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Human Services Change Makers

by Human Services Group
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Latest episodes

  • Upstream Support to Prevent Downstream Crises

    October 14, 2026 · 30 min

    Four experts in human services from around the country give their perspectives on the value of upstream support in preventing downstream crises. Frank Alexander talks about how data transparency can help systems react to root causes…

  • Liesl Wendt - Compliance, Creativity, and Compassion

    September 23, 2026 · 35 min

    Liesl Wendt, Director of the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), joins Dr. Deb and Kelly to talk about how compliance doesn’t have to limit creativity, how an over reliance on the text of policy can limit how well the practice…

  • Frank Alexander - Some Systems Work Better Together

    September 2, 2026 · 38 min

    Frank Alexander, deputy director of Boulder Housing Partners, joins Dr. Deb and Kelly to talk about taking a systems-level approach to hyper-local issues in human services. Frank spoke about how his experience in housing assistance taught…

  • Stephanie Muth - Hungry for Curiosity and Change

    August 18, 2026 · 39 min

    Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by Stephanie Muth, the executive commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, to talk about the importance of “why” in organizational leadership. She also spoke about how good internal…

  • Christine Norbut Beyer — How Listening Makes Change Last

    August 4, 2026 · 42 min

    Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by Christine Norbut Beyer, the former Commissioner of New Jersey’s Department of Children and Families, to talk about building systems that listen to the people they serve, support their employees, and last…

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  • Dr. Angela Pharris — The Science of Hope

    April 7, 2026 · 33 min

    Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by Dr. Angela Pharris, the director of the University of Oklahoma’s Child Welfare Impact Institute. They discuss the science of hope and how it can be applied to human services, specifically child welfare, and…

  • Andrea Danes — Using Technology to Help Caseworkers Succeed

    March 10, 2026 · 28 min

    Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by Andrea Danes, a seasoned human services leader with more than three decades of experience developing strategies to improve services and systems across the country. Andrea speaks about the ways emerging…

  • Kim Merolla-Brito - Teams Need Trust, Plans Need Flexibility

    February 24, 2026 · 31 min

    Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by Kim Merolla-Brito, the director of Rhode Island’s Department of Human Services, to talk about how her background as a social worker informs her leadership of the department. Kim discusses communication and…

  • Molly McGrath Tierney — Challenging the Status Quo

    January 27, 2026 · 33 min

    Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by Molly McGrath Tierney, who spent 25 years working in human services and a decade as the Director for the Baltimore City Department of Social Services where she worked on the city’s public assistance and…

  • Fariborz Pakseresht — Public Service & the Power of Love

    January 13, 2026 · 41 min

    Dr. Deb and Kelly kick off the new year with Fariborz Pakseresht, long-time Director of Oregon's Department of Human Services.  Recently retired from that role, Fariborz reflects on what drew him to public service, lessons he learned along…

  • David Reed - Keeping Kids Safe at Home

    December 16, 2025 · 38 min

    Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by David Reed with Human Services Group to talk about the innovative approach he pioneered to reducing the need for foster care placements by keeping kids safe at home with other services.  David is a former…

  • Kristie Gordy - Supporting Families and "Wy Home Matters"

    November 2, 2025 · 32 min

    Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by Kristie Gordy, the Senior Administrator for Social Services in Wyoming’s Department of Family Services (DFS), to talk about supporting families in their homes, improving access to services, and doing it…

Full episode archive on Apple Podcasts →

About the show

Change Makers is a podcast dedicated to the public servants who work to strengthen lives and communities across the country. Each episode, Dr. Deb Shropshire and Kelly Harder (alongside different top-in-their-field Change Makers) break down a new topic in human services, from child welfare lawsuits and SNAP error rates, to organizational change management and hope science. If you like this show, check out the work that Human Services Group is doing with human services professionals across the country at humanservicesgroup.com