exclusively with people who share our identities—and the ways this sorting leads to distrust and otherizing, dramatically shifting attitudes and beliefs about others outside of one’s own political identity. Sorting—and what it does to us—limits our ability to compromise and build common ground. Through her research, she is equipping all of us with the knowledge imperative to ensuring our political parties can continue to be collaborators in our democracy.

    Resources:

    • Uncivil Agreement: How Politics Became Our Identity by Lilliana Mason - https://amzn.to/3KpG9Ya
    • Radical American Partisanship: Mapping Violent Hostility, Its Causes, and the Consequences for Democracy by Nathan P. Kalmoe and Lilliana Mason - https://amzn.to/456IIpW


    Season 2, Episode 4: Misunderstanding Poverty: Changing American Mindsets

    We’re joined by Dr. Crystal Hoyt, Professor of Leadership Studies and Psychology at the Jefferson School of Leadership at the University of Richmond. Her scholarship looks at the intersection of human belief systems and social justice, and in this episode, she offers us a look into research she and colleagues have conducted that uncovers unseen influences on both individual thinking and on shared societal perspectives that in turn affect wealth inequality and poverty.

    Dr. Hoyt shares insights on how mindsets shape our understanding of social issues, offering a fresh perspective on the state of American economic inequality and poverty. During our time together, she also explains how mindsets impact what we believe is possible, including whether eliminating poverty is achievable. By helping us understand the different kinds of mindsets, and why understanding their distinctions matters, we can better advance anti-poverty policy solutions.

    Resources:



    Season 2, Episode 5: Cultural Mindsets: Understanding the Lenses that Shape the Way We See the World – Part 1

    In this episode, part one in a two-part episode, we welcome Nat Kendall-Taylor, Chief Executive Officer at the FrameWorks Institute. A long-time collaborator with the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA), he introduces the insightful world of narrative framing and its potential power in driving cultural change.

    Nat is an expert in psychological anthropology and communication science and describes for us what framing is, the science behind it, and how integral cultural mindsets are to understanding how we—as a society and as individuals—view the central issues that confront us today. Nat helps us understand how three prevailing mindsets in the United States too often trigger unproductive ways of thinking, hampering discussion and solutions.

    This conversation points to ways that learning how to frame an issue that evokes more productive cultural mindsets can enable all of us to better advocate for changes that help people reach their full potential.

    Resources:



    Season 2, Episode 6: Part 2 of Cultural Mindsets: Understanding the Lenses that Shape the Way We See the World

    In this episode, we continue our conversation with Nat Kendall-Taylor, Chief Executive Officer at the FrameWorks Institute. A long-time collaborator with APHSA, he introduces the insightful world of narrative framing and its potential power in driving cultural change. Be sure to listen to part 1 if you haven’t already done so!


    Season 2, Episode 7: Building Strong Muscles of Cross-Partisanship

    For our season finale, we’re joined by Layla Zaidane, President and CEO of the largest nonpartisan organization of young lawmakers in the US, the Millennial Action Project (MAP). As we bring season 2 to a close, Zaidane brings an abundance mindset to help us all see a pathway to a more equitable future.

    As a millennial and a “third culture” American with ties to American culture and her parents' home country of Morocco, Zaidane emphasizes the need to work toward solutions to social challenges from a perspective that values and finds ways to connect across differences. Her approach, and that of MAP, centers on leveraging creativity and innovation to bring people to the table, build bridges, and provide spaces and platforms for Millennial and Gen Z leaders to lend their perspectives and co-create legislative solutions, strengthening our democratic institutions while modeling and inviting fuller engagement from all Americans.

    You can learn more about her work at www.millennialaction.org




    From long ago policy decisions to the ways unspoken social rules and the technology in our pockets shape our behavior, Our Dream Deferred scans across fields to find experts with deep insights into why we are the way we are as a country, how it impacts our ability to deliver the public good, and what it will take to change.

    Join co-hosts Tracy Wareing Evans and Karen Heller Key, national leaders in human services, a field that works to build communities where everyone thrives. A podcast of the American Public Human Services Association, Our Dream Deferred features discussions with brilliant voices from unexpected places whose insights and lived experiences help deconstruct the American story by illuminating what we’re up against, who has been left out of the narrative, and what counterforces can finally help fulfill our nation’s promise.


    Our Dream Deferred Bonus Episode

    This bonus episode of “Our Dream Deferred” features a deep dive into a new podcast we are launching! APHSA is proud to premiere “Disrupt the Dialogue,” with APHSA co-hosts Tina Wright-Ervin and Alexander Figueroa. It will be a place where leaders of color can share their personal experiences and insights regarding the effect that race has on their professional journey. We talk to Tina and Alex about their own personal journeys that led them to begin this new endeavor.

    Be a part of Our Dream Deferred: use the hashtag #OurDreamDeferred or write to us at [email protected].

    This episode was produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design by Brandon Mitchell.

    Stay tuned for more Our Dream Deferred episodes in early 2023!


    Today’s episode features Dr. Wendy Ellis, Assistant Professor of Global Health at The George Washington University and Founding Director of the Center for Community Resilience. Wendy is well known as a pioneer in our understanding of trauma and resilience – in our conversation she uses her expertise in health policy, her background as a journalist, and draws on her own lived experience to pull back the lens to help us see the systemic root causes of family and community trauma. A gifted communicator of complex concepts and of stories, Wendy shares the ways in which equitable access to community supports, like good schools, libraries, parks, and safe policing can enable families and communities themselves to not just bounce back from trauma and adversity but make it possible to bounce forward and thrive. Her Center’s work with communities across the country is catalyzing systems change that offers palpable hope for overcoming deep inequities and building communities where everyone can thrive.
    Content Warning: Please note that this episode includes descriptions of violence and a brief mention of suicide.

    Be a part of Our Dream Deferred: use the hashtag #OurDreamDeferred or write to us at [email protected].

    This episode was produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design by Brandon Mitchell.

    Resources:



    This week we hear from philosopher, writer, and professor C. Thi Nguyen. Thi is perhaps best known for his recent essay in Aeon magazine, Escape the Echo Chamber, that went viral at a time when many Americans are struggling to understand the interplay between social media and the rise of conspiracy theories. Our conversation with him is wide ranging, spanning from the gamification of social media to the difference between filter bubbles and echo chambers, and why conspiracy theories are so appealing to many. Thi is the author of Games: Agency As Art, and helps us understand the power that games can have in our lives – both good and bad.

    Be a part of Our Dream Deferred: use the hashtag #OurDreamDeferred or write to us at [email protected].

    This episode was produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design by Brandon Mitchell.

    Resources:



    Today we hear from Tim Snyder, the Richard C. Levin Professor of History at Yale University and a permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna. Tim has written numerous books, including two that appeared on the New York Times best-seller list simultaneously, On Tyranny and The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America. Both volumes examine the rise of authoritarianism in the United States. As an historian specializing in the history of Central and Eastern Europe and the Holocaust, he draws parallels to our modern political climate and advises on how to defend our republic and individual freedoms. His advice: “Don’t obey in advance,” reminds each of us of our place in history, the responsibility we bear, and that everything we do has some kind of moral context, including looking away. If we become complacent, we then become vulnerable to the things we have chosen to forget.

    Be a part of Our Dream Deferred: use the hashtag #OurDreamDeferred or write to us at [email protected].

    This episode was produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design by Brandon Mitchell.

    Resources:



    Today we hear from Phil Howard, who is a professor of sociology, information and international affairs, and the author of Lie Machines: How to Save Democracy from Troll Armies, Deceitful Robots, Junk News Operations, and Political Operatives. Studying information infrastructure and social systems at the same time, he provides a unique and integrated perspective on the impacts of social media on modern life, and why it matters. By illustrating how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and social media have been used to bring out the worst in us, Professor Howard helps us see a better path forward. His ideas for public agencies include mapping out how to better meet constituents on social media. Tune in for a wide-ranging and thoughtful conversation.

    Be a part of Our Dream Deferred: use the hashtag #OurDreamDeferred or write to us at [email protected].

    Resources:


    This episode was produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design by Brandon Mitchell.



    In this week’s episode of Our Dream Deferred: Fulfilling the Nation’s Promise, we’re in conversation with Derrik Anderson, Executive Director at Race Matters for Juvenile Justice. Derrik helps us reflect on the American Dream in the context of taking a frank look at the lived experiences of people of color in the United States. Derrik uses a historical lens to explore policies, their impacts on systems and institutions, and the biases they can lead to, and encourages us to continually do the work to counter racism, white supremacy culture, and other injustices. Key will be to create a shared language across institutions and groups to address these problems – an activity you’re participating in just listening to this podcast!

    Be a part of Our Dream Deferred: use the hashtag #OurDreamDeferred or write to us at [email protected].

    This episode was produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design by Brandon Mitchell.

    Resources:



    These past few years, as our country has become more fragmented, and longstanding biases have come into plain sight, we’ve searched for ways to understand what we’re experiencing more deeply and to benefit from perspectives that can help us envision a path forward. In this week’s episode of Our Dream Deferred: Fulfilling the Nation’s Promise, we’ll cover the importance of narrative change and how to do it in a positive way, what we can do as leaders and organizations to contribute to meaningful change, and what behavioral science can teach us about how to reach the people and communities we serve. This episode’s guest is Anthony Barrows, a Managing Director at ideas42.



    An overview & welcome to Our Dream Deferred. Find out how we will explore the American story, as inspired by Langston Hughes’ poem, Dream Deferred: “What happens to a dream deferred? / Does it dry up / Like a raisin in the sun? / Or fester like a sore--/ And then run? / Does it stink like rotten meat? / Or crust and sugar over--/ like a syrupy sweet? / Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. / Or does it explode?”





    Disrupt the Dialogue is a new podcast designed to allow leaders of color to share their personal experience and insight regarding the effect that race has on their lives and careers. Through this open and honest sharing of individual experiences, we aim to create a common understanding of the effects that race has on leaders of color, create a community of support, and share tools and resources to support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Leaders.

    Join co-hosts Tina Wright-Ervin, Organizational Effectiveness Consultant and Alexander Figueroa, Assistant Director of Learning and Development, in this podcast from the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA). Disrupt the Dialogue features discussions with leaders in the health and human services industry sharing how they have dealt with challenges pertaining to race, and what their advice is to other BIPOC leaders.

    Be a part of Disrupt the Dialogue: use the hashtag #DisruptTheDialogue or write to us at [email protected].
    Disrupt the Dialogue is produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Bea Mitchell.



    Episode 5 – Discovering the Full Story

    In this, the final episode of season one, we’re in dialogue with Natalie Williams. Natalie has over 25 years of experience in human services—working at the national, local, and community level and currently serving as the Chief Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Officer (EDIB) at the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA). In this episode, she touches on the need for self-care and data-driven strategies to tackle challenges in racial equity and racial justice. Data, Natalie comments, provides focus on what may sometimes be a hard conversation by removing some of the emotion and focusing on outcomes and successes. She talks about witnessing successes first-hand in her work at Jefferson County (Colorado) Human Services, where she had the opportunity to see systems come together to help move people and families out of poverty. Discussing how she sees the principles of EDIB incorporated in human services work, Natalie spotlights the necessity to understand the value of different perspectives and to think big in making advancements in racial justice.

    “I would tell future leaders to dream big about what's possible because our communities are going to need strategy and planning to be able to access, compete in, and understand what a global world means to them.”

    Be a part of Disrupt the Dialogue: use the hashtag #DisruptTheDialogue or write to us at [email protected].

    Disrupt the Dialogue is produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Bea Mitchell.


    Episode 4 – Be Unafraid to be Bold

    This episode is with Dannette Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Dannette has over 25 years of leadership experience in human services and is the Chair of the Executive Governing Board for the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA). In our conversation, we delve into her decades-long career and what it means to be aware that, as a Black woman, not everyone will view you and your community the same way that you do. Dannette delves into her experiences in those spaces and the importance of being bold, courageous, and sure of yourself and where the work takes you. She also talks about the importance of carrying yourself with respect and graciousness in professional and personal spaces. Throughout, Dannette reflects on the ability to learn from failure as well as the need for a certain level of discomfort to initiate change beyond the status quo—both outside and within our individual communities.
    “We have to allow people to sit in that. To feel a sense of uncomfortableness, but then be able to, when they’re ready, help them work through that. I think too often we want people to feel comfortable, but change doesn't happen with feeling comfortable, even for us.”

    Be a part of Disrupt the Dialogue: use the hashtag #DisruptTheDialogue or write to us at [email protected].

    Disrupt the Dialogue is produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Bea Mitchell.


    Episode 3 - Forging A Path for Others

    This episode features Vannessa Dorantes, Commissioner for the Department of Children and Families (DCF) in Connecticut and an Executive Governing Board Member of the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA). Having worked for DCF since 1992, Vannessa shares her journey as a social worker rising through the ranks to be appointed Connecticut’s first Black DCF Commissioner—a journey that included battling imposter syndrome to finally understanding her self-worth. During this episode, Commissioner Dorantes talks about the need to clearly understand EDI principles, what it means to stay true to them, and the importance of relating those values to others in your workplace. From paving the way for other BIPOC leaders to representation, she relates the work of EDI to her lived experience in the field and as an administrator. “Is racial justice work something that should be a thing set aside to focus all of our attention on, or should it be woven throughout all of our work? My response is that it’s both, until it doesn't have to be.”

    Be a part of Disrupt the Dialogue: use the hashtag #DisruptTheDialogue or write to us at [email protected].

    Disrupt the Dialogue is produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Bea Mitchell (they/them)


    Episode 2 - Creating Space for All

    This episode features LaRae Cantley, Senior Manager of Centering Community & Well-Being at Full Frame Initiative in Greenfield, MA. LaRae has spent years as a community organizer, supporting those who confront issues of poverty, violence, trauma, and oppression. Her lived experience informs her work, and in this episode, LaRae shares her personal stories as well as an approach to human services that brings the voices of people who have been marginalized into the spaces where solutions are discussed. She argues that this shift not only provides more effective services but empowers those who need it most.

    Be a part of Disrupt the Dialogue: use the hashtag #DisruptTheDialogue or write to us at [email protected].

    Disrupt the Dialogue is produced by the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA). Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Brandon Mitchell.


    Resources:



    Episode 1 - Unapologetically Affirming Your Voice

    Our premiere episode features Derrik Anderson, the Executive Director at Race Matters for Juvenile Justice in Charlotte, NC and a certified diversity professional. Derrik has over ten years of experience within the field of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and in this episode, he talks about his journey into EDI, what it means to practice its principles, and the experiences that inform his approach to social justice. He also outlines advice to other BIPOC leaders who are trying to promote or currently hold leadership roles, including the importance of unapologetically affirming your voice.

    Be a part of Disrupt the Dialogue: use the hashtag #DisruptTheDialogue or write to us at [email protected].

    Disrupt the Dialogue is produced by APHSA. Editing and sound design for this episode was done by Brandon Mitchell.


    Resources:





    Child Support and APHSA Collaboration
    Khristian Monterroso, project associate for economic mobility and well-being, participated in a conversation hosted by the National Child Support Engagement Association’s (NCSEA) podcast, NCSEA On Location. The discussion centered on how child support professionals are collaborating with APHSA to develop a whole-family approach to economic supports, making sure to incorporate child support.
    Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

     
    Organizational Change: Building Effective Organizations One Person at a Time
    In this episode of BerryDunn’s podcast, host Andrea Richardson explores Organizational Effectiveness (OE) and Organizational Development (OD) with Jennifer Kerr, Director of Organizational Effectiveness at APHSA, and Megan Clough, Senior Consultant at BerryDunn. They discuss how teams can use OE and OD to better work with each other and with the children, youth, and families they support.

    Inside Arizona’s Investment in Evidence-Based Foster Care Prevention
    On this episode of Mathematica’s podcast, On the Evidence, host Meg Dygert, Senior Policy Associate for Child and Family Well-Being joins Katherine Guffey, Executive Consultant to the Director of the Arizona Department of Child Safety and Allon Kalisher, Senior Researcher at Mathematica to discuss a parent education program in Arizona that Mathematica evaluated, the Family First law, and the long-term implications of the law’s provisions around prevention services and evidence of effectiveness.

    Listen Here!
    Human Services Agencies Can Advance Environmental Justice


    APHSA President & CEO Tracy Wareing Evans is a guest speaker on Mathematica’s podcast “On the Evidence,” making the case for state and local human services agencies to play a central role in advancing environmental justice.

    In the Ring with Héctor Colón
    APHSA President & CEO Tracy Wareing Evans is a guest speaker on the "In the Ring with Héctor Colón" podcast, sharing a call to the public sector: “How are you showing up?”

    Listen Here!
    Unpacking the American Rescue Plan, Part 2
    May 2021

    In part two of the latest podcast episode from the Center for Accountability, Modernization, and Innovation (CAMI), listen to APHSA President & CEO Tracy Wareing Evans, in a discussion with CAMI Chairman Stan Soloway and former Representative John Faso, along with former OMB official Ed DeSeve, on the opportunities and challenges presented by the American Rescue Plan. You can check out Part 1 of Unpacking the American Rescue Plan here.

    Using Prevention Strategies To Help Families Thrive (10/29/20)
    APHSA has joined forces with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) to support the transformation of the child welfare system through a prevention first model. In this podcast, APHSA's President & CEO Tracy Wareing Evans, along with ASTHO’s CEO Michael Fraser, discuss the intersection of human services and public health and why it’s so important for these two sectors to work together to achieve a shared vision of thriving families.

    Oregon DHS Moves Up The Human Services Value Curve
    APHSA Director of Organizational Effectiveness Phil Basso joins the OR Department of Human Services for an overview of the organizational assessment APHSA is conducting to determine where Oregon is on the Value Curve and how it can ascend this maturity model to realize the potential of the people we serve.

    Special Edition: Building a Resilient and Just Society
    APHSA President & CEO Tracy Wareing Evans is a guest speaker on “Special Edition: Building a Resilient and Just Society,” a podcast produced by the National Academy of Public Administration.

    Administrative Data in Health and Human Services
    Our first APHSA Podcast series is a conversation inspired by the Pew Charitable Trust’s report, How States Use Data to Inform Decisions.

    Administrative Data in Health and Human Services
    This is the first of three conversations inspired by the Pew Charitable Trust’s report, How States Use Data to Inform Decisions. We speak with Dr. Bill Hazel, Virginia’s former Secretary of Health and Human Resources, and Tony Fung, Virginia’s former Deputy Secretary of Technology, to discuss their work as it relates to data, analytics, opioids, funding, and more.
    Using Data in Health and Human Services Agencies
    In our second conversation inspired by the Pew Charitable Trust’s report, How States Use Data to Inform Decisions, we talk with Lily Alpert, Senior Researcher at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, about their curriculum specifically focused on helping state agencies utilize data to improve service delivery. We also dive into Tennessee's experience in training staff on using data to inform internal and program decisions with Britany Binkowski who served at the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, most recently as Special Assistant to the Commissioner, and is now the Director of New Allies at Youth Villages.
    Using Quality Assurance to Promote Racial Justice
    Join us for our final discussion inspired by the Pew Charitable Trust’s report, How States Use Data to Inform Decisions. This time we chat with Susan Smith who has worked with the Connecticut Department of Children for almost 24 years and is currently serving as the agency’s Director of the Office for Research and Evaluation. The materials discussed throughout the podcast that are related to Connecticut's data work are available below:


    Essential Listening

    Podcasts relevant to our APHSA members on topics ranging from HHS news to racial equity to lifestyle.


    All In: Student Pathways Forward
     May 2021

    This podcast series hosted by Marc Goldberg is from Oregon's SkillSPAN efforts with the National Skills Coalition and Pathways to Opportunity. It highlights the collaboration and partnership between SNAP E&T and community colleges to support students. The latest episode focuses on elevating community college student voices in Oregon to shape inclusive higher education/workforce development policies, programs and partnerships that create economic mobility.

    Ascend’s Student Parent Podcast: 1 in 5!
    Twenty two percent -- or 1 in 5 undergraduates are parents. Ascend at the Aspen Institute launched 1 in 5, a new podcast focusing on the experience of students who are parents pursuing postsecondary credentials. Each episode features in-depth conversations with student parents and those who advocate for them in the fields of education, philanthropy, non-profit, and research. Listen to the first 12 episodes now.

    How Fatherhood Programs Supported Dads During the Pandemic
    In this episode of “On the Evidence” by Mathematica, guests discuss COVID-19’s implications for delivering fatherhood engagement services during and after the pandemic. Mathematica has been gathering information on what works in engaging fathers across a wide range of human services programs, with the goal of helping fathers and families thrive.

    Public Leadership in the Time of COVID
    The Urban Institute shares this podcast on COVID recovery. The country has now spent more than a year dealing with COVID-19. In a new podcast episode, local leaders discuss how they are working to support their communities and how they envision the road to recovery.

    How Do You Measure Child Well-Being?
    The Alliance for Strong Families and Communities shares this podcast from Milton Little Jr., president and CEO of United Way of Atlanta. Little reimagined his organization’s focus based on data, working to develop a child well-being index measuring 14 different indicators across health, education, and income at the family, community, and individual levels to assess need and set a baseline for improvement.

    Speaking of Racism
    A podcast series dedicated to frank, honest, and respectful discussions about racism in the United States. It has more than 50 podcasts over 2019-20, including episode 21 on Juneteenth with Historian Brigette Jones.

    Family First
    This podcast from the Child Welfare Information Gateway shares how the Family First Prevention Services Act has changed how we support families—especially when working with families who need mental health and substance use treatment services.

    National Conference of State Legislatures - Our American States Podcast
    COVID-19: Jeb Bush on Leadership, Federalism and the Challenges for States

    CodeSwitch
    Code Switch is a multi-racial, multi-generational team of NPR journalists who cover race and identity.

    Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast
    Momentum: A Race Forward Podcast features movement voices, stories, and strategies for racial justice. Co-hosts Chevon and Hiba give their unique takes on race and pop culture, and uplift narratives of hope, struggle, and joy, as we continue to build the momentum needed to advance racial justice in our policies, institutions, and culture.

    GovLove - A Podcast About Local Government
    GovLove is a podcast about the people, policies and profession of local government. From Mayors and City Managers to interns and everyone in between, we interview the people making a difference in their communities to learn about the great work being done at the local level.

    Hope Through History -- with Pulitzer Prize Winning and Best Selling Author and Historian, Jon Meacham
    Explores some of the most historic and trying times in American History, and how this nation dealt with these moments, the impact of these moments and how we came through these moments a unified nation. Season One takes a look at critical moments around the 1918 Flu Pandemic, the Great Depression, World War II, the polio epidemic and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

    Health Disparities
    This podcast series from Movement is LifeTM covers health disparities in the U.S. with many episodes focusing specifically on COVID-19 and racial disparities in health.

    1619
    This New York Times podcast released in 2019 tells the story of slavery in America on its 400th anniversary, a crucial part of history to understand in the ongoing conversation about race equity. In August of 1619, a ship carrying more than 20 enslaved Africans arrived in the English colony of Virginia. America was not yet America, but this was the moment it began. On the 400th anniversary of this fateful moment, it is time to tell the story.
     
    Work Life with Adam Grant
    You spend a quarter of your life at work. You should enjoy it! Organizational psychologist Adam Grant takes you inside the minds of some of the world’s most unusual professionals to discover the keys to a better work life.