Workplace trauma & suicide prevention in social work take center stage in this episode of The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary Storytelling Podcast, hosted by Professor Ace and brought to you by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Department of Social Work.
Episode 73 features Dr. Heliana Ramirez, PhD, LISW, a clinician, researcher, and organizer whose work focuses on workplace abuse, trauma, post-traumatic growth, anti-racist and LGBTQ+ affirming practice, somatic trauma therapy, and culturally grounded suicide prevention.
If you care about social work, connection, trauma, workplace abuse, practicum power dynamics, cultural considerations in suicide prevention, healing, community support, and the possibilities of a gift economy, this conversation is for you.
🔔 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@RevolutionarySocialWork/sub_confirmation=1📧
Contact: Castettler@alaska.edu
Assata Shakur Autobiography: https://files.libcom.org/files/assataauto.pdf
Heliana’s Resources
🔗 Latinx Suicide Prevention: Keeping Each Other Safer in Communityhttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1m_oz34mscSS7K7sFv2B_YgHncAdPGHaX/view?usp=sharing
🔗 Workplace Trauma Recoveryhttps://www.workplacetraumarecovery.com/
Episode Summary
Professor Ace and Dr. Heliana Ramirez examine how workplace trauma, racism, anti-LGBTQ bias, sexism, classism, stigma, and institutional betrayal become embedded in workers’ bodies and lives. They discuss cortisol and chronic stress, toxic workplace dynamics, and the ways practicum students are often placed at the bottom of power hierarchies with little protection.
The episode moves from workplace abuse to suicide prevention, exploring ambivalence, crisis care, cultural context, somatic approaches, and community support. They also reflect on how a gift economy and revolutionary social work can shift practice away from extraction and toward connection, reciprocity, and collective healing.
At its core, this conversation insists that social work is about listening, relationship, and (re)connection – and that healing ourselves is part of the ethical work of helping others heal.
Key Themes
⭐ social work, connection, trauma, healing
⭐ workplace abuse, workplace trauma, toxic workplace dynamics
⭐ suicide prevention, ambivalence, crisis intervention
⭐ cultural considerations, Latinx suicide prevention, LGBTQ-affirming care
⭐ practicum, field education, power imbalances
⭐ institutional betrayal, racism, anti-LGBTQ bias
⭐ cortisol, chronic stress, somatic trauma therapy, nervous system regulation
⭐ community support, peer support, collective care
Chapters
00:00 Opening
01:30 Introduction and Context Setting
03:53 The Importance of Connection in Social Work
06:39 Honoring Assata Shakur’s Legacy
11:51 Understanding Workplace Abuse and Trauma
17:22 Coping with Chronic Stress and Cortisol Levels
22:40 The Role of Practicum Students in Social Work
28:08 Navigating Power Dynamics in Social Work
30:10 Understanding the Dark Triad and Workplace Dynamics
34:15 Navigating Practicum Challenges and Warning Signs
37:50 Institutional Betrayal and Advocacy in Higher Education
41:47 Creating Supportive Environments for Practicum Students
47:09 The Importance of Listening and Healing in Social Work
54:15 Regulating Our Nervous Systems in Crisis Situations
01:01:34 Navigating Suicidal Ideation and Crisis Care
01:04:50 Direct Communication in Crisis Situations
01:06:55 Understanding Ambivalence in Suicidal Thoughts
01:08:44 The Role of Environment in Crisis Prevention
01:12:12 Cultural Sensitivity in Suicide Prevention
01:14:33 Community Resources and Support Systems
01:23:29 Creating Accessible Suicide Prevention Resources
#SocialWork #WorkplaceTrauma #WorkplaceAbuse #SuicidePrevention #Trauma #LatinxMentalHealth #CulturalConsiderations #Practicum #FieldEducation #InstitutionalBetrayal #LGBTQAffirmingCare #CommunitySupport #GiftEconomy #RevolutionarySocialWork #MentalHealthPodcast
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