In this episode of the Goddesses of Social Work Podcast, host Renita Ray Davis sits down with Whitney Anderson, coordinator at the Central Alabama Aging Consortium (CAAC), to explore her journey into service and her commitment to helping older adults navigate complex systems of care.

With nearly 20 years of experience in Medicare, Medicaid, and medical billing, Whitney now leads three key programs — SHIP (State Health Insurance Program), MIPPA (Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act), and SMP (Senior Medicare Patrol). Each program plays a vital role in ensuring seniors have access to clarity, protection, and the resources they need to thrive.

In this conversation, we talk about: 🌿 Whitney’s path into the helping professions and eventually into Medicare-related programming 🌿 The unique impact of SHIP, MIPPA, and SMP in the lives of older adults 🌿 The importance of advocating for seniors navigating complex and sometimes overwhelming systems 🌿 Stories that remind Whitney why this work matters so deeply 🌿 Her hopes for participants attending the upcoming Remember Me documentary screening and community gathering on November 1st

Whitney’s story is a reminder that advocacy can take many forms — and that guiding people toward clarity and access is a sacred form of service …along your social work journey.

Register for the Remember Me screening and community gathering here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/remember-me-documentary-community-gathering-tickets-1588469818989?aff=oddtdtcreator

Learn more about CAAC here:

Home - CAAC

Find more of Renita's offerings here:

https://linktr.ee/illuminatedexpressions

Interested in Mastering Your Therapeutic Techniques for Dementia Caregivers?

https://gamma.app/docs/Interested-in-Mastering-Your-Therapeutic-Techniques-for-Dementia--7fnyf5ydeq70qd5

Goddess of Social Work Earrings - Etsy

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1183285270/goddess-of-social-work-earrings

In this episode of the Goddesses of Social Work Podcast, we continue our Remember Me Series with Melissa Stellhorn, Nutrition Coordinator at the Central Alabama Aging Consortium (CAAC).

Melissa shares her journey into the helping professions, from her early volunteer work at the YMCA to her passion for supporting older adults through CAAC’s Elderly Nutrition Program. We discuss the impact of senior centers on community, dignity, and connection, and how something as simple as a shared meal can transform lives.

Join us as we explore how CAAC is nourishing both body and spirit, and hear what Melissa hopes people will take away from the upcoming Remember Me documentary screening on November 1st.

Register for the Remember Me screening and community gathering here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/remember-me-documentary-community-gathering-tickets-1588469818989?aff=oddtdtcreator

Learn more about CAAC here:

Home - CAAC

Find more of Renita's offerings here:

https://linktr.ee/illuminatedexpressions

Interested in Mastering Your Therapeutic Techniques for Dementia Caregivers?

https://gamma.app/docs/Interested-in-Mastering-Your-Therapeutic-Techniques-for-Dementia--7fnyf5ydeq70qd5

Goddess of Social Work Earrings - Etsy

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1183285270/goddess-of-social-work-earrings

In this episode of the Goddesses of Social Work Podcast, host Renita Ray Davis sits down with Tenessa Shepherd, LICSW, a newly licensed independent clinical social worker with 10 years of experience across child welfare, adult and child mental health, inpatient psychiatric care, and her current work in substance use disorder treatment.

A proud mom of two girls and an Alabama native with family roots in North Carolina, Tenessa shares openly about the twists, turns, and triumphs that shaped her path to licensure, including what it really took to pass the clinical exam and the communities that supported her along the way.

We talk about: 🌿 Moving from foster care and adoption work to inpatient psych and substance use treatment 🌿 The journey toward passing the clinical exam, and what shifted this time 🌿 The power of community and connection for social workers 🌿 The belief about social work that has changed most over her first decade 🌿 The advice she’d give her younger self just starting out

Tenessa’s story is a reminder that growth is rarely linear; it’s intentional, courageous, and unfolds step by step …along your social work journey.

Find more of Renita's offerings here:

https://linktr.ee/illuminatedexpressions

Interested in Mastering Your Therapeutic Techniques for Dementia Caregivers?

https://gamma.app/docs/Interested-in-Mastering-Your-Therapeutic-Techniques-for-Dementia--7fnyf5ydeq70qd5

Goddess of Social Work Earrings - Etsy

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1183285270/goddess-of-social-work-earrings