Podcast: Pathways to Child Welfare Careers

What are the pathways to build and sustain productive, rewarding careers in child welfare? Join Senior Research Associate Amanda Barczyk, Ph.D., M.S.W., from James Bell Associates, and former Research Associate Leah Bouchard, Ph.D., A.M., as they talk with child welfare professionals, students, and academics.

Guests will discuss programs and initiatives designed to help students obtain the academic and professional credentials needed to launch careers in child welfare and to support current professionals. Listen on SoundCloud or wherever you get your podcasts. An accessible version with captions is available on YouTube.

1. Title IV-E Education Programs. In this first episode, Drs. Barczyk and Bouchard talk with Melissa Batalden Mendez, M.S.W., LICSW, Child Welfare Education Partnership Coordinator at the Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy. They also connect with title IV-E scholar Drew Middendorf, B.S.W., and title IV-E program alumna Christine (Chris) Sammon, M.S.W. Guests share their pathways to careers in child welfare and discuss title IV-E education programs, including how to get a stipend, the kinds of support to expect, and their overall value.

2. Clinical Licensure. In this second episode, Drs. Barczyk and Bouchard talk with Myca Jeter, LMSW, LCSW, Director of Clinical Bridge at CWEL. Myca discusses her pathway to a career in child welfare, the importance of recruiting child welfare social workers for clinical licensure, and challenges to receiving licensure. She also talks about the impact of CWEL and its Clinical Bridge program in supporting individuals with an M.S.W. who seek licensure.

3. Clinical Supervision and Support. In this third episode, Drs. Barczyk and Bouchard talk with Anita P. Barbee, Ph.D., M.S.S.W., Professor and Ph.D. Program Director at the Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work and Family Science, at the University of Louisville. Dr. Barbee discusses the knowledge and skills she hopes clinical supervisors will gain from training, the supervisory practices that research has found to be effective at reducing turnover and burnout among child welfare workers, and why clinical supervision and workforce support programs matter. She also shares her own pathway to working in the field.

4. Multidisciplinary Approaches. In this fourth episode, Drs. Barczyk and Bouchard talk with Austin Griffiths, Ph.D., CSW, and Jonny Silva, D.S.W., to discover their pathways to entering a career in child welfare. They also discuss the benefits of—and barriers to—implementing a multidisciplinary approach to child welfare workforce training and education and Dr. Griffiths’ research on the child welfare workforce. Listeners will learn about opportunities offered at the LifeSkills Center for Child Welfare Education and Research at Western Kentucky University.

5. Community Colleges as Springboards. In this fifth and final episode, Drs. Barczyk and Bouchard talk with Katelynn Jarrells, M.S.W., Program Head and Associate Professor of Human Services and Mental Health at Brightpoint Community College, and Naomi Reddish, M.S.W., Administrator of Community-Engaged Child and Family Well-Being Initiatives and Assistant Professor at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work. Katelynn and Naomi share their paths to careers in social work and how programs such as the one at Brightpoint Community College can be a pathway to a 4-year degree program. They also discuss how 4-year universities can partner with community colleges to support students interested in child welfare careers, and challenges to consider when choosing community college as a career gateway.