inSocialWork® is the University at Buffalo School of Social Work’s monthly podcast series. Our purpose is to engage practitioners and researchers in lifelong learning and to promote research to practice and practice to research.
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Our Latest Episode
There is a growing divide between reform-oriented and abolitionist approaches in social work, the performative nature of professional organizations, and the personal and professional costs of leading through values rather than strategic neutrality.
In late 2022, Alan Dettlaff, then Dean of the Graduate College of Social Work at the University of Houston, was removed from his position. The circumstances sent ripples through the profession, raising urgent questions about academic freedom, the limits of institutional critique, and what it truly means to lead in a time of upheaval.
In this episode, we speak with Dettlaff to explore the deeper tensions his experience reveals. Drawing on his journey from child welfare investigator to abolitionist scholar, he reflects on how the profession’s stated commitments to racial justice often clash with the realities of institutional power, funding streams and risk aversion. Dettlaff also offers a sobering assessment of what is at stake: nothing less than the future of the profession itself.
For social workers at every level — students, practitioners, faculty and administrators — this episode provides a rare, firsthand look at the power and peril of speaking truth inside systems not built to hear it.
Alan Dettlaff, PhD, is a professor of social work at the Graduate College of Social Work at the University of Houston and co-founder of the upEND Movement, a collaborative effort to abolish the family policing system and build alternatives centered on healing and liberation. He is the author of Confronting the Racist Legacy of the American Child Welfare System: The Case for Abolition (Oxford University Press, 2023) and a co-founding editor of Abolitionist Perspectives in Social Work.
Technology in Social Work
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.
Trauma-Informed and Human Rights Perspective
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.
Global Social Work
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
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.
Top Downloads
From mental health to substance abuse, from ethics to cultural competence, you can explore a variety of topics with inSocialWork®.
The topics with the most downloads are:
- Macro Social Work and Community Issues
- Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care
- Social Work Practice and Interventions
Contact us
Are you a social work practitioner, researcher or educator doing innovative work? Do you have questions or an idea for a future podcast? We would love to hear from you. Write to us at insocialwork@buffalo.edu.