Episode 19 of the Revolutionary Social Work Podcast continues our Social Work Outside the Status Quo series, recorded live at the NASW National Conference in Chicago. With Alicia Stettler unable to join from Hawaiʻi due to the six-hour time difference, Jerome MT stepped in as guest alongside Professor Ace for a powerful conversation with Dr. Paul Michael Garrett (PMG), joining from Ireland.

This episode explores the urgent relevance of dissenting social work—how it confronts the profession’s complicity in systems of control, and why critical dialogue must remain central to practice. We get into collective action, the rise of AI, abolitionist tensions, Indigenous worldviews, and the role of social workers in shaping more humane futures.

PMG brings sharp insight into the need for structural rethinking and invites listeners to approach the work with historical awareness, political clarity, and relational grounding.

🎓 To learn more about Dr. PMG and dissenting social work:

Visit: https://www.pmgarrettdsw.com/Watch:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba6_45xLZ6Y

Contact: pm.garrett@universityofgalway.ie

🌍 Learn more about Revolutionary Social Work: https://revolutionarysocialwork.com

🌺 More from Alicia: https://aliciastettler.com

🌀 More from Professor Ace: https://professorace.com

📚 Watch the class on RSW values: https://youtu.be/L6vnVENCvU0Chapters

00:00 Welcome + Theme Song

03:20 Introduction to Dissenting Social Work04:14 Contextualizing Dissenting Social Work

08:13 The Importance of Critical Engagement

12:37 Collective Action in Social Work

14:40 Practical Approaches to Dissent

18:10 Themes of Dissent in Social Work

21:54 The Role of Technology in Social Work

26:41 Indigenous Perspectives on Technology and Social Work

29:00 Enhancing Human Connection through AI in Healthcare

30:01 Racial Capitalism and Technology's Impact on Society

31:38 Understanding Social Structures and Their Influence

33:30 The Need for New Economic and Social Systems

35:11 Abolitionism in Social Work: Challenges and Perspectives

39:47 Indigenous Perspectives on Justice and Social Work

44:42 The Role of Critical Conversations in Social Change

#dissentingsocialwork #revolutionarysocialwork #socialworkpodcast #nasw2025 #abolition #criticalsocialwork #indigenousjustice #pmg #paulmichaelgarrett #professorace #aliciastettler #socialworkeducation #aiandsocialwork

© Revolutionary Social Work

Episode 18 kicks off our Social Work Outside the Status Quo series, recorded live from the NASW National Conference in Chicago. Professor Ace is joined by special guest MT and Alicia Stettler, LCSW from the Big Island of Hawai‘i, for a wide-ranging conversation on healing, family, and therapeutic practice.Topics include yoga as a parenting tool, transforming energy in relationships, the Circle of Self framework, food and mental health, vicarious trauma, and pain reprocessing therapy. Alicia shares practical strategies for emotional regulation, burnout prevention, and working with chronic pain through neuroplasticity. This episode is for anyone exploring mental health, parenting, and care work grounded in real life.Contact us: revolutionarysocialwork@gmail.comMore info:→ https://revolutionarysocialwork.com→ https://aliciastettler.com→ https://professorace.comTimestamps:00:00 – Intro and Theme 02:20 – Welcome to the Conference 03:56 – Incorporating Yoga into Family Life 07:57 – Navigating Conflict with Calmness 11:58 – Transforming Energy in Relationships 13:55 – Dealing with Resistance 20:20 – The Circle of Self Framework 38:47 – The Importance of Movement in Life 44:08 – Navigating Depression and Mental Health 49:15 – Understanding Trauma and Healing 54:08 – Vicarious Trauma and Empathy 59:35 – Gratitude and Connection to Nature 1:00:39 – Food, Mood, and Wellbeing 1:09:55 – Embracing Change and Resilience 1:10:38 – Honesty in Nutrition and Parenting 1:11:59 – Understanding Childhood Reactions 1:13:32 – Raising Nutritional Revolutionaries 1:14:23 – Introduction to Pain Reprocessing Therapy 1:15:44 – The Psychology of Chronic Pain 1:17:21 – Neuroplasticity and Pain Management 1:18:17 – Mapping Pain and Sensations 1:20:45 – Integrating Emotional and Physical Healing 1:22:54 – Exploring Complex Regional Pain Syndrome 1:24:50 – Collaborative Approaches to Pain Management 1:26:19 – The Interconnection of Physical and Emotional Pain 1:26:46 – Final Thoughts on Pain Reprocessing Therapy #NASWNationalConference #SocialWorkPodcast #SocialWorkOutsideTheStatusQuo #ProfessorAce #AliciaStettler #PainReprocessingTherapy #CircleOfSelf #YogaTherapy #VicariousTrauma #MentalHealth #SelfCare #ParentingAndMentalHealth #EmotionalHealing #ChronicPain #TraumaInformedCare #CommunityMentalHealth #Mindfulness #NutritionAndMentalHealth #Neuroplasticity #TherapistBurnout #WellnessInSocialWork© Revolutionary Social Work

In Episode 17 of the Revolutionary Social Work Podcast, hosts Christian Ace Stettler and Alicia Stettler sit down with Charlie Stark to explore what happens when social work merges with emergency management. Charlie shares his journey pursuing an interdisciplinary degree that bridges both fields—while raising hard questions about bureaucracy, community, and the human cost of disconnection.

Together, they unpack the four stages of emergency management—preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation—and explore the critical, often-overlooked role of social workers in community recovery. The conversation moves beyond theory to touch something real: the loss of connection in modern education, the alienation of online learning, and the urgent need to foster intentional, vulnerable, human relationships in a system built to standardize.Full

Timestamps – Chapters

00:00 Theme Song

00:35 Introduction and Backgrounds

03:36 The Interdisciplinary Degree Journey

06:31 Emergency Management Overview

09:43 Social Work and Emergency Management Integration

12:31 The Role of Community and Social Capital

15:47 Bureaucracy and Its Impact on Social Work

18:39 The Importance of Human Connections

21:44 Reflections on Modern Communication and Community

24:25 Final Thoughts on Social Work and Emergency Management

38:14 The Quest for Meaningful Connection in Education

40:36 Challenges of Online Learning and Community Building

46:18 Navigating Modern Communication and Connection

52:15 The Impact of Technology on Human Interaction

59:30 The Power of Language in Social Work

01:11:41 Understanding Neurodiversity and Human Connection

Key Topics Discussed

Interdisciplinary education: Social Work + Emergency Management

The four phases of emergency response

How bureaucracy fails communities

Why human connections matter more than material resources

Social capital as a foundation for community resilience

The alienation of online learning and tech overload

Exclusionary language in academic and social work settings

Neurodiversity as a universal reality

Building community in disjointed systems

Creating space for empathy, vulnerability, and understanding

Questions for Reflection

What does it mean to build social capital in your community?

How can we resist the push toward conformity and remain human?

What role should social workers play in emergency recovery?

How can professors foster community in online learning environments?

#SocialWork #EmergencyManagement #CommunityResilience #InterdisciplinaryEducation #Neurodiversity #HumanConnection #MentalHealth #OnlineLearning #Bureaucracy #SocialCapital #RevolutionarySocialWork #ChristianAceStettler #CharlieStark© Revolutionary Social Work