Rogue Social Worker

My favorite time to rant? After I've been sitting for eight hours listening to human service professionals pat themselves on the back for doing the most basic shit. Come on people. We're better than this.

In this episode I interview a former employee of a residential substance use treatment facility. Again, your tax dollars hard at work! If you have a story or stories to share, please email me at roguesocialworker@gmail.com Thanks for listening :)

Here is an interview with a very brave individual who chose to share her story with all of us. This episode in particular exposes the lack of accountability and nearly complete incompetence, even with such an easy person to work with. If you have a story you'd like to share on the podcast, please email me at roguesocialworker@gmail.com

This is a special episode of RSW. I've taken a break from creating and posting new content--gotta make that money! When I find the inner strength to record and post my recent trials with learning how to run a business, I promise I will share them with you. In the meantime, here is a story I helped out with a couple years back. We were in a more or less constant battle with the Providence Mayor's office and police department, trying to get the cops to stop harassing homeless folks for simply existing on the streets of Providence. This story was produced by a student from Brown with the online platform "Now Hear This." At the time (about two years ago) I had fallen off the grid after having a nervous breakdown [It's hard to mentally survive when you realize you're part of a system that is designed to fail clients and workers alike]. At any rate...I disappeared, so it never got published. Now, as I collect more stories from our communities and document the journey in building a new system, it's helpful to hear how all of the details of the last 17 years shaped what is happening today. In the coming weeks I will share the full interviews with the clients you hear on this recording. I did get their full permission to share their stories publicly. Their voices have been altered to protect their identities. A friend contacted me yesterday to help out with a lawsuit against the city of Providence. I was a witness to her arrest for "obstructing a public walkway." The police attempted to kick us and our mutual clients out of Kennedy Plaza and she refused to move. Of course, she was not obstructing the more than six-foot-wide sidewalk and we have this on video. Her lawsuit reminded me of all the work we did to fight the crime of being "poor in public." These types of laws have been around for a very long time in one form or another. (Think loitering, obstructing a public walkway, panhandling, etc.) These laws are passed to get poor people out of the public's sight. I know this is a big intro for a short piece, but context is important. **The cover photo is a sign my wife found on the ground at the corner of North Main and Doyle in Providence. It should serve as evidence of the way we treat many of our fellow humans.** Enjoy!

Well I've gotten myself into quite a pickle. Working hard to take responsibility even when others don't.

After listening to an episode of Reply All (https://soundcloud.com/replyall/55-the-line) about Mormons who were fed up with being lied to, I'm asking you--case manager, front line worker, client of a social service agency--to reach out and tell me your story. You'll see on the Criminalization of Homelessness episode, I sat down with a few people to tell their stories about their interactions with the police. Now I want to hear your stories about interacting with the social service agencies who claim to be doing a fantastic job serving the most needy people. Good or bad...I'll listen to it all! Email me at roguesocialworker@gmail.com. We can do a video chat, voice recording, or written convo-whichever you prefer. We can always disguise your voice and won't reveal where you're calling from. We are more interested in documenting the pervasive trends in poor implementation of services rather than who in particular is doing "wrong." Thanks <3

Learning by doing. It's painful.

Update from summer of 2017: installing laminate flooring, getting into debt, building the airplane while I fly it.

What humility means to me and why it is the #1 trait for leaders and human service workers to have.

In this episode I talk about choosing to leverage capitalism to generate funding for Kindworks, rather than begging the government for money.

Quality organizational culture...it's not foosball tables, unlimited vacation, or a sit/stand desk. Honesty, reliability, and kindness in your everyday interactions makes for a better culture. Really--it's that simple!

Nonprofits do all sorts of silly things to get money. Most of those things make me really mad.

This is the first episode in a series documenting my journey to end homelessness. I talk about why I got into human services and the problems I saw in the field along the way.