Empathy Affect
On Empathy Affect, we explore the human side of government. We get to know the real people in government who serve us. We learn about their missions, the people they serve, and the true impact of their work. In each episode, we'll speak with real people about how they weave empathy into the policies and programs of government.
Empathy Affect
Latest Episodes
S4E11: Boston's Community-Driven Approach to Opioid Settlement Funds
Boston asked residents what they needed before spending a dollar of its opioid settlement money. Christian Arthur, senior policy and strategy specialist at the Boston Public Health Commission's Recovery Services Bureau, illustrates in this epis...
S4E10: Building a Seamless Road to Recovery in King County
What does it take to help someone not just survive an overdose, but find their way to recovery? This Recovery Month, Brad Finegood, strategic advisor at Public Health – Seattle & King County, illuminates how his team is trying to answer tha...
S4E9: How Colorado is Building Its Next Generation of Wildfire Responders
Colorado has stopped calling wildfire a season and started calling it a year-round condition. At the same time, it’s facing that threat with a firefighter workforce that’s shrinking. Serve Colorado and the Colorado National Guard got together t...
S4E8: A Shift to Prevention in National Drug Strategy
The 2026 National Drug Control Strategy has made a notable shift toward primary prevention—stopping substance use before it ever starts—and reframes what a national approach to substances can look like. We speak with Office of National Drug Con...
S4E7: Can Listening Rebuild Trust in Public Health? Virginia's Commissioner Thinks So
What does it take to rebuild trust in a public health institution, and can listening be a leadership strategy? Virginia State Health Commissioner Dr. B Cameron Webb explored these questions as he stepped into his role earlier this year, beginni...