Ukraine War Trauma and Human Trafficking in Alaska | Dr. Nataliia Gusak | Ep 86

Ukraine war trauma meets Alaska’s service realities. What does effective social work look like when systems are strained?

Episode 86 of The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary Storytelling Podcast (hosted by Professor Ace) features Dr. Nataliia Gusak, associate professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage and a Ukrainian scholar whose work focuses on building and evaluating community-based social and mental health services for people impacted by displacement, trafficking, maternal mental health challenges, and war-related trauma.

In this episode:

Ukraine to Alaska: pathways, contrasts, and what carries across contexts

Trauma-informed practice without flattening human experience

Community and peer support as real infrastructure for sustainability

Teaching social work: safe learning environments and real-world application

Human trafficking in Alaska: vulnerability, gaps in data, and systems response

Staying anchored to social work values under pressure

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📩 Connect and collaborate: castettler@alaska.edu

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Chapters (theme song + intro is 1:25, timestamps adjusted)

00:00 Theme song + intro

01:25 Introduction to Dr. Nataliia Gusak

05:59 Journey from Ukraine to Alaska

10:09 Comparative Social Work Practices

14:48 Supporting Ukrainian Social Workers During War

19:46 Understanding Trauma and Self-Care in Social Work

24:22 The Importance of Community and Connection

28:34 Teaching Philosophy and Pedagogy

34:15 Reflections on Group Work and Team Dynamics

42:43 The Intersection of Vulnerability and Human Trafficking

51:36 Staying True to Social Work ValuesResources:University of Alaska Anchorage: https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/International Organization for Migration (IOM): https://www.iom.int/UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR): https://www.ohchr.org/Journal of Human Rights and Social Work (Springer): https://link.springer.com/journal/41134Guest:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliia-gusak/UAA faculty profile: https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/

#socialwork #UkraineWar #Alaska #TraumaInformed #HumanTrafficking #MentalHealth #SocialWorkEducation

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