Human Services Change Makers

Human Services Group

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

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14 episodes
monthly
Avg 33 min
English

Episodes 14

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S2 · E4
September 23 · 35 min
Liesl Wendt - Compliance, Creativity, and Compassion
Liesl Wendt, Director of the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), joins Dr. Deb and Kelly to talk about how compliance doesn’t have to limit creativity, how an over reliance on the text of policy can limit how well the practice works, and how those served by human services should feel welcomed and be treated with dignity when they interact with agencies. Liesl spoke about how her upbringing emphasized service to others, and the ways she’s taken that into her career. Before her current role at ODHS, Liesl served statewide as both a technical advisor and as the self-sufficiency director over things like SNAP and TANF for the state. She also served as a county commissioner and later a county director of human services for Multnomah County, which contains most of Portland. Human Services Change Makers is a podcast by Human Services Group. For more information about HSG, or to get in touch, go to https://www.humanservicesgroup.com, or email Deb Shropshire (Deb@HSGadvance.com) or Kelly Harder (Kelly@HSGadvance.com).
S2 · E3
September 2 · 38 min
Frank Alexander - Some Systems Work Better Together
Frank Alexander, deputy director of Boulder Housing Partners, joins Dr. Deb and Kelly to talk about taking a systems-level approach to hyper-local issues in human services. Frank spoke about how his experience in housing assistance taught him about the way human services systems can utilize data to improve outcomes. He also describes the way those systems often fail the people they serve, and specifically how the overuse of investigations as a tool can erode trust. Before his current role at BHP, Frank built a career working in housing and human services at different levels, including more than 15 years leading the programs in Boulder county, Colorado and more than a year in national leadership at Casey Family Programs. He has received awards for his work by the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) and Casey Family Programs, and under his leadership Boulder County Housing and Human Services won more than 60 other awards for outstanding service. Human Services Change Makers is a podcast by Human Services Group. For more information about HSG, or to get in touch, go to https://www.humanservicesgroup.com, or email Deb Shropshire (Deb@HSGadvance.com) or Kelly Harder (Kelly@HSGadvance.com).
S2 · E2
August 18 · 38 min
Stephanie Muth - Hungry for Curiosity and Change
Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by Stephanie Muth, the executive commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, to talk about the importance of “why” in organizational leadership. She also spoke about how good internal communications supports the work being done by the department, and ways to integrate interagency collaboration into both the planning and execution of the services being provided by the agency. Before her current role as executive commissioner, Muth served as commissioner of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, as well as a series of executive positions over her more than two decades of work in the state. She traces her beginnings in the public sphere back to the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, where she obtained first her Master’s in Public Affairs, and where she later attended as part of the Governor’s Executive Development Program. Human Services Change Makers is a podcast by Human Services Group. For more information about HSG, or to get in touch, go to https://www.humanservicesgroup.com, or email Deb Shropshire (Deb@HSGadvance.com) or Kelly Harder (Kelly@HSGadvance.com).
S2 · E1
August 4 · 41 min
Christine Norbut Beyer — How Listening Makes Change Last
Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by Christine Norbut Beyer, the former Commissioner of New Jersey’s Department of Children and Families, to talk about building systems that listen to the people they serve, support their employees, and last beyond any one leader. Christine discusses how the department navigated crises under her leadership and the lessons she learned while bringing all stakeholders to the table to support children and families. Before spending more than eight years at NJDCF, Beyer served as Senior Director of Strategic Consulting for Casey Family Programs where she worked with states around the country to improve outcomes for children and families in the foster care system. She also previously held leadership positions in New Jersey’s child welfare system, including as the director of the state’s child protective services agency. Human Services Change Makers is a podcast by Human Services Group. For more information about HSG, or to get in touch, go to https://www.humanservicesgroup.com, or email Deb Shropshire (Deb@HSGadvance.com) or Kelly Harder (Kelly@HSGadvance.com).
April 7 · 32 min
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 https://www.humanservicesgroup.com, or email Deb Shropshire (Deb@HSGadvance.com) or Kelly Harder (Kelly@HSGadvance.com).
March 10 · 28 min
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 https://www.humanservicesgroup.com, or email Deb Shropshire (Deb@HSGadvance.com) or Kelly Harder (Kelly@HSGadvance.com).
February 24 · 31 min
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 https://www.humanservicesgroup.com, or email Deb Shropshire (Deb@HSGadvance.com) or Kelly Harder (Kelly@HSGadvance.com).
January 27 · 33 min
Molly McGrath Tierney — Challenging the Status Quo
Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by Molly McGrath Tierney, who spent 25 years working in human services and a decade as the Director for the Baltimore City Department of Social Services where she worked on the city’s public assistance and child welfare programs, to talk about her history with improving the human services system in Baltimore and focusing on helping families rather than just growing the systems designed to help them. Molly is a Managing Director at Accenture focused on health and public services for vulnerable children and families. Molly frequently speaks on her effort to improve the impact of social services for vulnerable citizens, and the challenges of child welfare as an industry. Human Services Change Makers is a podcast by Human Services Group. For more information about HSG, or to get in touch, go to https://www.humanservicesgroup.com, or email Deb Shropshire (Deb@HSGadvance.com) or Kelly Harder (Kelly@HSGadvance.com).
January 13 · 40 min
Fariborz Pakseresht — Public Service & the Power of Love
Dr. Deb and Kelly kick off the new year with Fariborz Pakseresht, long-time Director of Oregon's Department of Human Services. Recently retired from that role, Fariborz reflects on what drew him to public service, lessons he learned along the way, the importance of love in leadership, and how he hopes to continue shaping and supporting leaders. Before his eight years of service as the director, Fariborz spent more than two decades working for the state, including a six-month rotation that turned into nine years at the Oregon Youth Authority, the state’s juvenile justice organization. He speaks about his time at OYA, saying it taught him that “youth are not problems to solve, but potential to nurture,” and how authenticity and respect are crucial components in doing that. He also speaks on the values of power and love — and importantly, the power of love. His full retirement announcement can be found here, and both Deb and Kelly highly recommend giving it a read. Human Services Change Makers is a podcast by Human Services Group. For more information about HSG, or to get in touch, go to https://www.humanservicesgroup.com, or email Deb Shropshire (Deb@HSGadvance.com) or Kelly Harder (Kelly@HSGadvance.com).
Dec 16, 2025 · 38 min
David Reed - Keeping Kids Safe at Home
Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by David Reed with Human Services Group to talk about the innovative approach he pioneered to reducing the need for foster care placements by keeping kids safe at home with other services. David is a former Deputy Director of Child Welfare Services at the Indiana Department of Child Services, where he led the implementation of policies and programs (and importantly, the securing of funds for those things) that are designed to keep kids safe at home, where they overwhelmingly say they want to be. One of those policies was the Indiana Family Preservation Services (INFPS) program, which showed reduced rates of repeat maltreatment at both the case- and child-level. Before that, he spent seventeen years at the Villages of Indiana, the state’s largest child and family services agency, where his last role was as the senior director of client services. Human Services Change Makers is a podcast by Human Services Group. For more information about HSG, or to get in touch, go to https://www.humanservicesgroup.com, or email Deb Shropshire (Deb@HSGadvance.com) or Kelly Harder (Kelly@HSGadvance.com).
Nov 2, 2025 · 31 min
Kristie Gordy - Supporting Families and "Wy Home Matters"
Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by Kristie Gordy, the Senior Administrator for Social Services in Wyoming’s Department of Family Services (DFS), to talk about supporting families in their homes, improving access to services, and doing it through programs like "Wy Home Matters," which aims to improve DFS’s work across systems and with communities. Learn how community-driven innovation and cross-agency collaboration meets the challenges and opportunities of working in a rural state like Wyoming. Kristie is an attorney, and before her current role, she served as an Assistant Attorney General for the state of Wyoming, then moving into DFS initially as an ombudsman and eventually serving as the Senior Administrator for the Economic Security Division. She now leads Social Services, which is responsible for child welfare, juvenile justice, and adult protective services in the state. Kristie is also a Hall of Famer at Northern State University, where she was team MVP four times and won several regional and conference awards for her incredible soccer skills. Human Services Change Makers is a podcast by Human Services Group. For more information about HSG, or to get in touch, go to https://www.humanservicesgroup.com, or email Deb Shropshire (Deb@HSGadvance.com) or Kelly Harder (Kelly@HSGadvance.com).
Oct 8, 2025 · 27 min
Tricia Howell - Enhanced Foster Care Programs and Strengthening Families
Dr. Deb and Kelly are joined by Tricia Howell, an expert and former Oklahoma Director of Child Welfare, to talk about enhanced foster care programs, family support and foster care prevention. Learn about how this approach helped Oklahoma improve its system and successfully exit a lawsuit like those facing many foster care systems across the country. Tricia is a strategic expert in large-scale program adoption, being nationally recognized for implementing programs that result in lasting system improvements and successful lawsuit exit. Throughout her career, she designed and launched innovative foster care recruitment and support solutions, strengthened post-adoption clinical services, improved licensing timelines, and advanced interagency coordination across Medicaid, behavioral health, and child welfare systems. Before joining HSG, Tricia spent nearly 40 years in child welfare and therapeutic foster care, including serving as the Child Welfare Director for the state of Oklahoma. Human Services Change Makers is a podcast by Human Services Group. For more information about HSG, or to get in touch, go to https://www.humanservicesgroup.com, or email Deb Shropshire (Deb@HSGadvance.com) or Kelly Harder (Kelly@HSGadvance.com).
Sep 1, 2025 · 24 min
Jeri Culley - SNAP Error Rates and the Eligibility Ecosystem
Kelly and Dr. Deb are joined by Jeri Culley, Human Service Group's director of business operations, to talk about SNAP eligibility, error rates, and participation. The trio discuss how states are navigating the interplay between federal and state funds for food assistance programs around the country. Jeri is a multi-faceted innovator and change agent in health and human services dedicated to helping those who help others. Before joining HSG, Jeri led Ernst & Young’s government and public sector Human Services practice. Prior to that, she held leadership roles at all levels of state government including Assistant Secretary for the Florida Department of Children and Families, Associate Commissioner for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, and Quality Manager for the Missouri Department of Social Services. Human Services Change Makers is a podcast by Human Services Group. For more information about HSG, or to get in touch, go to https://www.humanservicesgroup.com, or email Dr. Deb Shropshire (Deb@HSGadvance.com) or Kelly Harder (Kelly@HSGadvance.com).
S1 · E1
Aug 22, 2025 · 31 min
Introduction to the Human Services Group (HSG) "Change Makers" Podcast
Dr. Deb Shropshire and Kelly Harder kick off the inaugural episode of the Human Services Group Change Makers podcast by telling a bit about their personal backgrounds, and discussing what (and who) they aim to focus through this new show. Dr. Deb is a distinguished pediatrician and public servant renowned for her transformative leadership and commitment to improving child welfare. Throughout her career as a physician, and leading Child Welfare Services and the Department of Human Services in Oklahoma, she has championed innovative initiatives that have strengthened support for vulnerable children and families. Kelly is a seasoned professional with an illustrious career dedicated to advancing and leading within the human services sector. With over three decades of hands-on experience, Kelly has served in various pivotal roles, including practitioner, supervisor, manager, and agency director. His comprehensive understanding of all facets of human services has contributed to his success as a dynamic leader. Through interviews with those working in the human services space across the country, Deb and Kelly will seek insights, highlight successes, and raise the visibility of those making change in their communities. Human Services Change Makers is a podcast by Human Services Group. For more information about HSG, or to get in touch, go to https://www.humanservicesgroup.com, or email Deb (Deb@HSGadvance.com) or Kelly (Kelly@HSGadvance.com).

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