How to Influence Systems Change with Dr. Bruce Perry Artwork

Seen Out Loud

Seen Out Loud is a show about disrupting the child welfare system by the simple act of seeing families in their full humanity. Seeing people for who they truly are, and learning from their stories, offers new perspectives and compelling insights that can lead to radical transformation of America’s foster care system. Listen with us to families as they share deeply personal stories about their experiences with the child welfare system. Hear them express how the moments they were finally seen and valued shaped the trajectories of their lives. In this podcast, we accompany these stories with conversations about the work happening on the front lines of the family well-being movement—a collective effort aimed at meeting the needs of families to prevent systems intervention and the removal of children from parents. Hear leaders of the movement describe how they are actively building a future where families are engaged in systems work and have what they need to stay together and thrive.

All Episodes

Seen Out Loud

How to Influence Systems Change with Dr. Bruce Perry

April 20, 2022 • Institute for Family • Season 2 • Episode 1

Dr. Bruce Perry and Matt pick up from their conversation in Season 1 to dive deeper into strategies for creating positive change for families. Hear Dr. Bruce Perry give his advice for organizations like the Institute for Family on what it takes to make an impact—from shifting mindsets through storytelling to creating sustainable connections in communities.

Show Notes

00:02:00 | Picking up from S1 E3: PEOPLE CHANGE THROUGH STORIES, Matt recalls a compelling statement from Dr. Bruce Perry.

00:08:30 | Matt asks, “If our systems are a collection of individuals who make decisions, to address the issues of those who have been marginalized is it about a mass number of people changing through story, or a right select group of people that hold the right power, or some combination of [those options]?”

00:10:13 | What changes people’s minds?

00:12:00 | Matt and Dr. Bruce Perry discuss how the Institute for Family is making progress with the strategy of storytelling to influence thinking and behaviors.

00:13:45 | Dr. Bruce Perry reflects on the historical impact of storytelling. “Ultimately, the most efficiently transmitted information is relationally mediated.”

00:14:50 | Matt notes the difference in narrative between the status quo perspective that childhood adversity is an individualistic parenting problem with “bad parents” and the shifting viewpoint that long-term, systemic inequities are part of the issue.

00:15:18 | Matt and Dr. Perry talk about the needs and challenges in solving systemic issues through community connectedness.

00:19:00 | If organizations want to create conditions in communities that help families succeed, what can they focus on?

00:20:45 | Dr. Bruce Perry examines society’s expectations on parenting. “Parenting is hard even if you have a bunch of people in the house."

00:21:21 | To meet family needs, should systems be focused on providing better programs and direct services or on creating better community conditions?

00:27:30 | Dr. Bruce Perry gives advice for family providers and advocates.

00:28:46 | Final thoughts from Matt Anderson

Resources
How the Media Shapes Our Perception of HIV and AIDS | Healthline
Public health campaigns using storytelling - Digital Storytelling for Change | HIV.gov
Emotive content while learning a concept – What Makes Storytelling So Effective for Learning? | Harvard Business Publishing
Book: What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing | Author: Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D.

Connect with us and support us by...

Rating and reviewing the show
Supporting our show through Paypal
Visiting our podcast website for more content
Following Institute for Family on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter