5 Things You'll Learn from the Empower Hour Social Work Podcast

If you're a social work student, a recent graduate or simply someone curious about what the field really looks like day to day, there's a resource worth bookmarking. The Empower Hour: Social Work Stories podcast is produced entirely by the social work faculty and staff at Herzing University, and it brings the kind of honest, grounded conversation that textbooks rarely capture. You can find it on Spotify, iHeart Radio and through podcast directories like The Podcast Collaborative.

You don't have to listen to every episode to get something meaningful out of it. Here are five things you'll take away when you tune in.

1. Real Talk About the Hardest Topics in the Field

Empower Hour doesn't shy away from the conversations that matter most. Episodes like Beyond the Stigma: Social Work in Suicide Prevention & Substance Use Recovery feature Dr. KaRon Spriggs-Bethea and Dr. Kenshara Cravens-Knoxson, diving into how upbringing and traumatic experiences shape a person's relationship with substance use as a coping mechanism. Understanding those connections, they emphasize, is central to effective assessment and support. It's the kind of real talk that prepares you for what you'll actually encounter in practice.

2. The Empowering Force of Lived Experience

One of the most compelling threads running through the podcast is how personal experience shapes professional impact. In the episode Foster Care: Where Lived Experience Fuels Practice, Dr. Isaiah Gonzalez, a licensed clinical social worker and professor, shares his own journey through the foster care system and how that history informs the way he shows up for clients today. His story is a powerful reminder that what you've been through doesn't disqualify you from this work; it can be your greatest strength.

3. What Purpose-Driven Practice Actually Looks Like

Social work is often described as a calling, and the podcast puts faces and voices to that idea. In Where Purpose Meets Practice: A Herzing MSW Alum's Journey, Erica Smith, a Herzing University graduate focused on housing advocacy, reflects on her path from single motherhood to social work and the lessons she carries into every client relationship. She speaks candidly about meeting clients where they are, building in self-care and advocating for policy change to address housing inequality. For anyone wondering what it looks like when purpose meets practice, this episode delivers.

4. How to Advocate With Confidence Across Diverse Communities

Cultural competence and humility aren't just buzzwords in the field; they're daily commitments. The episode Pride in Practice: Social Work With the LGBTQIA+ Community features licensed clinical social worker Tresa Rollison discussing the nuances of advocacy, the rewards and challenges of working with LGBTQIA+ clients and why ongoing education is non-negotiable. The conversation models the kind of thoughtful, informed approach that strengthens both trust and outcomes across diverse communities.

5. Why Advocacy Doesn't Stop at Awareness Months

In Not Just a Month: Everyday Advocacy with Survivors, MSW adjunct faculty member Professor Stephanie Parsons makes clear that real advocacy extends far beyond April's National Child Abuse Prevention Month and National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. She shares what social workers and advocates need to know when supporting survivors of child abuse and sexual assault, drawing on years of direct experience. It's a grounding conversation about the responsibility practitioners carry and the difference consistent, informed advocacy can make.

A Resource Built by Social Workers, for Social Workers

What makes Empower Hour worth your time is the community behind it. Every episode reflects a commitment to social justice, mental health awareness and building a profession that is accessible, inclusive and equipped to meet people where they are. Whether you're exploring the Herzing University social work program or already deep in your studies, this podcast connects you to voices who've been in the field and want to help you get there, too.