Where can I listen to this podcast?

This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.

Does this podcast accept guests?

Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.

Human Services Change Makers

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by Human Services Group

10 episodes

Updated Daily

Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇺🇸

Podcast Overview

Change Makers is a podcast dedicated to the public servants who work to strengthen lives and communities across the country. Each episode, Dr. Deb Shropshire and Kelly Harder (alongside different top-in-their-field Change Makers) break down a new topic in human services, from child welfare lawsuits and SNAP error rates, to organizational change management and hope science. If you like this show, check out the work that Human Services Group is doing with human services professionals across the country at humanservicesgroup.com

Language

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Publishing Since

8/22/2025

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Recent Episodes

April 7, 2026

Dr. Angela Pharris — The Science of Hope

Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by Dr. Angela Pharris, the director of the University of Oklahoma’s Child Welfare Impact Institute. They discuss the science of hope and how it can be applied to human services, specifically child welfare, and how creating hopeful communities can create resiliency against stress and adversity, and generate positive outcomes for the individuals who need them the most. In addition to her work for the Child Welfare Impact Institute, Dr. Pharris is an associate professor at OU and the senior research fellow at OU’s Hope Research Center, which conducts research and provides training and resources to community foundations and states looking to integrate hope science into their programs and services. Human Services Change Makers is a podcast by Human Services Group. For more information about HSG, or to get in touch, go to <a href="https://www.humanservicesgroup.com/about">https://www.humanservicesgroup.com</a>, or email Deb Shropshire (<a href="mailto:Deb@HSGadvance.com">Deb@HSGadvance.com</a>) or Kelly Harder (<a href="mailto:Kelly@HSGadvance.com">Kelly@HSGadvance.com</a>).

March 10, 2026

Andrea Danes — Using Technology to Help Caseworkers Succeed

Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by Andrea Danes, a seasoned human services leader with more than three decades of experience developing strategies to improve services and systems across the country. Andrea speaks about the ways emerging technologies can improve human services systems, the guardrails that need to be taken into consideration, and the need for any new systems to be designed alongside the people using them on the ground. Before her current position as a Global Health & Human Services Leader at Slalom, Andrea spent more than 15 years working as a consultant with governments at all levels to step up their information systems and use technology to support human services aims. Before that, she spent more than a decade working in Illinois human services, becoming an expert in Medicaid and child welfare along the way. Human Services Change Makers is a podcast by Human Services Group. For more information about HSG, or to get in touch, go to <a href="https://www.humanservicesgroup.com/about">https://www.humanservicesgroup.com</a>, or email Deb Shropshire (<a href="mailto:Deb@HSGadvance.com">Deb@HSGadvance.com</a>) or Kelly Harder (<a href="mailto:Kelly@HSGadvance.com">Kelly@HSGadvance.com</a>).

February 24, 2026

Kim Merolla-Brito - Teams Need Trust, Plans Need Flexibility

Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by Kim Merolla-Brito, the director of Rhode Island’s Department of Human Services, to talk about how her background as a social worker informs her leadership of the department. Kim discusses communication and transparency with stakeholders and staff as non-negotiables, and how to improve program quality and integrity while keeping data and core values at the center of decision making. Before becoming the DHS Director in Rhode Island, Kim spent five years as an assistant administrator and a policy specialist. She also spent more than a decade as a caseworker and policy systems specialist at the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). Human Services Change Makers is a podcast by Human Services Group. For more information about HSG, or to get in touch, go to <a href="https://www.humanservicesgroup.com/about">https://www.humanservicesgroup.com</a>, or email Deb Shropshire (<a href="mailto:Deb@HSGadvance.com">Deb@HSGadvance.com</a>) or Kelly Harder (<a href="mailto:Kelly@HSGadvance.com">Kelly@HSGadvance.com</a>).

10 total episodes available

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Frequently asked questions

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What is Human Services Change Makers?: Change Makers is a podcast dedicated to the public servants who work to strengthen lives and communities across the country. Each episode, Dr. Deb Shropshire and Kelly Harder (alongside different top-in-their-field Change Makers) break down a new topic in human services, from child welfare lawsuits and SNAP error rates, to organizational change management and hope science.

If you like this show, check out the work that Human Services Group is doing with human services professionals across the country at humanservicesgroup.com
How often does this podcast release new episodes?: This podcast updates daily.
Where can I listen to this podcast?: This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
Does this podcast accept guests?: Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.

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