Partnership Connections

Join us as we chat with Lisa Guillette, Executive Director of Foster Forward. 
From family finding and mentoring to housing and workforce development, this conversation explores how child welfare professionals can help build strong relationships with foster youth and learn more from an agency continuously striving to create pathways to permanency, belonging, and sustainable futures!
 

In this episode, we sit down with Rhode Island DCYF Director Ashley Deckert, who shares her journey into child welfare leadership and her deep commitment to family preservation and prevention. The conversation explores Rhode Island’s Children’s Behavioral Health Consent Decree, the state’s plans to transform behavioral health services through initiatives like a single point of access and enhanced care coordination, and the vision for a system that better supports children in the least restrictive settings possible.
 

In this episode, we explore the often-overlooked topic of pet loss and grief through a child welfare lens. Joined by Dr. Michelle Crossley, Associate Professor in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Rhode Island College and Vice President of the Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement, the discussion examines why the loss of a companion animal can be as emotionally significant as the loss of a human loved one, and important connections to child welfare practice; including how pet loss and separation from pets can affect children in foster care, residential treatment, and family reunification situations
 

Join us as we chat with Dr. Kalina Brabeck, professor and co-chair of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Rhode Island College and Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Clinical Program Manager, and Adjunct Professor at RIC, Elise Jarvis. Throughout the episode, we explore how trauma impacts children and adults, highlighting key differences in development, behavior, and mental health outcomes. You will hear expert break downs of evidence-based, trauma-informed treatment approaches, including therapies like TF-CBT, prolonged exposure, and cognitive processing therapy. The episode also emphasizes resilience, cultural considerations, and practical guidance for supporting trauma survivors across diverse settings
 

In this episode of the Partnership Connections Podcast, we chat with Dr. Gabriela Torres, professor of anthropology at Rhode Island College, to explore the experiences of the Guatemalan immigrant communiric parricty in Rhode Island.
Drawing on both her personal journey as a Guatemalan and her extensive experience as a professional, Dr. Torres offers powerful insights into the cultural values, family structures, and migration patterns that shape this community. The episode dives into the broader forces driving migration, including systemic violence, corruption, and the legacy of genocide in Guatemala. Dr. Torres explains how these realities contribute to deep-seated mistrust of authority and how trauma—often cumulative and deeply rooted—can influence interactions long after migration.Listeners will gain practical, trauma-informed strategies for building trust, including understanding non-linear perceptions of time, prioritizing transparency, and recognizing how past experiences can shape present behaviors
 
 

In this episode of Partnership Connections, art therapist Emily Natale of Create Art & Wellness explores how art therapy supports children, teens, and adults—especially those impacted by trauma—by offering a safe, creative path to self-understanding and healing. Emily busts common myths about art therapy, explains what sessions really look like, and shares powerful stories of how creative expression can foster belonging, resilience, and emotional regulation for both children and adults. 
 

Join us as we welcome back Dr. Frederic Reamer, Professor Emeritus at the Rhode Island College School of Social Work. Throughout the conversation we focus on effective altruism and how it breaks down how evidence, ethics, and impact analysis to help practitioners, agencies, and policymakers move beyond good intentions to doing the most good for children and families. Listeners are invited to reflect on daily practice, career choices, and system-level priorities through a practical, thought‑provoking lens.
 

In this episode, we chat with Dr. Jessica Pryce, Research Faculty member at Florida State University College of Social Work, a former Child Protective Services investigator in Florida, and author of Broken: Transforming Child Protective Services—Notes of a Former Caseworker.
 
Throughout the conversation, we cover her experiences of challenges in child protective services—including worker burnout, power imbalances, racial disparities, and the gap between training and real‑world practice. Through personal stories, research insights, and reflections from her book, she highlights the need for more humane, collaborative, and data‑informed approaches to supporting both families and frontline workers. The conversation also explores evolving case practice in Rhode Island and emphasizes the importance of self‑care, distributive leadership, and elevating the voices of parents with lived and living experience.
 

In this episode, we sit down with renowned child advocate Elizabeth Burke Bryant, Professor of the Practice of Health Services, Policy and PracticeHassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute Brown University School of Public Health and former longtime Executive Director of Rhode Island Kids Count. With more than 30 years of experience shaping equitable policies for children and families, Elizabeth reflects on her personal journey from a civic‑minded upbringing in Providence to becoming one of Rhode Island’s most influential voices in child well‑being.
Our discussion explores the critical role of data‑driven advocacy, the persistent challenges of affordable housing, the deep connections between poverty, education, and child welfare, and the growing urgency around children’s behavioral health. 
 

Join us as we chat with Dr. Kristin Scaplen and Dr. Victoria Heimer-McGinn as they help us explore how chronic stress affects the brain. They focus on key regions like the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex, and what that means for child welfare professionals working in high‑pressure environments. They also break down the science behind stress, memory, addiction, and neuroplasticity in accessible terms while offering practical, evidence‑based strategies for building resilience and supporting well-being. The conversation also highlights community neuroscience outreach efforts aimed at increasing public understanding of brain health.
 
Check out Brainwaves RI!