The Social Work Stories Podcast

Join Mim and Lis as we explore a harrowing story from a hospital social worker who was on the front lines of Covid-19 work, supporting families in a dedicated Covid ward. Listen as she shares her experience throughout wave-after-wave of variants, and the way this shaped the work she carried out. Remember to breathe as you listen - it could be easy to hold your breath as this practice story unfolds...

Share some time with Mim & Lis as we listen to a piece by Julaine Allan together. Julaine talks about her work in the Drug and Alcohol space, focusing on the power of Narrative Therapy, the importance of language, and the value of holding other perspectives in social work practice.  Julaine shares wisdom and stories from her practice in an approachable and compelling segment. Mim and Lis discuss t...

Death and dying... how do you prepare for the end of life?  Join Mim & Lis as we listen to a long-view story of death in a hospital. We explore what the social worker does over the course of two admissions, firstly helping to facilitate conversations with the elderly patient and his family members about what a good death looks like; and secondly exploring the actual end-of-life journey. This is a...

Have you ever thought about going into private practice social work? Are you already working in this space? Have you never even considered it? Join Mim & Lis as they have a conversation with Dr. Josie McSkimming, a clinical social worker and author, exploring her experience of engaging in therapeutic relationships in the midst of a pandemic. Josie shares the way she sustains herself in her practic...

A heart-wrenching story shared by your anonymous social worker. A four year old girl dies in the Emergency Department and you are the social worker supporting the family. What do you say? What do you do? Listen along with Mim & Lis as we bear witness and honour the life lost, the family's grief, and the support of this social worker in the worst of scenarios.   Credits: Hosts - Lis Murphy and Dr....

Join us as we revisit Episode 1 of the Social Work Stories Podcast. It's a special time as we recently crossed three years creating this podcast, and thought we would share our thoughts and reflections on the way we've grown, changed, and also stayed the same as we have build the SWS community.    CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussion of the death of a young child. If this subject is l...

As you discovered in parts 1 and 2 of the SEED series, we've been working on something BIG and we're so excited to share the third and final chapter with you!  Join Mim and Lis as we find out what SEED is, how it was developed, and why it made such a difference for a small community hospital on the South Coast of NSW. Learn what #kindnessworkshere means, hear harrowing first-hand experiences of th...

As you discovered in part 1 of the SEED series, we've been working on something BIG and we're so excited to share the next chapter with you!  Join Mim and Lis as we find out what SEED is, how it was developed, and why it made such a difference for a small community hospital on the South Coast of NSW. Learn what #kindnessworkshere means, hear harrowing first-hand experiences of the Black Summer bus...

We've been working on something BIG and we're so excited to share it with you! Social Work Stories are bringing a special series of episodes exploring the SEED Program, and we're so excited for you to hear all about it.  Join Mim and Lis as we find out what SEED is, how it was developed, and why it made such a difference for a small community hospital on the South Coast of NSW. Learn what #kindnes...

Ubuntu - I Am Because We Are. It was the theme of World Social Work Day in 2021, and we thought we would take some time to unpack what it means and where it comes from.  Join Mim and Lis as we hear from two social workers who hail from Zimbabwe, who share their own perspectives of Ubuntu and how the concept developed across the continent of Africa - as well as a gripping story from the field. Hear...

Sometimes you have to take a deep breath, prepare yourself for whatever's behind that door, and knock.  Join Mim and Lis as we hear a story from a Community Aged Care setting, about a social worker who's making an initial home visit for an elder man in the community. Safe to say, things don't go according to plan! Hear how this social worker problem-solves with the client at the centre, and ultima...

Self-care is not a weekly yoga class or a glass of shiraz. Join Mim and Lis for a bit of a different episode, where we share our own stories & experiences of burnout, and discuss how burnout and self-care sit within modern social work practice.  A few resources mentioned in this episode: Self-Care: An Imperative, J. “Jay” Miller and Erlene Grise-Owens, Social Work Volume 65, Number 1 January 2020...

Join Lis and Mim as we listen to a riveting story from an Emergency Department Social Worker, who tells the story of working with a patient who's partner is using violence in the home. This social worker opens the door to us with each step of the process, from referral, information gathering, strategising and working directly with this woman to wrap her with support. This incredible access will be...

Join Lis and Mim as they break down the themes of a rich conversation Mim shares with Deanne Dale, all about Social Justice in Supervision. Deanne shares from a wealth of practice experience and a career of supporting other social workers in their practice through rich supervision approaches. Be sure to listen out at the start of the episode as Mim and Lis share some specific themes to watch for,...

Join Lis and Mim for the second-half of a very special interview as they sit down with two social workers from NSW Health Pathology’s Forensic Medicine Service, for an in-depth exploration of all thing forensic social work. Learn about what they do, who they work with, and how the team supports one another to keep delivering a service while looking after themselves. This episode is part 2-of-2, as...

Join Lis and Mim for a very special episode where they sit down with two social workers from NSW Health Pathology’s Forensic Medicine Service, for an in-depth exploration of all thing forensic social work. Learn about what they do, who they work with, and how the team supports one another to keep delivering a service while looking after themselves. This episode is part 1 of two, as the conversatio...

Join Lis and Mim as they listen to a story from a social worker based in Stockholm, Sweden, who shares his experience of carrying out community development practices in the social housing projects there. The story revolves around a group of young men who are given the opportunity to participate and lead in a whole new context, and the changes that come from creative social work.   Do you have thou...

Join Lis and Mim for a story from a social worker who shares his experience of working in a community youth mental health setting. The story revolves around a young woman who journeys through complex mental health in the midst of a challenging family and social context. Stick around for an announcement from the team at the end of the episode.   Do you have thoughts, want to contribute a story or q...

Join Lis and friend of the podcast Bec for a story from a social worker who shares her experience of working in a mental health social work setting. The story revolves around a man who the social worker praises as an Australian Ratbag. Hear more about working with people who might come across as a little bit different than what society expects, and using creativity in practice to respond to their...

Our team is taking a break to enjoy the Aussie summer and exhale after a long year. But we didn't want to leave you without. So please enjoy a replay of one of our favourite episodes, "The Dark Place - Working with a Suicide Caller". It originally released on April 1, 2019. Our anonymous social worker takes you through one of her most difficult stories while working for a mental health crisis line...

Our team is taking a break to enjoy the Aussie summer and exhale after a long year. But we didn't want to leave you without. So please enjoy a replay of one of our favourite episodes, "Social Work in a Maximum Security Prison: A Story of Creative Practice in Social Work".   When a social worker works in a maximum security prison, and she opens with the line - "He was really intimidating!", you can...

Our team is taking a break to enjoy the Aussie summer and exhale after a long year. But we didn't want to leave you without. So please enjoy a replay of one of our favourite episodes, "Removing the Children, Receiving a Mug": Join your hosts Mim & Lis as they take a few steps into the dynamic and challenging world of social work in the child and family sector. Be prepared to be challenged and insp...

This one is a little different - join Lis and Mim for one story from two perspectives -  the social worker and the client both! Hear the way Bek and Paul have worked together for over a decade, learned from each other, and journeyed through multiple crises. This incredible story will break your heart, sew hope, and challenge your perspective - it certainly astounded our team!   Do you have thought...

Join Mim and friend of the podcast Denkia Thomas for a story from a social worker who shares her perspective on being Aboriginal and practicing social work. In this vibrant story, she details the richness of cultural understanding within her practice, but also the challenges of "cultural load". This episode may contain some terms and concepts that are not familiar to some of our listeners, especia...

Join Lis and Mim for a conversation with Sarah Etter, who shares insights into work with gender and sexually diverse communities. The discussion delves into both the big-picture concepts of equality-building, and many practical tips for weaving inclusivity and respect into your practice, no matter what context you work within. Sarah generously shares with us their passion and motivation, lived exp...