Stories Are Data With A Soul and Will Transform Systems with Dr. Jessica Pryce

This episode of Community In-Site is a re-release from Season 2 with Dr. Jessica Pryce. Dr. Pryce is a research faculty at Florida State University and author of Broken: Transforming Child Protective Services. Dr. Pryce is a nationally recognized thought leader on child welfare workforce development. In this conversation, Valerie and Dr. Pryce talk about the agent–advocate–activist journey framework in Broken that challenges professionals to reflect on their role within systems and consider what it means to move toward advocacy and transformation.

Drawing from her experience as a Black woman working in child welfare, Dr. Pryce explores how the experiences of people impacted by the system can serve as critical data for change. She reflects on the discomfort, tension, and responsibility that come with questioning long-standing practices and assumptions.

This conversation doesn’t offer a simple path forward. Instead, it invites listeners to think more deeply about power, perspective, and what it takes to evolve, both personally and institutionally.