Salute to Social Workers: The People Who Hold Society Together

Social workers are the backbone of countless communities, showing up in hospitals, schools, courtrooms, shelters, and beyond—wherever there is need, there we are. In this special episode, we celebrate the vast and vital profession of social work by speaking with dedicated professionals from across the country. From child welfare to hospice care, from policy advocacy to crisis intervention, we explore the many ways social workers create change, provide support, and uplift lives. We’ll also take a journey through the history of social work, reflecting on its roots and evolution, and honoring the legacy of those who paved the way. As Margaret Mead so powerfully said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Bios of our amazing guests:

Michelle Baeza, LMSW, has been working in the field of mental health for 16 years. She received her bachelor's in sociology from the University of Tennessee in 2008 and took some time off school to gain some experience in the field. She returned for graduate school at the University of Tennessee College of Social Work in 2012 and graduated in 2015 with her MSSW. While in graduate school, she was the president of Phi Alpha, the College of Social Work National Honor Society. After graduating, she received her LMSW in August of 2015. For the first 7 years of her career, she worked in the mental health field. She then transitioned to working with individuals that have intellectual and developmental disabilities along with a mental health disorder; she has been working in that specialty for the past 9 years. In this time, she has been working to help with the development and expansion of programs specific to working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in multiple states. Along with the development, there has been work to help to educate the community about the gaps in care and awareness of the need for services. In the past 9 years, Michelle has worked alongside the state as well as the Medicaid providers for ongoing collaboration in the development of different levels of care and identifying ongoing needs in the communities.

Elizabeth Eckhardt, PhD. In addition to being Director of the Nassau County Bar Association's Lawyer Assistance Program, Dr. Elizabeth Eckhardt has had a private psychotherapy practice for 30 years. 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/elizabeth-eckhardt-east-northport-ny/363928

https://www.nassaubar.org/lawyer-assistance-program/

 

Pamela Lowell, MSW, LICSW, has treated complex emotional trauma for almost four decades. She has served as a clinical director, consultant, and trainer for minority-operated not-for-profit agencies. She is an avid birder, watercolor artist, and award-winning author. After a kayak trip to a local osprey estuary in 2022, she began painting large watercolors of those raptors, their nests, and platforms and donating them to local nature organizations. This experience culminated with her writing My Summer with Ospreys: A Therapist’s Journey toward Hope, Community, and Healing our Planet,” complete with her original watercolor sketches.  Her website is http://www.pamelalowell.com and Instagram is @palwrites.

 

Mike Crum is a former Marine with a bachelor's and master's in social work and near completion of his doctorate in social work. For the last 10 years, Mike has worked in suicide prevention at a community and macro level, educating about the needs of service members and veterans. Mike's work within the Army National Guard has led to training thousands of soldiers in resilience and suicide prevention and education. Mike currently works to address