The System Isn’t Built for Our Brains I took off the mask and wrote the post I needed 20 years ago.If you’re a neurodivergent social worker (or love one) read this. Then share it.

Last Monday’s Substack dove into what it’s like to be neurodivergent in systems built for “everyone else.” Masking, burnout, rule-bending survival tactics...it’s all in there. If you missed it, time to catch up!

open.substack.com/pu...

#SystemUntangled

Happy Labor Day! Here’s to workers, dreamers, and the ones holding it all together. Rest if you can...rest is resistance. And yes, care work, emotional labor, and community building count too. What’s one way you’re honoring your labor today? #SystemUntangled

Kirsten Grady | Substack Kirsten Grady is a rural Michigan social worker, professional system untangler, and lifelong red-tape wrangler. She believes in dignity, dark humor, and calling things what they are — especially when it comes to broken systems.

Next Monday’s Truth Bomb: White savior complex in social work. Why it happens, how it hides behind “helping,” and what real accountability looks like. No shade, just facts… and maybe a few side-eyes. Subscribe now so you don’t miss the heat.

open.substack.com/pu...

#SystemUntangled

System Untangled | Kirsten Grady | Substack System Untangled is where I talk about what it’s really like to work in human services — the chaos, the cracks, and the occasional miracle. It’s social work, but with more jokes and fewer acronyms. Mostly. Click to read System Untangled, by Kirsten Grady, a Substack publication. Launched 2 months ago.

Some social workers think outside the box, but neurodivergent ones were never in the box to start with! Join me next Monday as I explore how our brains function in the field, shedding light on why the system isn’t designed for us (but relies on us). #SystemUntangled

Systemuntangled.subs...

Many neurodivergent social workers have a unique set of strengths: pattern recognition, deep empathy, creative problem-solving, and fierce advocacy. We notice things others might miss. We're not flawed; we're wired for brilliance. The system just needs to catch up! #SystemUntangled

Not Unsinkable, But Unshakable History loves its headline heroes. I’m here for the ones left in the footnotes.Meet Senator William Alden Smith—Titanic truth-hunter, courtroom disruptor, and conservation crank—whose grit still echoes in today’s fights. This is Voices Lost, Legacies Endure: reviving the reformers history tried to forget.

History loves its victors. I’m here for the people who quietly keep communities afloat. Dive into my System Untangled on unsung heroes and why unshakable, not unsinkable, people matter: systemuntangled.subs... #SystemUntangled #UnsungHeroes

Advocacy isn’t a side hustle. It’s the heartbeat of social work, lifting up marginalized people and ripping into unjust systems. When we show up, fight bad policy and hand the mic to those ignored, fragility becomes unshakable strength. #SystemUntangled #Advocacy

While others took center stage, Pelham worked with dignity and precision behind the scenes. From journalism to civil rights law to Census innovations, he shaped the future. His voice shouldn’t be shadowed by louder ones. It should be amplified. #SystemUntangled #VoicesWorthHearing

Now picture this: one portal, one login, fill out a form once… dream on. Reality? Triple portals, triple hold music, triple chance of timeout. My radical idea: let the agencies talk to each other before clients waste a lunch break copy-pasting their own name. #SystemUntangled

Screaming Into the Abyss (And Other Ways to Reach Your Caseworker) Why won’t my caseworker call me back? You’re not alone—and you’re not wrong for being frustrated. This survival guide breaks down why the silence happens, how to get through (without losing your mind)...

“You’ve reached the voicemail of…”

Sound familiar? If you’ve ever cried while on hold, this one’s for you. A survival guide for navigating broken systems...with humor, empathy, and actual tips that work.

open.substack.com/pub/systemun...

#SocialWork #RealTalk #YouAreNotAlone #SystemUntangled

So let me get this straight… a former federal engineer says fraud and waste were “relatively nonexistent” but somehow, people on Medicaid are the ones being "audited?"

It’s never been about fraud. It’s about who they think is worth helping.

#MedicaidMatters #SystemUntangled #WelfareNotWarfare

Clients: Keep records, follow up, and raise some hell with your reps. They want you to stay silent, so you be loud.

Social workers: Speak up. Organize.

The GOP thinks we're weak. Let's take our power back.

We are the safety net.

#MedicaidMatters #ProtectTheSafetyNet #SystemUntangled

I’m a Social Worker, Not a Magician There’s no backup plan if you kill Medicaid. Trust me, I checked.

If you want to know what Medicaid cuts look like on the ground, I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it. I wrote about it. No magic wand required—just a system built to fail.

📎 open.substack.com/pub/systemun...

#MedicaidMatters #SystemUntangled

Lest we forget, amid all the chaos, the GOP is still trying their hardest to gut Medicaid and SNAP. Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” explodes the deficit to give billionaires a break—while we foot the bill in hunger, sickness, and instability.

#SystemUntangled #MedicaidMatters #SNAPcuts #DeficitCrisis

System Untangled | Kirsten Grady | Substack System Untangled is where I talk about what it’s really like to work in human services — the chaos, the cracks, and the occasional miracle. It’s social work, but with more jokes and fewer acronyms. Mo...

New Substack drop:
I Fought Social Security and All I Got Was This Anxiety Disorder

Bureaucracy. Red tape. Horror-movie metaphors. Also, me.

Come rage, laugh, and maybe scream into the void with me 👉 open.substack.com/pub/systemun...

#SystemUntangled #DisabilityRights #SSDI #SocialWorkBluesky