The Social Work Lens

In this episode, Mackenzie Leonard interviews Dr. Sherri Simmons-Horton about her incredible work around what is being referred to as "The Foster Care to Prison Pipeline". In part one of this three-part series Mackenzie will explore the national trends and outcomes that Dr. Sherri has found, as well as her professional findings in regard to harm prevention and mitigating factors that social workers can practice now. Later on in the series, Mackenzie will sit down with leaders from Vermont to discuss how Vermont is noticing these impacts and what is being done locally to support youth and families. Finally, in our last episode of the series, Mackenzie will talk with a very special returning guest. Transcript & show notes available @ https://vermontcwtp.org/podcast/

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Food Not Cops (FNC), a volunteer-run mutual aid effort in Burlington, has served a free daily meal for the last five years. They gather around hot meals cooked by community members and combine relationships and resources to secure whatever people need: clothing, toiletries, medicine, communication devices, camping gear, etc. FNC began at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, as a partnership between Food Not Bombs Burlington and BTV Copwatch. Food Not Cops has since evolved into a network of neighbors organizing to meet each other’s needs outside of markets and government programs. Join us in this episode as we talk with FNC group member, Dr. Sam Bliss and discuss food insecurity, mutual aid movements, and current pressures facing FNC. Transcript & Show notes @ https://vermontcwtp.org/podcast/ Follow us on IG @thesocialworklens

Join us for Part 1 of our series on DEI as AG Clark returns to the Social Work Lens studio to unpack current executive orders as they pertain to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. Show notes & transcripts available at https://vermontcwtp.org/podcast/

“You can’t come home and tell your spouse, or your best friends what you experienced at work… because then you are just traumatizing other people, and no one is going to really, fully understand.” - Anna Rodgers Anna Rodgers, a seasoned attorney with over 15 years of experience in immigration law and removal defense, joins Cassie to discuss the impact & sustainability of practicing immigration law in America right now. Transcript & show notes available at: https://vermontcwtp.org/podcast/

What would it take to transform child welfare into a system rooted in healing, trust, and human connection? In this powerful episode, we speak with Paul Nixon, an independent social worker and internationally recognized leader in restorative practices. From his early work in the UK to consulting across Australia, New Zealand, and beyond, Paul has spent decades championing relational approaches that honor the voices of those most impacted. Now contracted with Vermont’s child welfare system, Paul shares insights from his current work helping transform services to become more relational, connected, and family-centered. He explores how restorative practices challenge punitive models and instead prioritize listening, accountability, and meaningful engagement with children, families, and communities. This conversation is both deeply practical and visionary—highlighting what’s possible when we lead with empathy and prioritize relationships at every level of the system. Transcripts & show notes @ https://vermontcwtp.org/podcast/ Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thesocialworklens/

PART 2- On January 20th, the current administration launched targeted actions against transgender Americans—moves that didn’t emerge in isolation, but deepened a long, painful struggle for dignity and recognition. Disguised as policy, these decisions struck at the right to exist safely, access care, and live authentically. They echoed decades of systemic neglect, reminding us that for trans people, political shifts aren’t abstract—they’re personal, urgent, and too often, life-threatening. This begs the question- who gets to define whose life has worth? Whose identities are real? Who deserves basic human rights and bodily autonomy? An attack on healthcare, bodily autonomy, dignity, and respect against our transgender community is an attack against us all. This week, we speak with three professionals who help us to define what gender affirming care means, why it’s important for trans youth, and how being affirming and respectful is a movement toward a stronger community for us all. Show notes & Transcript @ https://vermontcwtp.org/podcast/ Follow us on IG @thesocialworklens

We recently brought you an episode on the political and legal landscape of Immigration. In this episode, we take it down to the personal level and bring you the voices of two Vermont high school students who talk about their daily experiences in the midst of this national conversation. Join us as we talk with students Gabby & Stacey, their teacher Caitlin Macleod-Bluver, and their Superintendent Wilmer Chavarria. Shownotes & Transcripts available @ https://vermontcwtp.org/podcast/ Please note – Gabby & Stacey were very active in the movement to have their high school designated as a sanctuary school. If you are interested in more information about this work please see the links below, or watch Wilmer, Caitlin, Gabby & Stacy in action at the school board meeting here https://www.mediafactory.org/winooski-schools?modal=45,episode,235066

In this moment, as many of us experience a shift in what we are allowed to talk about at work related to DEI and identity, we are sharing this series of episodes exploring how Vermont is talking about antiracism and abolitionism in child welfare. Please join us in this series: How the Story is Told: An Abolitionist Child Welfare Conference. This is Part 3: The child welfare that can be realized through our imaginations and life's work featuring Dr. Brenda Solomon. Show notes & transcripts available @ https://vermontcwtp.org/podcast/ Follow us on IG: @thesocialworklens https://www.instagram.com/thesocialworklens/

In this moment, as many of us experience a shift in what we are allowed to talk about at work related to DEI and identity, we are sharing this series of episodes exploring how Vermont is talking about antiracism and abolitionism in child welfare. Please join us in this series: How the Story is Told: An Abolitionist Child Welfare Conference. This is Part 1: What is a Title IV-E Roundtable Anyway? Show notes & transcripts available @ https://vermontcwtp.org/podcast/ Follow us on IG: @thesocialworklens https://www.instagram.com/thesocialworklens/

This week we are sharing one of our favorite podcasts with you! Please enjoy this episode of Mining for Gold’s podcast: Audio Nuggets. Links, transcripts, and shownotes available at https://vermontcwtp.org/podcast/ Welcome to the cypher, right here on Audio Nuggets! On Audio Nuggets we strive to bend the arc of non-linear modes through conversations that tug and pull from the best of who we are. We give ourselves rooted permission to tell a collective story of the principled struggle for liberation. We are filled with joy and honored to be joined by Myah Overstreet for Episode 35: To Be Invisible—A True Narrative. Myah Overstreet is a filmmaker and journalist. Her area of focus is on the intersection of culture and racial injustices among marginalized communities. She is dedicated to amplifying bold, untold stories. Just two weeks ago, Myah’s documentary “To Be Invisible” was published on The New Yorker site. The film follows the journey of Alexis and Kelley as they demand the return of their children from the family police in North Carolina. Shining light and love on Black women was always what Myah wanted to focus her work on. In this episode, we unpack Myah’s journey to using film and journalism to tell the true narrative of reproductive justice rights of Black women, and the policing of bodies--the story that is not talked about. Myah shares the evolution of the film and how she joined with mothers and activists in the movement to abolish family policing to tell the story. Myah brings life and love to the film to magnify what’s been hidden. Every story that is told in this true narrative is getting us closer to a new world!

Sibling aggression is the most common form of family violence, yet it remains hidden and confused with sibling rivalry. Numerous studies have linked sibling aggression and abuse to worse mental and physical health and problematic interpersonal relationships with parents, peers, and romantic partners. Join Cassie as she speaks with Corinna Jenkins Tucker, PhD, CFLE & Tanya Rouleau Whitworth, PhD about their work in this important area. Transcripts & shownotes available at: https://vermontcwtp.org/podcast/