CSULB alumna uplifts, supports social workers with her popular podcast
Catherine Moore ’09, ’15, a licensed clinical social worker, was washing the dishes one evening, stressing about work, when her husband sweetly urged her to relax, take a break and watch a movie.
It was then that she started (in her words) “ugly crying” over the dishes and realized that she, like many in her field, needed support.
“I was at a place, feeling frustrated in my career, and I thought about leaving the field,” Moore said. “But I like social work too much to leave. So, I thought, instead of running from the problems ... there needs to be more support for social workers.”
She began creating platforms for professional social workers to share their stories and provide aid and encouragement for each other, including a popular podcast, a national supervisor directory, books and online courses.
For the past six years, she’s been producing “Social Workers, Rise!” a podcast for aspiring and beginning social workers, as well as mid-career professionals who are experiencing anxiety and burnout.
Moore’s podcast explores various jobs in the social work field, salaries, workplace dynamics, issues and trends, and professional and personal resources. She also identifies opportunities for support, mental and physical health, and stress relief. She frequently invites guests who are experienced social workers and have their own fascinating stories to tell.
“When I got into the field, I realized there were all of these challenges in the field, and my colleagues and I were all facing the same things, but nobody had talked about it,” she said. “I wanted to create community and a bridge, like the amazing support we had at Cal State Long Beach.”
"Social Workers, Rise!” has been named one of the top six social work podcasts worldwide by Feedspot, an international content aggregator. It has been downloaded over 240,000 times in 148 countries, and it regularly ranks in the top 100 on the Apple Podcasts chart. She’s also filling a professional need, helping social workers find work, keep motivated and maintain balance.
From her home studio, Moore, who obtained both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from The Beach, explains what different types of social work look like, from palliative care to hospice care to working with families, children and government officials. She banters with her guests, and provides practical tools and resources for other social workers, so they can be in their best shape as they address the needs of the most vulnerable in society.
In addition to the podcast, Moore is the founder and CEO of Rise Directory, a national clinical supervisor directory. The guide helps new graduates find positions, as well as supervisors who want to offer services to others. To date, about 350 supervisors from around the country are included in Rise.
She has also created online courses for clinical social workers, has authored two books on social work and serves as a public speaker, lecturer and coach. She says she wouldn’t be where she is today without The Beach.
“The thing that stands out the most was the support from the faculty. They were always there, always very understanding. At same time, they pushed us to grow, to challenge our prejudices against other people, and to develop a greater sense of empathy for people who are different than us.”
Moore cites Nancy Meyer-Adams, the director of CSULB’s School of Social Work, and Professor Molly Ranney ‘92, her thesis advisor, as faculty who supported and challenged her, and “encouraged me to think outside the box.”
Meyer-Adams recalls Moore as an outstanding student who has become a leader in social work. “Catherine’s growth mindset and her ability to build meaningful connections with clients continue to be hallmarks of her success as a licensed clinical social worker,” said Meyer-Adams, who’s retiring in August after 12 years at the helm.
Moore maintains in her podcast and in her other ventures that many opportunities exist for graduates who obtain a social work degree — and they don’t all have to be stressful.
“You could work in a school, in a hospital, in sports, in homes, in the government,” she said. “You could be a leader in many fields. There are so many possibilities that people aren’t even aware of.”
