📅 Release Date: October 25th, 2024
🎧 Hosts: Professor Christian Ace Stettler
🎙️ Guests: George Mataele

In this compelling episode of The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary Storytelling Podcast, host Christian Ace Stettler sits down with George Mataele, a clinical social worker with 14 years of experience in mental health. With a background shaped by his Tongan heritage, a challenging upbringing in Los Angeles, and personal family losses to drugs and gang violence, George brings a uniquely holistic perspective to his work in addiction recovery and mental health. As a father of three and a substance abuse counselor in Denver, Colorado, George’s approach is rooted in transparency, authentic human connection, and the power of cultural influence in social work.

Key Topics Discussed:

Fatherhood & Masculinity: Redefining masculinity to embrace transparency and open communication with children.

Cultural Influences in Social Work: How George’s Tongan heritage informs his approach to community-building and addiction recovery.

Unity Consciousness & Community: The role of unity consciousness in enhancing community support systems.

Rethinking Social Work Education: Exploring a vision of education that prioritizes authentic connections over research-driven frameworks.

The Role of Curiosity & Authenticity: Why these qualities are essential for impactful social work practice.

Addiction & Personal Healing: Insights into overcoming addiction’s challenges through love, cultural roots, and self-reflection.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background
02:36 Navigating Fatherhood and Masculinity
05:19 The Role of Transparency in Parenting
10:59 Cultural Influences on Social Work Practice
16:43 Unity Consciousness and Community Connections
23:59 Reimagining Social Work Education
31:31 Meeting Community Needs through Education
32:00 Privilege as Servitude in Education
32:56 Quality vs. Quantity in Social Work Services
33:52 The Importance of Localized Education
34:46 The Necessity of Personal Healing
35:58 Self-Application in Social Work Education
37:08 The Long-Term Impact of Social Work
38:51 The Role of Practicum Supervision
40:28 The Art vs. Practice of Social Work
42:16 Sustaining Authenticity in Social Work
44:02 Curiosity in Social Work Practice
45:05 The Rewards of Social Work
46:37 Personal Stories and Community Impact
48:32 The Role of Family in Social Work
50:00 The Deeper Meaning of Social Work
51:53 Addiction and Its Impact on Lives
53:02 The Unique Gifts of Each Individual
54:06 Revolutionizing Social Work through Love

Join us for this inspiring episode as George Mataele and Christian Ace Stettler dive into the heart of revolutionary social work, examining how personal experience, cultural identity, and a commitment to community shape effective social work practices.

#SocialWork #MentalHealth #Fatherhood #Community #CulturalInfluences #UnityConsciousness #AddictionRecovery #RevolutionarySocialWork #TransparencyInParenting #ChristianAceStettler #GeorgeMataele

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