Our Podcast: inSocialWork®

As interest in psychedelics grows, driven in part by promising clinical trials for mental health treatment, many individuals are exploring these substances outside of clinical and legal frameworks. Unlike cannabis, this rise in personal use has occurred largely without clear regulatory guardrails or safety education.

In this episode, Daniel Kruger, PhD, discusses his research examining harm reduction recommendations developed directly from the psychedelic community. Drawing on lived experience, this work offers practical guidance for inexperienced users. Kruger highlights how social workers are increasingly likely to encounter these issues in practice and reflects on the professional and ethical implications for social work, emphasizing why harm reduction perspectives are essential as psychedelics become more common in mental health and substance use conversations.

This episode will be of particular interest to social work educators, practitioners and researchers seeking to better understand harm reduction approaches, emerging substance use trends and the role of social work in ethically engaging with these developments.

Daniel Kruger, PhD, earned his doctorate in applied social psychology from Loyola University Chicago and completed an NIMH postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. His work spans basic and applied research, with a strong emphasis on community-based collaboration. In his psychedelic research, Kruger centers the priorities and knowledge of the psychedelic community, with funding support from the NIH, CDC, state health departments and foundations.

It is an exciting time to be a social worker! Innovative technology has opened up new possibilities to better serve our clients. 

On inSocialWork®, you can discover how social workers are leveraging technology in creative ways to build upon client strengths and increase the impact of their agencies. Our episodes cover a wide range of technologies—from telehealth and apps to text messaging, social media and even video games.

Here at the UB School of Social Work, we integrate a trauma-informed and human rights perspective into all of our programs. inSocialWork® offers a variety of podcasts on trauma, trauma-informed care, human rights and social justice.

Social workers need a variety of skills and a strong knowledge base to successfully navigate the diverse landscape of our increasingly global world. The UB School of Social Work provides many opportunities to acquire the skills and knowledge needed for professional practice and global citizenship.

Self-care is an essential part of sustaining good social work practice.

At inSocialWork®, we encourage social workers to explore, develop and engage in good self-care to enrich both their lives and their profession.

From mental health to substance abuse, from ethics to cultural competence, you can explore a variety of topics with inSocialWork®.