Salute to Social Workers: The People Who Hold Society Together

Social workers are the backbone of countless communities, showing up in hospitals, schools, courtrooms, shelters, and beyond—wherever there is need, there we are. In this special episode, we celebrate the vast and vital profession of social work by speaking with dedicated professionals from across the country. From child welfare to hospice care, from policy advocacy to crisis intervention, we explore the many ways social workers create change, provide support, and uplift lives. We’ll also take a journey through the history of social work, reflecting on its roots and evolution, and honoring the legacy of those who paved the way. As Margaret Mead so powerfully said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Bios of our amazing guests: Michelle Baeza, LMSW, has been working in the field of mental health for 16 years. She received her bachelor's in sociology from the University of Tennessee in 2008 and took some time off school to gain some experience in the field. She returned for graduate school at the University of Tennessee College of Social Work in 2012 and graduated in 2015 with her MSSW. While in graduate school, she was the president of Phi Alpha, the College of Social Work National Honor Society. After graduating, she received her LMSW in August of 2015. For the first 7 years of her career, she worked in the mental health field. She then transitioned to working with individuals that have intellectual and developmental disabilities along with a mental health disorder; she has been working in that specialty for the past 9 years. In this time, she has been working to help with the development and expansion of programs specific to working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in multiple states. Along with the development, there has been work to help to educate the community about the gaps in care and awareness of the need for services. In the past 9 years, Michelle has worked alongside the state as well as the Medicaid providers for ongoing collaboration in the development of different levels of care and identifying ongoing needs in the communities. Elizabeth Eckhardt, PhD. In addition to being Director of the Nassau County Bar Association's Lawyer Assistance Program, Dr. Elizabeth Eckhardt has had a private psychotherapy practice for 30 years.  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/elizabeth-eckhardt-east-northport-ny/363928 https://www.nassaubar.org/lawyer-assistance-program/   Pamela Lowell, MSW, LICSW, has treated complex emotional trauma for almost four decades. She has served as a clinical director, consultant, and trainer for minority-operated not-for-profit agencies. She is an avid birder, watercolor artist, and award-winning author. After a kayak trip to a local osprey estuary in 2022, she began painting large watercolors of those raptors, their nests, and platforms and donating them to local nature organizations. This experience culminated with her writing My Summer with Ospreys: A Therapist’s Journey toward Hope, Community, and Healing our Planet,” complete with her original watercolor sketches.  Her website is http://www.pamelalowell.com and Instagram is @palwrites.   Mike Crum is a former Marine with a bachelor's and master's in social work and near completion of his doctorate in social work. For the last 10 years, Mike has worked in suicide prevention at a community and macro level, educating about the needs of service members and veterans. Mike's work within the Army National Guard has led to training thousands of soldiers in resilience and suicide prevention and education. Mike currently works to address protective and risk factors for the Army National Guard and informs leadership how to curb trends on topics like suicide, domestic violence, sexual assault, abuse, and neglect. Mike currently lives in Florida, where he enjoys the sunshine and beach!  People can connect with me here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smichaelcrum/ Heidi Hill, LCSW Heidi is a clinical social worker specializing in trauma and transgender care. She prides herself on the use of evidence-based practice with a solution-focused lens. In her 20 years of practice, she has worked in many institutions, to include community-based care, EAP, and active-duty military care.  Adriana Dewitt, LCSW is a licensed social worker in Ohio specializing in trauma. She follows the principles of listening, believing and validating all her clients and prides herself on providing a safe and inclusive space to help people process those difficult memories and to break free from the shadows of trauma. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/adriana-dewitt-middletown-oh/1334916 Nadia Cheddie, LCSW Nadia is currently employed at Pilgrim Psychiatric Center full-time as a Utilization Review Coordinator and part-time at DASH as a social work therapist. Her passion is to provide services and healing to individuals that have endured traumatic/stressful experiences throughout their lives. Nadia provides aid to individuals in crisis, working with them to attain a healthier and stronger relationship with themselves as they work towards a goal of achieving inner peace and feelings of safety. Nadia has a clinical license in social work and obtained a master’s degree in social work from Stony Brook University and a bachelor’s in psychology from SUNY Old Westbury. Joey Wardell Licensed Clinical Social Worker for the Veterans Administration and Combat Veteran.  Author of "Doodey the Combat Camel" and "Hooligans-A Mental Health Journey with the 22nd Engineer Clearance Company" (Releasing later in 2025) [email protected] Hooligans - YouTube Lorna Bosak is a licensed clinical social worker who has over 25 years of experience. She began her social work career as a caseworker in the foster care system and then earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work. She is passionate about supporting children, especially those in foster care, helping them understand how their history of trauma impacts their feelings and behaviors, and teaching therapeutic parenting skills to their caregivers. Lorna's practice, DaVinci Therapy Service, is located in St. James, New York, and treats children, adolescents, and adults of all ages.  Da Vinci Therapy Services Bobby Hamilton is a licensed clinical social worker working in the mental health field for over a decade. He's found his niche working with the LGBTQ community as well as HIV+ folks in an outpatient mental health clinic in Queens. In his free time, Bobby enjoys traveling to national parks, camping, and hiking. He can be found on LinkedIn here: http://linkedin.com/in/robert-hamilton-lcsw-a0ab063a Erika Ortega has a B.A. in psychology from West Chester University of Pennsylvania and received her master’s in social work from Long Island University and is a licensed social worker. Erika is currently a social worker for the Suffolk County Juvenile Court. Erika works with a diverse population, including juvenile delinquents, persons in need of supervision (PINS), and youth who have been or are at risk of being sexually exploited. Erika assisted the presiding judge in developing and implementing New York’s first juvenile trafficking court. Erika works collaboratively with the team to determine the most appropriate services for youths and their families. Rosa L. Casquino, LCSW, is a Latinx-bilingual trauma therapist, speaker, and educator specializing in childhood sexual abuse, domestic violence, and complex trauma. She integrates EMDR, Parts Work, and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) to help survivors heal and reclaim their lives. Rosa also creates educational content on trauma recovery and mental health. Connect with her on Instagram & Threads: @the.healing.guide.therapist and Tiktok: thehealingguidetherapist Giuliana Caen, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker with 14 years of experience, specializing in childhood trauma and adolescent mental health. She is the owner of a private therapy practice and also serves part-time as a clinician within a multi-specialty medical group. Giuliana is currently in the process of establishing a nonprofit organization focused on empowering runaway youth through outreach, therapeutic support, and skill-building. Learn more at Psychology Today or follow her work on all social media platforms @foundtoflour Christiana McPherson, LCSW, LMSW, ThB is a believer in Jesus and has been blessed to be married to her husband, Allen, since 2014. As a clinical social worker, Christiana has been practicing psychotherapy since 2016. Christiana saw a great need for therapy services to be available and provided from a biblical perspective by licensed clinicians, and in 2021, Remnant Therapy LCSW P.C. was born. Birthed out of her own experience with the need for biblical psychotherapy, Christiana and her team of licensed clinicians provide faith-integrated therapy and guidance through virtual sessions for individuals and couples who are seeking this niche.  As a love-all, serve-all space, we offer strictly clinical therapy for those not interested in faith integration. In addition to a master’s degree in social work, Christiana holds a bachelor’s degree in practical theology with a concentration in youth counseling from Southeastern University and a project management certification from Cornell University.  During her time at Southeastern, Christiana served as a youth minister and is passionate about at-risk youth and social justice. Outside of her private practice, Christiana provides clinical education and consultations for clinicians and other health care professionals.   For more information, please visit https://www.remnanttherapy.com or contact at 631-604-8159 [email protected]    Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhyDoPeopleDoThat   Visit our website: https://whydopeopledothat.com/   If you'd like to contact Stacy and Heather or learn more about their practices, visit the following sites: Long Island Counseling Services - www.longislandcounselingservices.com District Support Services - www.districtsupportservices.com  ADHD Training Center - www.adhdtrainingcenter.com     Follow the "Why Do People Do That?" Podcast on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whydopeopledothatpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569908326130 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@whydopeopledothatpodcast   This episode was produced at Press Record Studios in NYC:  www.pressrecordstudios.com