Human Services Change Makers

Latest Episodes:

Upstream Support to Prevent Downstream Crises Oct 14, 2026

Show notes

Four experts in human services from around the country give their perspectives on the value of upstream support in preventing downstream crises. Frank Alexander talks about how data transparency can help systems react to root causes quicker. Kristie Gordy talks about WY Home Matters and using all the resources of an agency to support families across their interactions. David Reed breaks down how he led a push in Indiana to save money by creatively using federal funds to tackle root causes of foster care removals. And Christine Norbut Beyer discusses how New Jersey leverages universal home visits by nurses to new parents to provide support in the home and prevent future challenges.

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).

Liesl Wendt - Compliance, Creativity, and Compassion Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

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.

Frank Alexander - Some Systems Work Better Together Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

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.

Stephanie Muth - Hungry for Curiosity and Change Aug 18, 2026

Show notes

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.

Christine Norbut Beyer — How Listening Makes Change Last Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

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.

Dr. Angela Pharris — The Science of Hope Apr 07, 2026

Show notes

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.

Andrea Danes — Using Technology to Help Caseworkers Succeed Mar 10, 2026

Show notes

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.

Kim Merolla-Brito - Teams Need Trust, Plans Need Flexibility Feb 24, 2026

Show notes

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).

Molly McGrath Tierney — Challenging the Status Quo Jan 27, 2026

Show notes

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.

Fariborz Pakseresht — Public Service & the Power of Love Jan 13, 2026

Show notes

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.

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