THE SOCIAL WORK RANTS PODCAST

Social work is political—and voting is part of the conversation. In this episode of The Social Work Rants Podcast®, host Bas Moreno, LMSW, CFSW, calls on social workers, mental health professionals, and change agents to encourage voter participation and help communities get to the polls.

With financial stress and the cost of living weighing on families, Bas discusses the connection between voting, public policy, mental health, and financial well-being. From food assistance to everyday expenses, this episode challenges listeners to consider how decisions made in Washington and their sta...

Making good money doesn’t always mean feeling financially secure. How do family money stories, cultural expectations, and financial stress shape the way we save, spend, and build wealth?

In this episode of The Social Work Rants Podcast®, host Bas Moreno, LMSW, CFSW, welcomes Erika Dox Martinez, founder of Blissful Vida and a financial wellness coach, for an honest conversation about money mindset, mental health, and financial wellness for Latinas and women of color.

Erika shares her journey from earning six figures with significant debt and...

Vote for Bas!! Top host competition. Winner gets $25,000; 6 podcast episdoes produced by IHeartRadio and be interviewed by Ryan Seacrest.
Use the link to vote for Bas. https://tophost.org/2026/basiliso-moreno

Hosting a financial webinar "What Abuelo/Abuela didn't teach you about money" on Thursday October 21st 7:30pm. $35. Each registrant will get an autographed copy of my upcoming book "The Wealth They Couldn't Take: Use this link to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/what-abuelo-abuela-didnt-teach-you-about-money-tickets-2002919941462?aff=oddtdtcreator

What happens when an athlete speaks openly about mental health—and a national sports show turns that decision in...

Could new federal student-loan policies deepen America’s mental health workforce crisis?

In this episode of The Social Work Rants Podcast®, Bas Moreno, LMSW, CFSW, examines how proposed federal student-loan limits and higher-education accountability rules could affect social work, mental health counseling, early-childhood education, culinary arts, and other essential professions.

Graduate social work programs are already expensive, while many social workers enter careers where salaries do not reflect the education, licensing, experience, and emotional labor the profession demands. If future students have less access to federal funding—or if programs lose access because graduates’ earnings do not...

What’s the difference between palliative care and hospice, and how can families make informed decisions before a crisis? In this episode of The Social Work Rants Podcast, Bas Moreno talks with Noni Ife Taylor, a social worker with experience in hospice and pediatric palliative care, about serious illness, caregiving, and end-of-life planning.

Noni explains when palliative care may be available, how hospice supports patients and families, and why the way these services are introduced matters. They discuss medical mistrust in Black and Brown communities, common fears about hospice medications, and the lasting barriers older adults and ca...

How can social workers use advocacy, policy, and collective action to strengthen the profession?

In this episode of The Social Work Rants Podcast®, host Bas Moreno, LMSW, CFSW, speaks with Amanda Rodriguez, Policy Lead for the National Association of Social Workers—New York Chapter (NASW-NY). They discuss the unification of the New York City and New York State chapters, the importance of representing both urban and rural communities, and how social workers can influence legislation affecting their careers and clients.

Amanda explains NASW-NY’s advocacy efforts around social work salaries, student-loan forgiveness, licensing barriers, temporary work...

This episode is dedicated to all the victims of the September 11th attacks 25 years ago. This episode is also dedicated to all the victims post 9/11 who lost their lives as a result of the toxic air surrounding ground zero.

After 25 years, are we really safer now than back on 9/11?
We are still dealing with the middle east like we were after the terror attacks.
President Bush lied about weapons of mass destruction. Trump lies every day.
The government lied about the air being safe to breathe. That was proven by NYC Mayor Mandami this...

Most students across America have started school. School social workers are you ready? Are you ready to deal with your trash administration, unregulated children? Remember to give yourselves grace.

Parents are you ready? During this time of year, its important to give your kids grace, your childrens' teachers some grace and yes even the administration some grace to start.

Follow the podcast in Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thesocialworkrantspodcast

#backtoschool #back2school #scoialwork

Natalie Graves is a licensed social work from Chicago and founder of The Nat Sports Directory. Nat stands for nurturing athletes talent. It's the first directory vetting sports therapists.

We discuss what is sports social work? She shares her experiences working with athletes from high school, college, pro athletes and retired athletes. She is a founding member of the Alliance of Social Workers in Sports which is hosting it's annual symposium fron 9/23/26-9/25/26 in Las Vegas. For tickets go to https://www.aswis.org

We discuss the weaponization of the WNBA and what athletes go...

This week's episode is focused on the need for better postpartum mental health support in the United States, prompted by the recent death of actress Hayden Panettiere. I share a personal story about my ex-wife's struggle with postpartum depression and addiction, highlighting the lack of awareness and resources available to new parents. The healthcare system in the United States is failing and has failed to adequately address postpartum issues and called for more social workers and mental health professionals in hospitals. I also touched on the broader societal need for prevention rather than reaction and encouraged advocacy and voting...

Recently the Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr did an interview lying stating ICU beds in cities like NYC were empty during the Covid pandemic. The incompetence and gaslighting the agent orange administation has caused more harm to us, making social workers work harder (cause our jobs were already hard enough). As a result, the most vulnerable populations are being harmed the most.

We literally are seeing outbreaks of measles throughout the country and diseases that we read about in text books returning due to an unqualified secretary of health.

On...

What happens when social workers, therapists and caregivers are expected to support everyone else while navigating political instability, financial pressure and burnout themselves?

In this episode of The Social Work Rants Podcast®, host Bas Moreno, LMSW, CFSW, reconnects with licensed clinical social worker, therapist, speaker and nonprofit founder Marvin Toliver, LCSW.

Marvin discusses his private practice, Reimagine Culture LLC, and his nonprofit organization, Dear Black Man, You Good?, which works to improve the mental health and overall wellness of Black men through radical education, community care, healing groups and nontraditional wellness experiences.

The c...

The Trump Administration is planning on cutting funding to HIV programs. Prevention and treatrment programs are facing cuts to services and staff throughout the U.S. and the world. The Professional Association of Social Workers in HIV & Aids Inc and reaching out to Congress are a great way to make your voices heard to make sure funding does not get cut.

On Tuesday August 4th, I am co-hosting a Free Financial webinar. If you are interested in learning to save money and would like to know about retirement, use the link to register: https://financialguide...

It's summertime, and that usually means taking PTO from work.

Many social workers face hurdles taking PTO or refuse to take time off.

I offer advice for young social workers regarding PTO.

Upcoming Financial Webinar alert: Join me on Tuesday August 4th 12pm EST New York/Delaware time.

Learn to set savings goals and define an allocation strategy.
Learn to plan for retirement and learn to protect what is important.
Learn how to think about how to best transfer assets after you are gone.

Register here: https...

This episode of The Social Work Rants Podcast, marks the season finale of Season 12 focusing entirely on important student loan updates effective July 1st. Nearly 7 million borrowers would receive 90-day notices from their loan servicers requiring them to choose a new repayment plan, with borrowers who fail to select a plan being automatically enrolled in either a standard plan or new tiered standard plan with higher monthly payments.

The episode detailed various repayment options including the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), Income-Based Repayment (IBR), PAYE, ICR, and the new tiered standard plan, emphasizing that each...

This episode of The Social Work Rans Podcast focused on men's mental health month and highlighted the mental health discussions of New York Knicks players Karl Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson. I discussed how Robinson openly addressed his mental health struggles during the playoffs, while Towns shared his ongoing grief over losing multiple family members to COVID and unapologetically talks how faith go him through.

I connected these athletes' experiences to broader mental health awareness, emphasizing the importance of seeking therapy and support, and mentioned upcoming resources and hotlines for those needing help. I compared this to...

ANNOUNCEMENT: If you're a caregiver based in New York State or still have family in New York, join me on Thursday June 18th for my webinar, Caregiving: A Public Health Issue. 8pm est; $15 per person.Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1991026454723?aff=oddtdtcreatorOn this episode of The Social Work Rants Podcast, I discussed the changes to reimbursement rates for providers using CPT codes 90834 and 90837 on the Alma platform, effective July 15th. The changes involve adjusting the rates for session durations, with code 90837 (53 minutes and up) being reimbursed at the same rate as code 90834 (37-52 minute sessions). Basiliso...

Episode 266 of The Social Work Rants podcast, focusing on Men's Mental Health Month and addressing the significant mental health challenges facing men. The episode highlighted disturbing statistics showing men are four times more likely to die by suicide than women, with suicide being the second leading cause of death for men under 45. Bas shared personal experiences, including the suicide of a friend named Ernest in 2014 and the recent death of former NHL player Claude Lemieux, emphasizing how suicide often goes undetected. The podcast covered statistics showing only 41.6% of men with mental health illnesses receive treatment compared to 56.9% of women...

In honor of #mentalhealthawareness month, this episode of the Social Work Rants podcast focuses on workplace wellness and burnout in the social work field. Basiliso and Kelecia Smith, MSW, LMSW, discuss how current workplace well-being programs often fail to address the actual needs of workers, citing a Harvard Business Review article that noted mental health needs and burnout continue to rise despite corporate spending on wellness programs.

They explored the challenges of balancing caregiving responsibilities with work demands, particularly for the 63 million Americans who are caregivers. The conversation covered how administrative burdens, high client...

This week's episode The Social Work Rants Podcast features Sabella (Bella) Reyes, a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in the music industry. Bella explained her role as the self-proclaimed first "music industry social worker," focusing on supporting independent music creators who generate less than 50% of their income from music by providing mental health support, business literacy training, and resource navigation for the independent music community.

We discussed the challenges independent artists face including work-life balance issues, lack of proper artist development, and the impact of AI music on the industry, with Bella sharing...

In this episode of the Social Work Rants podcast, Basiliso interviewed Justin Brown Woods, co-host of the Price of Avocado Toast podcast and financial counselor, to discuss the intersection of mental health and finances in 2026. They explored current money struggles facing Americans, including rising gas and grocery prices, student loan debt, and the impact of political instability on personal finances. Justin emphasized the importance of values-based budgeting and curating positive financial content on social media, while Basiliso shared his experiences as a member of the sandwich generation and discussed the challenges of caring for family members while facing financial...

In this episode of the Social Work Rants Podcast, host Bas Moreno discussed the intersection of mental health and finances, highlighting how rising costs of living, including gas prices, utilities, and food, are significantly impacting both mental health and financial stability. Moreno emphasized that financial stress is a major trigger for mental health issues and stressed the importance of addressing money-related concerns in social work practice. He also discussed the challenges of budgeting in uncertain economic times, the high cost of caregiving, and the need for professionals to be comfortable discussing money with clients. Moreno encouraged colleagues to help...

In this powerful and personal episode of The Social Work Rants Podcast, host Bas Moreno, LMSW, CFSW opens up during Mental Health Awareness Month about grief, seasonal depression, therapy, and the emotional weight of approaching the 6th anniversary of his mother’s passing.Bas reflects on the complicated feelings that come with grief, caregiving, family dynamics, and remembering a loved one after loss. He shares honest memories about caring for his mother, navigating difficult family moments, and learning how to process grief in healthier ways over time.This episode also highlights the importance of mental health support for social wo...

On this episode, Rosita and Da Homeless Hero Shams discuss housing and homelessness challenges in New York City.

The discussion covers the city’s budget crisis, shelter system issues and the challenges of transitioning people from shelters to permanent housing.

Shams shares his experience working with the Mayor Adams administration to address homelessness.

We discuss the high cost of sheltering individuals ($4,800 per person per month), the 90 day rule elimination that previously hindered housing transitions and the complex barriers preventing property owners from accepting housing vo...

In this episode, Dr. Marya Wright, DSW discusses her journey to becoming the new president-elect of the California NASW, the importance of strong professional associations, and the current political landscape affecting social workers. She shares insights on leadership, advocacy, and balancing personal and professional life during challenging times.

Key Topics:

Maria Wright's election as president-elect of California NASW.

The importance of advocacy and membership in social work.

Impact of current political climate on social workers.

Strategies for leadership and community engagement.

Balancing personal life...

In honor of #financialliteracymonth the host uses the power and control wheel to discuss financial abuse in domestic violence situations. The host provides examples of financial abuse.

Follow the podcast on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thesocialworkrantspodcast

April is Financial Literacy Month.

In this episode of the Social Work Rants Podcast, host Bas Moreno discussed ways to use tax refunds wisely, particularly for social workers and mental health professionals. He emphasized building an emergency fund with 3-6 months of living expenses in a high-yield savings account, paying down high-interest debt, obtaining life insurance, and starting retirement accounts like IRAs or 403Bs. Moreno also highlighted current economic challenges, including rising inflation and gas prices, and encouraged listeners to prioritize financial stability despite limited resources. He announced upcoming projects, including a workshop on April 21st and...

In this episode of the Social Work Rants Podcast, Basiliso discussed financial stress among social workers, particularly in the current economic climate with rising inflation, gas prices, and housing costs. He highlighted challenges facing social workers including low salaries despite having advanced degrees, increasing student loan burdens, and the impact of COVID-19 on both workers and clients.

Basiliso provided financial advice including budgeting tips, recommendations to use high-yield savings accounts, and suggested using tax refunds to pay down debt or save for essentials. He also mentioned plans to interview a financial expert for Financial...

In this episode of the Social Work Rants Podcast, host discussed the tragic shooting of Nicholas Crews, a social work care manager in Georgia, who was killed on March 17th while working at a VA clinic during Social Work Month. I shared concerns about safety protocols at the clinic and emphasized the importance of social workers advocating for their safety, particularly when feeling threatened by clients. The discussion highlighted the recent trend of social workers being killed in the line of duty and included recommendations for obtaining life insurance policies, especially for young and healthy professionals. In the episode...

Excited to share that I’m officially a Brand Ambassador for #Diversitech2026 presented by Tribaja.co happening March 19–21 in Philadelphia.Diversitech is one of the most dynamic tech and culture conferences in the country — bringing together leaders, founders, creatives, and professionals focused on AI, automation, career mobility, and community impact.

This year is bigger than ever (title sponsored by Zillow), and I’m proud to help expand access. If you’re looking to level up your skills or pivot your career in 2026, purchase your discounted ticket here: https://diversitech2026.eventify.io/t2/tickets?promo=BasilisoM26

Happy Soci...

Excited to share that I’m officially a Brand Ambassador for #Diversitech2026 presented by Tribaja.co happening March 19–21 in Philadelphia.Diversitech is one of the most dynamic tech and culture conferences in the country — bringing together leaders, founders, creatives, and professionals focused on AI, automation, career mobility, and community impact.This year is bigger than ever (title sponsored by Zillow), and I’m proud to help expand access.If you’re looking to level up your skills or pivot your career in 2026, let’s connect. Go to diversitech.tribaja.co to learn more. In this episode of the Social Work Rants P...

If you're a caregiver in the sandwich generation, I'm offering a free 45 minute consultation on how caregiving affects your mental health and finances. Book a call here: https://calendly.com/basmoreno/consultationIn this episode of The Social Work Rants Podcast, host Bas Moreno engages with Lindsay Friedman, a multi-generational caregiver and entrepreneur, to discuss the complexities of caregiving, particularly for the sandwich generation. They explore the challenges faced by caregivers, the impact of technology on caregiving, the future of long-term care, and the critical role of social workers in navigating these issues. The conversation highlights the urgent need for...

In this episode of the Social Work Rants Podcast, host Bas Moreno engages with Catherine Moore  ⁨@SocialWorkersRise⁩  a multifaceted social worker, podcaster, and author. We discuss the challenges and innovations in the field of social work, including the launch of Catherine's new Clinical Supervisor Log, the importance of financial literacy in mental health, and the experiences of the sandwich generation.

The conversation also touches on the journey of self-publishing, the power of community support, and the role of podcasting in amplifying social work voices.

Takeaways

1.Catherine Moore emphasizes the need for practical resources in cli...

If you're a caregiver in the sandwich generation, I am offering a free 45 minute consultation on how caregiving is affecting your mental health and finances. Sign up for consultation here: https://calendly.com/basmoreno/consul...In this episode of the Social Work Rants Podcast, host Pash Moreno discusses the intersection of social work, mental health, and cultural events, particularly focusing on the significance of Bad Bunny's Super Bowl performance. He emphasizes the importance of self-care amidst the ongoing political and economic challenges faced by social workers and the Latino community. The conversation highlights the collective trauma experienced due to...

The podcast is sponsored by Bas Moreno Consulting providing financial education and counseling for people of color in the sandwich generation who are struggling with their finances while caregiving. For more information go to https://www.basmorenoconsulting.netIn this episode of the Social Work Rants Podcast, host Bas Moreno engages with Erika Hurtado, a licensed clinical social worker and founder of Unscripted Therapy. They discuss the challenges of running a private practice, the importance of community resources, and the financial struggles faced by social workers. Erica shares her experiences with immigration evaluations and the emotional toll of current events...

In this episode of the Social Work Rants Podcast, host Bas Moreno discusses the alarming safety issues faced by social workers, highlighted by recent tragic incidents involving mental health professionals.

The conversation emphasizes the need for better safety protocols, the importance of setting boundaries, and advocating for oneself within the profession. Moreno also touches on the broader implications of these challenges and the necessity for social workers to support each other in navigating these difficult circumstances.#mentalhealth #murdernews #socialwork

Follow the podcast on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thesocialworkrantspodcast

The podcast is...

In this episode of the Social Work Rants Podcast, host Bas Moreno discusses significant upcoming changes to the ASWB exam set to take effect in mid-2026. He emphasizes the importance of understanding these changes for social workers preparing for the exam, as they will impact the structure and content of the test. Moreno outlines the reduction in content areas from four to three, the shift in question format towards application and reasoning, and the decrease in the total number of questions. He also highlights the continued emphasis on ethics and the need for social workers to adapt their study...

With the events of the past week such as the capturing of Venezuela's President Maduro to ICE murdering United States citizens, the news has been heavy to start off 2026. How do we social workers deal with all of this trauma we see on a daily basis? How do we center ourselves to be there for our clients? I share a hot take and a call to action for social workers in the field.The podcast is sponsored by Bas Moreno Consulting, providing financial education for people of color in the sandwich generation who are struggling with their finances while...

Happy New Year!! Welcome to Season 12, Year 6 of the podcast.The podcast episode featured Natalie, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 7 years of experience in hospital emergency rooms, who discussed her work handling various social issues and supporting patients and families during the pandemic. Natalie shared insights about her overnight shift schedule, challenges in providing services, and the importance of self-care while working in such a demanding environment. The conversation concluded with reflections on the physical and emotional demands of hospital social work, including the impact of trauma and the significance of maintaining work-life balance.The podcast is sponsored...

The Social Work Rants Podcast live show from Casa Wellness from October 2025. A live discussion on the intersection of mental health and finances in the Latino/X/E Community. In these trying times, we need to address financial anxiety, financial trauma and unhealthy money habits that affect our communities of color.

The episode shows ways to address our personal finances and start to thrive financially in 2026.

Special thanks to Ponce Bank for your sponsorship. Thank you to Redefine Stong Inc for your partnership. Without these two enteties this event...