Strengthening Communities

About Strengthening Communities

Access Services is a non-profit committed to building stronger communities by empowering individuals to achieve wholeness and belonging. Serving eastern Pennsylvania since 1976, we provide community support for adults, children, families, individuals with intellectual disabilities, autism, behavioral health, and housing. We believe in providing person-centered services that meet people’s unique needs. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, we ask, “How can we serve this person better?” This mindset has allowed us to grow from a small group of social workers to over 600 passionate staff members dedicated to strengthening our communities. We are adaptable and always look for ways to meet specific community needs. If we can’t provide a solution, we connect individuals with our community partners and resources. By building strong partnerships, we create vibrant communities and lasting support for those in need. Please join us as we discuss a variety of topics in the human services fields and how our communities can be strengthened as we all work together.

Publisher

Access Services

Category

business · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

31 Mar 2025

Latest episode

13 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

20 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   13 Oct 2026

   Strengthening Communities Season 2, Episode #8: Intersecting Faith and Mental Health

   In this episode of the Strengthening Communities podcast, Mark and Mike welcome Dave Eckert, Senior Director of Intersect at Access Services, to reflect on his 25-year journey with Access Services. Dave discusses the origins and evolution of Intersect, one of our divisions designed to bridge the gap between mental health and faith communities. Learn more about Intersect: https://www.accessservices.org/intersect/ Grab tickets to our Walkthrough: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/50th-anniversary-walkthrough-experience-tickets-1991712185763

2. 

   8 Sept 2026

   Strengthening Communities Season 2, Episode #7: Smart Support

   In our latest episode of Strengthening Communities, Mark and Mike sit down with Nathan Gerhard, Managing Director of Intellectual Disabilities and Autism at Access Services. Nathan breaks down how smart technology - from smartwatches to non-intrusive sensor systems - is revolutionizing support for individuals with disabilities. Learn more about SimplyHome: https://simply-home.com/

3. 

   5 Aug 2026

   Strengthening Communities Season 2, Episode #6: County Collaboration

   In the latest episode of the Strengthening Communities podcast, Mark and Mike sit down with members of the Montgomery County Overdose Response Team (MCORT) - a unique hybrid team combining mobile health paramedics with certified recovery specialists from Access Services.

Who has been a guest on Strengthening Communities

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Matt
• John Niarhos
• Rob Heayn
• Kristen Harootunian
• Ivan Rosa

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.0 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 24 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

36

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact Strengthening Communities

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Strengthening Communities