Dr. Wendy Smith - Born To Talk

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Thank you Dr. Wendy Smith for joining me on The Born To Talk Radio Show Podcast.

Meet Dr. Wendy Smith.

Wendy Smith Meyer, Ph.D., LCSW, is a retired clinical professor of social work and associate dean of curriculum development and assessment at the University of Southern California Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. She taught courses on child and adolescent development and social work practice with children, families, and transition age youth She had a private practice in psychotherapy for over 35 years. Dr. Smith specializied in the treatment of individuals, couples, and survivors of childhood maltreatment.

Dr. Smith has a history of community volunteer work related to children and families, especially those affected by adversity early in life. She served for 8 years on the Los Angeles County Commission for Children and Families, including as Chair.

Volunteer Extraordinaire.

Currently, Dr. Smith chairs the board of directors of the National Foster Youth Institute.

Their Vision:

The NFYI envisions a nation where all children are raised in safe and loving families. And, where the child welfare system serves as a beacon of hope for families in need.

Their Mission.

“We aim to transform the child welfare system by building a national grassroots movement led by foster youth and their families.”

In doing so, they create pipelines of leadership that connect current and former foster youth with decision makers. Their goal is to transform the systems that impact children and families in the child welfare system.

Venice Family Clinic.

In 2020, the Venice Family Clinic located in Venice, California, celebrated 50 years of working for health equity. They provide comprehensive, high quality health care, free food, and health insurance. Their enrollment assistance and harm reduction provides services to more than 45,000 people.

Dr. Smith is a member of the Foundation Board of Trustees at the Venice Family Clinic, where she chaired the Committee on Behavioral Health and Child Development for nine years.

Their foundation supports the mission of Venice Family Clinic. They help to raise the Clinic’s profile in the community through fundraising, provision of services and community outreach.

She is also a member of the Advisory Committee of the Children’s Rights Division of Human Rights Watch, and an advocate for individuals incarcerated for crimes committed as juveniles. Dr. Smith has previously served on the boards of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition and United Friends of the Children. She has received numerous awards for her community work.

Author.

Dr. Smith has written a book published in 2011. Youth Leaving Foster Care: A developmental, relationship-based approach to practice. Her book is the first comprehensive text to focus on youth emerging from care, offering a new theoretical framework to guide programs, policies, and services.

Dr. Smith’s Takeaways.

“Nothing we experience is ever lost—it all becomes part of us. We are most vulnerable when we are small, so our earliest experiences have profound impact, whether they are positive and loving or traumatic and hurtful. But our subsequent experiences matter too. We are adaptive beings, capable of change throughout life. You may never know what your interaction with someone else meant to them.”

In Closing.

You will be hearing the stories that Dr. Smith, has experienced in making the difference in the lives of so many for so long. She is truly dedicated to making it happen.