Doing What Works

In this episode of Doing What Works, Colleen Murphy, Principal on the Homeless Solutions team at LeSar Development Consultants, joins host Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins to discuss the urgent need to strengthen LA County’s homeless services workforce. Drawing from the recently developed labor market report in collaboration with Santa Monica College, Colleen explores the root causes of staffing shortages, the skills and training frontline workers need, and strategies to improve retention and career pathways. She also highlights the role of community colleges in creating scalable, equitable workforce development programs—and shares inspiring stories that remind us why this work matters.

In this inspiring conversation, Doing What Works host Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins speaks with Patricia Kusaba, a graduate of Santa Monica College’s Homeless Services Certificate Program. Patricia shares her deeply personal journey—from hidden homelessness and recovery to finding empowerment and purpose through education. She reflects on the support, skills, and community she gained in the program, the living resource toolkit she’s helping to build, and why she believes training programs like this are essential in addressing homelessness with humanity and lasting impact.

In our Season 2 finale, we flip the mic and hear from someone just beginning their career in homeless services. Meet Tamyra Simpson, a student from the inaugural cohort of Santa Monica College’s Homeless Services Certificate Program. With warmth, candor, and insight, Tamyra reflects on her path into the field—from growing up surrounded by helpers, to discovering the program on LinkedIn, to finding her voice through coursework, community, and a life-changing internship on Skid Row.This episode highlights the transformative potential of education—not only as a professional springboard, but as a way to deepen purpose and reshape lives. It’s a raw, uplifting look at what happens when students are given the right support, the right mentors, and the right chance.Whether you’re curious about the program, considering a career pivot, or just want to hear a powerful story of growth and impact—you’ll want to hear this one.

In this compelling episode of Doing What Works: Innovations in Homeless Services, we sit down with Dr. Ryan Smith, President and CEO of St. Joseph Center in Los Angeles. With a personal history of youth homelessness, Dr. Smith shares how his lived experience shapes his professional mission to create a more compassionate and effective homeless services system. From the formative influence of his mother to his first job as a youth organizer at 15, Dr. Smith recounts the journey that led him to lead one of LA’s most impactful service organizations. He walks us through the four foundational pillars of St. Joseph Center—Housing, Outreach, Mental Health, and Economic Mobility—and explains why investing in frontline workers and replicating community college programs like SMC’s Homeless Services Certificate are essential steps to ending homelessness. This episode is both a call to action and a testament to the power of care, dignity, and workforce development in driving sustainable change.

In this powerful episode of Doing What Works: Innovations in Homeless Services, we speak with Dr. Sam Tsemberis, founder of the Housing First model and CEO of the Pathways Housing First Institute. He was also on the Distinguished Time Magazine list of 100 Most Influential People of 2024!Drawing from decades of experience in psychology and frontline mental health services, Dr. Tsemberis shares the journey that led him to challenge the status quo of homelessness treatment—shifting from a "treatment first" approach to one that prioritizes permanent housing without preconditions.From his early days at Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital to founding Pathways to Housing, Dr. Tsemberis witnessed firsthand the systemic gaps and human costs of policies that deny housing to those not yet "compliant" with treatment.Through compelling stories, research-backed results, and global replication efforts, this episode explores why Housing First isn’t just effective—it’s a matter of human dignity. Listeners will also hear his thoughts on workforce needs, replication of successful models like SMC's Homeless Services Certificate Program, and why shared public vision is essential to ending homelessness.

In this deeply moving and expansive episode of Doing What Works: Innovations in Homeless Services, host Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins speaks with Matt Walton, Executive Director of Clare Matrix and a longtime innovator in health technology. With a career that spans decades and industries—from DARPA-backed tech startups to pioneering medical record systems—Walton now leads one of the Westside’s most vital behavioral health organizations.Walton shares how a lifetime in systems thinking and entrepreneurial innovation unexpectedly led him to the addiction treatment field. Through personal stories and professional insights, he illustrates the urgent need for integrated care, compassionate infrastructure, and the kind of recovery-focused models that treat people, not just symptoms.This episode examines the role of healthcare interoperability, the societal roots of addiction and homelessness, and how institutions like Clare Matrix—and educational partners like Santa Monica College—can fill critical workforce gaps with heart, purpose, and integrity. Walton’s clear-eyed optimism and deep belief in service challenge listeners to rethink what’s possible when tech, humanity, and mission align.

In this compelling episode of "Doing What Works: Innovations in Homeless Services," host Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins engages in a profoundly insightful conversation with Leepi Shimkhada, Deputy Director of LA County's Department of Health Services Housing for Health. Shimkhada shares her powerful journey on the front lines, her transition into public policy, and the human impact of her work. This episode illuminates how Housing for Health integrates public health and housing, creating pathways for long-term stability and human dignity for those experiencing homelessness. Shimkhada's experience showcases the significant wins and devastating losses inherent in this work while underlining the importance of a holistic approach, collaboration, and a skilled and passionate workforce in achieving our shared goals.She also underscores the vital need for systemic change to address the root causes of homelessness. Shimkhada's words resonate with a deep sense of purpose, highlighting the urgency of supporting prevention efforts and creating genuinely equitable and inclusive communities. Join us as we explore the critical steps needed for meaningful change in our communities through a public health lens and the crucial role each of us plays in advocating for this change.

In this episode of Doing What Works: Innovations in Homeless Services, host Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins speaks with Dr. Nancy Greenstein, a long-serving board trustee at Santa Monica College and a passionate advocate for marginalized communities. Dr. Greenstein shares how her education and social work background, including early experiences teaching in a Navajo Nation community, shaped her perspective on social disparities and inspired her lifelong commitment to social justice.The conversation focuses on the launch of Santa Monica College's new Homeless Services Program, launched in Fall 2024. Dr. Greenstein explains how the program emerged from years of discussions with industry professionals and highlights its goal to provide standardized training and career advancement opportunities for those working in the homeless services sector. She emphasizes the program’s potential to fill workforce gaps, improve service delivery, and create career pathways for students.Dr. Greenstein also expresses excitement about the program’s first cohort, emphasizing the diversity of its students and the program’s long-term goals of expanding to other community colleges. The episode concludes with her vision for the program's future, including potential expansions into degrees in social work and collaborations with municipalities and agencies to address homelessness at a larger scale.

In this episode of Doing What Works: Innovations in Homeless Services, host Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins interviews Becky Denison, Executive Director of Venice Community Housing. With over 20 years of experience in the homeless services sector, Denison offers her perspective on the root causes of homelessness in Los Angeles County, focusing on housing unaffordability, income inequality, and systemic issues such as institutional racism.She discusses how Venice Community Housing adopts an innovative, equity-centered approach emphasizing community-led design and inclusion. Denison highlights the importance of supporting homeless service workers through sustainable workplaces and addresses the need for scaled-up solutions like permanent supportive housing and street medicine programs. The episode concludes with Denison's vision for addressing homelessness through large-scale public or social housing programs.

This episode of "Doing What Works: Exploring the Blue Economy" features an interview with Terrence Mosley, Senior Advisor for STEM and University Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The conversation explores Mosley's background, including his experience at an HBCU and in the automotive industry, before delving into his current role promoting diversity in STEM fields and clean energy. Mosley discusses various initiatives to attract underrepresented groups to careers in renewable energy, including the blue economy. He emphasizes the importance of exposing students to these emerging fields early and creating pathways for diverse talent to enter the workforce. The episode also touches on broader challenges and opportunities in implementing renewable energy technologies across the United States.