What’s New

Season 3, Episode 8 – Diet Culture and Other Intersections of Social Work and Nutrition

Social workers have a number of intersections that we may commonly think of when it comes to nutrition or diet like eating disorders but there are a number of different ways social workers can positively, or negatively, impact someone’s health and wellbeing when it comes to food. In this episode, we tackle some common questions and perceptions about this relationship so social workers can have a better, more ethical impact on this growing topic of interest and understanding.

Season 3, Episode 7 – Sex Therapy: What social workers should know

What exactly is sex therapy and why is it helpful? In this week’s episode we interview Jennifer Monninger, LCSW and AASECT certified sex therapist, to explore how sex is connected to much of the work of social workers and their clients.

Season 3, Episode 6 – Balancing Career Growth And Love: Can we do both successfully?

Working on your professional growth often comes with many sacrifices, limited time with friends and family, hobbies often get tossed to the side, and the word “busy” becomes part of our daily vocabulary. In this episode, we share a few things we have learned along the way on relationships and professional growth, is it possible to have both?

Season 3, Episode 5 – Travel Social Work: How to see and serve across the country

Did you know that social work has a component like travel nursing? Listen to this episode to understand more about how the field of travel social work functions and how to get involved.

Season 3, Episode 4 – Art and Creativity in Social Work: Making magic happen in the classroom and the field

Creative and expressive arts can be therapeutic and help promote learning and overall wellbeing. In this week’s episode, we chat with a Licensed Social Worker on how to implement creative and innovative experiences in our professional development and with our clients.

Season 3, Episode 3 – Special Episode: Journalism around the world, cultural implications of podcasts and broadcasting

In this week’s episode, we were invited to a conversation via Zoom to speak with journalists from around the world to help them understand a little bit about podcasting as a media platform and how we got started and for them to share with us their experiences with journalism and media in the new millennium.

Season 3, Episode 2 – Clinical Social Work: Tips and Tricks on How to Get Your LCSW

Having an LCSW is one of the most transformational things you can do for your career in social work but it’s complicated and can seem out of reach for many. Hear from Jennifer, a LCSW and clinical supervisor, on what the journey looks like and how to make it as painless as possible.

Season 3, Episode 1 – Global Social Work: The cultures and roles of social workers around the world

What does social work look like around the world? What roles can we play as helping professionals in different countries? Join as we explore what it means to be a global social worker with Stacy Moreno.

Season 2, Episode 16 – Ask Us Anything: An Instagram AMA with Imelda and Jennifer, Part 2

What would you want to know about if you could ask us anything? We left it open, and you responded! Listen to answers about licensure, improving the field (including the scary U word), and how to cope with a hard job.

Season 2, Episode 15 – Ask Us Anything: An Instagram AMA with Imelda and Jennifer

What would you want to know about if you could ask us anything? We left it open, and you responded! Listen to hear stories of our early career, social work in Costa Rica and Amsterdam, and the difference between counseling and social work.

Season 2, Episode 14 – The Episode for Social Work Students: 2021 Edition

The school year is back in session and this time, with a lot less COVID and a lot more normal. Hear from your favorite social work professors as they give 5 tips to getting the most out of this school year.

Season 2, Episode 13 – 10 Dos and Don’ts of Social Media for Social Service Professionals

We live in a digital world and whether we like it or not, our behavior online is often a reflection of how we live IRL. In this episode we share some tips we have learned along the way, both for our personal use of social media but also to set healthy boundaries when working with the community.

Season 2, Episode 12 – Well Staffed and Well Paid: How to Negotiate Raises and FTEs

Social service agencies are notorious for underpaying and overworking their staff, here are some tips to get what you and your peers deserve.

Season 2, Episode 11 – Contracts and Consulting: How do I start?

One of our most commonly asked questions is how do I get into consulting or how did you get those contracts? Find out more today on both how and where to get started in this field of social work.

Season 2, Episode 10 – One year anniversary! Recap of our most popular episodes

SWBR is one year old and we are so thankful for your support! We want to celebrate this first year with you by doing a compilation of our most popular episodes! If you are fairly new to listening, this will be a great way to check out our most popular content.

Season 2, Episode 9 – EMDR: What is it and how does it work?

We’ve all probably heard something about EMDR, whether it be that it’s the ‘gold standard’ or that it’s really expensive. Today we break it down and answer the important questions about what EMDR is and how it works.

Season 2, Episode 8 – Prevention Programs: Creating long lasting impact in communities

In our profession, we often box ourselves as either clinical or macro social workers, as if these were mutually exclusive. But what If we tell you today, that effective social workers should be a mix of both? In this episode, we talk about the importance of addressing social issues from the source and how prevention programs create sustainable change.

Season 2, Episode 7 – New Graduates Survival Guide

You turned in your last research paper, received your final grades, walked with your class (or virtual) to receive your well deserved degree, and celebrated with loved ones… But now what? Venturing out in the SW field as a new professional can be intimidating and a bit stressful, here we share with you some tips that have helped us along the way.

Season 2, Episode 6 – How to Totally Ace Your LMSW Exam

Passing the LMSW exam can be a critical step in advancing your career, on this episode we walk through study tips, understanding the exam, and two helpful acronyms to unpack some of the situational questions.

Season 2, Episode 5 – Women’s Mental Health and the PMHC

Do you have the privilege or an interest in working with the women’s health population? This episode is for you! On this episode we cover the statistics, differential diagnosis, screening and what is and how do you get the PMHC credential.

Season 2, Episode 4 – 10 Tips for Successful Fundraising

2020 was a challenging year for all, including the social and nonprofit sector. Fundraising strategies had to be reimagined, reorganized, and reinvented. We have learned a lot in a short period of time and in this episode we share with you our top 10 tips and ideas to kick off and grow your fundraising efforts.

Season 2, Episode 3 – An Easy Depression Busting Skill for You and Clients

When we or our clients get depressed or anxious, we often stop doing things that we enjoy. In this episode, we go over a depression reducing intervention to start the cycle of positive activities.

Season 2, Episode 2 – Transitioning from Clinical to Macro SW: Where can I start?

One of the best things about Social Work is the flexibility and wide range of fields we can be a part of, especially since our skills are transferable and adaptable to new practices. If you are looking to make the jump from clinical to macro, here are five tips that might help for a smooth transition.

Season 2, Episode 1 – How to Choose the Best Trainings and CEUs

We all have to get CEUs and have a commitment to continued learning, but how do you choose between the $50 and $500 training? Which ones will benefit you the most in the long run? What is certification and why is it important? All these questions and more are answered in this episode.

Season 1, Episode 13 – 2020 Season One Finale: Dumpster fire edition

We know that 2020 has been a very different year and it has been made better by fabulous listeners like YOU. Some of those differences may be here to stay so in this episode we highlight some of the successes and challenges we’ve seen in 2020.

Season 1, Episode 12 – How To Have Yourself (and your clients) A Merry Little Holiday

Like many of us, you are also probably ready to say goodbye to 2020, but we still have a holiday season to survive. Here are some ways to take care of yourself and your clients in this season of giving and receiving.

Season 1, Episode 11 – 3 Easy Stress Management Techniques For Your Daily Life

We know that 2020 has been stressful and with the election and COVID, we figured everyone could use a few new ways to manage stress. On this episode we share some of our favorite grounding and anxiety management techniques that we use with ourselves, our friends, and our clients.

Season 1, Episode 10 – Activism and Advocacy: Where can I start?

The social work profession is evolving, growing, and slowly but surely  going back to its roots of activism and advocacy. Even in our roles as clinicians and micro practitioners, advocating for justice and equal rights for the people we serve should be at the top of our list. Words like activism and advocacy can feel overwhelming, especially when our plate is already full. The key is to find something that works for you and identify areas where you feel your skills and knowledge can make a macro impact. The important thing is to start somewhere!

Season 1, Episode 9 – Working in Teams: Love them, hate them, but can’t practice without them

Social work is rooted in community work, and even if we work in macro or private practice, our role will always require us to work well with others in order to achieve a common goal. On this episode, we share a little about our experience working with multidisciplinary teams and tips on how to make these collaborations more productive and efficient.

Season 1, Episode 8 – Title Protection: How we started it in our state and how you can replicate it in yours too

Title protection is a consistently hot topic in our profession. Who can call themselves a social worker and what does that mean? How do we get fair pay? Respect? Or even *whispers* unionize? What’s the pathway to make it happen in your state or nationally? Imelda and Jennifer share their pathway to writing legislation in Arizona and guidance on how and where you might get started.

Season 1, Episode 7 – Adulting  – Why are we tired all the time?

Why are millennial social workers so tired all the time? Why can’t we fold our laundry the day we wash it and find joy in buying overpriced lattes? This week we get real and talk about why it is harder to be a social worker than ever before!

Season 1, Episode 6 – The Episode for Social Work Students: 2020 Edition

Are you a social work student? You need to hear this. Going to school to be a social worker is unlike any other time in history. Hear from Jennifer and Imelda as they share their experience in teaching as well as field work for some guidance on how to have a great school year.

Season 1, Episode 5 – Women’s March, from Reaction to Action

After the 2016 election, hundreds of thousands of women across the country joined a moment that became a movement. In this episode, Imelda shares her experience as Arizona Women’s March planning board member and talks to us about the movement, why women march, and how to engage in your community.

Season 1, Episode 4 – Social Work in Times of Covid

2020 has been an interesting and challenging year, to say the least. On this episode, we share our personal experiences as professionals and one or two tips that might be useful for you.

Season 1, Episode 3 – Coping Skills and Self-Care

Self-care has been a popular term lately, everyone promotes it but only a few actually practice it. In this episode we discuss how self-care and coping skills might look very different for everyone and might not necessarily involve bubble baths and massages. 

Season 1, Episode 2 – 3 Common Challenges for Social Workers

When we ask social workers the top things they struggle with, the answer is almost always the same: Documentation, boundaries, and case loads. In this episode, we cover all 3 of them! Join us as we share useful tips on collaborative documentation, billable hours and more!

Season 1, Episode 1 – A Little Bit About Us

Welcome to Social Worker’s Break Room, the Podcast! In this first episode we talk a little bit about who we are and why we are doing this.