We’re excited to bring to you the Academy i3 Podcast!

This season, join Charlie Rodnuson as he leads us through conversations with special guests on a variety of topics impacting the ever-changing workforce. 

Topics explored include culturally responsive leadership, strengths-based coaching, and much more. The Academy i3 Podcast will be available on Apple, Google, Spotify, and YouTube platforms.

In this episode, we are joined by Derrin Ford, Practice Coach for the Academy of Professional Excellence. Derrin shares tips and recommendations for Children and Family Services Staff as they prepare to take part in simulations, an exciting workforce development modality designed to provide a safe and trusting environment to practice and try on the skills and practices.

In this episode, we are joined by Ellen Perez, Practice Coach for the Academy of Professional Excellence. Ellen discusses different kinds of bias beyond race, culture, and gender, and how we coach through bias for practice in social work.

In this episode, we are joined by Christine Hart, Social Services Supervisor with Children’s Services in Riverside County. Christine shares about her path towards becoming a supervisor, taking on new responsibilities, and shifting trust to her workers. Notably, she highlights maintaining boundaries and work/life balance as a supervisor.

In this episode we are joined by Nicole Heesen, Practice Coach Manager for the Academy for Professional Excellence. Nicole explores Trauma 101 and the impact of trauma on the work environment, focusing on vicarious trauma and offering antidotes for creating a more trauma-informed environment in social work and child welfare.

In this episode we are joined by Juan Solis, Father Engagement Coordinator with Children’s Network. Juan shares about the importance of father engagement in Social Work, highlighting self-empowerment for fathers and what it means to “talk and connect to the boy within”.

In this episode, we are joined by Brenda Guzman and Jenna Nevitt, Practice Coaches for the Academy of Professional Excellence.
Brenda and Jenna share about finding balance between the two worlds of work and personal, highlighting the impact of overwhelm and burnout for child welfare workers while offering resources that can be individualized for each person.

In this episode, we are joined by Joanne Chen, Organization Development Specialist for the Academy for Professional Excellence. Joanne provides a background of approaching from a Strength-based perspective, and highlights how our strengths can be utilized to help set goals as well as develop self-care, boundaries, and decision-making. Notably, she offers Strengths-Based Coaching questions to reflect on for goal attainment.

In this episode, we are joined by Janice Boafo, founder of Evergreen Cypher, Inc., an LCSW, and a contract trainer. She shares how Cultural Humility can be rooted in human connection and how we can truly slow down to honor ourselves and others. Janice highlights that Cultural Humility starts with our own work and developing a level of vulnerability in providing a healing experience for those we serve in the Social Work field.

In this first episode of the Culturally Responsive Leadership Series, we are joined by a current leader and a former leader at the Academy for Professional Excellence – Jennifer Tucker-Tatlow, Chief Executive Officer, and Minola Clark Manson, former Responsive Integrated Health Solutions Director. They set the foundation by sharing the importance of Culturally Responsive Leadership for the organization and staff, while highlighting their key successes, misses, and takeaways in developing this practice for the organization.

In this second episode of the Culturally Responsive Leadership Series, we are re-joined by current and former leaders at the Academy for Professional Excellence – Jennifer Tucker-Tatlow, Chief Executive Officer, and Minola Clark Manson, former Responsive Integrated Health Solutions Director. They discuss the ‘i3 experience’ and how they have incorporated an organizational health framework into their work. They also share strategies they have used to effectively build and maintain an inclusive culture in the workplace, highlighting what they found important when reaching obstacles or challenges.