University of North Dakota Department of Social Work Assistant Professor Melanie Sage hosts the Sage Child Welfare Podcast, which highlights best practice and research-to-practice issues in child welfare social work. She is a former child welfare worker and child welfare trainer, and is a current child welfare researcher.  Her research interests include family-centered child welfare practices, such as Family Team Decision Making, Indian Child Welfare Act compliance, and Motivational Interviewing.  She believes that none of these things are possible without a well-trained and supported child welfare workforce, so she also conducts research about organizational supports in child welfare agencies.

This podcast will feature interviews with child welfare stakeholders including family members, workers, trainers, researchers, and others about emerging and sustained issues in child welfare practice and research. The goal of this podcast is to offer ideas that will help those who work in the field to learn about, contemplate, and consider implementation of promising practices in child welfare.