The Risk and Power of Storytelling with Keri Hope Richmond 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.

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Seen Out Loud

The Risk and Power of Storytelling with Keri Hope Richmond

June 15, 2022 • Institute for Family • Season 2 • Episode 5

Keri Hope Richmond, Child Welfare Policy Advocate, Speaker, joins conversation on engaging storytellers with lived experience with the child welfare system. Listen as Keri talks about her experiences sharing her story about navigating foster care—some empowering and some not—and the lessons she’s learned along the way. She also passes along advice to organizations on the do’s and don’t’s in engaging storytellers with lived expertise.

Show Notes
00:02:55 | When was the first time Keri publicly shared her story?
00:04:46 | Keri expresses feeling anger leading up to the moment she shared her story.
00:06:41 | Keri shares what it was like shifting from anger to empowerment.
00:10:10 | Keri talks about her experiences stepping into her role as a storyteller with lived expertise leading up to her participation in TEDxKent State.
00:13:48 | How can including people with lived expertise at the organizational level as employees impact conversations and organizational priorities and policies?
00:17:05 | Keri shares an account of when she felt like her story and the sharing of her experiences were taken advantage of.
00:22:30 | Now, Keri is a part of Unbelievably Resilient, which hosts a storytelling platform and spurs important conversations about foster care and child welfare.
00:25:32 | Matt and Keri talk about key principles and practices for organizations to honor storytellers with lived expertise.
00:27:44 | Final thoughts from Keri on engaging storytellers with lived experience.
00:29:24 | Matt shares his final thoughts.

Resources

What can you learn from a trash bag? By Keri Hope Richmond | TEDxKentState

Episode 40: Keri Richmond | Fostering Change

Healed People Heal People With Former Foster Youth Keri Hope Richmond | Around the World with Archibald Project

Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute

Advocacy | American Academy of Pediatrics

Learn more about UR and their team of storytellers | Unbelievably Resilient

Bonus Content

4 Tips on How To Use Storytelling In Your Work
The Unlearning of Child Welfare, Part 3 with co-host Keri Hope Richmond | The Institute for Family

A Conversation with the FosterStrong (now Unbelivibly Resilient) | The Institute for Family YouTube

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