CBC Saskatchewan: Organization calling governments to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic in the Prairies

March 1, 2024 —

The Resolve Network is calling governments to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta. Kendra Nixon, a social work professor at the University of Manitoba, is also the director of the Resolve Network. She joins host Peter Mills to talk about the severity of intimate partner violence in the Prairies.

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Faculty of Social Work, Intimate partner violence, RESOLVE

CTV Winnipeg: ‘Still in disbelief’: Jelly Roll offers to pay student loans for Manitoba university students

Two University of Manitoba students are getting a little extra help in achieving their educational goals, all thanks to Jelly Roll. The popular country singer, best known for his songs “Son of a Sinner” and “Need A Favor,” performed a concert in Winnipeg Monday night. Deandra Courchene and Briana Knott were on the floor holding signs, asking him to help them pay their student loans. The pair is studying social work at the University of Manitoba. A video posted by Courchene online shows Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, pausing the show and having the house lights turned on to address her and Knott. “I’ll tell you what - you don’t got any student loans no more. I’m going to pay them off,” he said to cheers from the audience. “I’m kind of still in disbelief on what happened,” said Courchene. “I woke up this morning and thought it was just a dream.”

Improving client access to legal and social services: A Social Work student’s experience in field placement

Monika Touzin, MSW student, shares her experience taking an advanced practice field placement at the Legal Help Centre. How did you select the right placement for you? When first meeting with staff of the Legal Help Centre (LHC), I knew that their organization would be the right fit for my final social work practicum placement. My conversation reflected LHC’s vast knowledge on the social issues commonly confronted by clients at LHC and the care the staff put into the work they do. Furthermore, they showed how much they valued the role of the social work student in the organization. What would a day at your placement look like? What role did you play? One of the main points of contact for clients is through drop-in clinics. These clinics are offered twice a week on a first-come, first-served basis. Clients meet with a law student, discuss their legal issue, and are provided with legal information and referrals. Due to the interrelated nature of social and legal issues, clients may also meet with me as the social work student. Once I gain an understanding of the social issue, I then provide them with a referral to a community organization that can help address the issue.

Funding awarded to examine racism and colonialism in Manitoba institutions impacting HIV/STBBI outcomes

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has award $125,000 in funding for a community-led project that aims to tackle the harmful effects of racism and colonialism in Manitoba’s systems that are leading to increased HIV risks. UM researcher Dr. Rusty Souleymanov, associate dean and associate professor, faculty of social work, and director, Village Lab, is leading a team of stakeholders, scholars, and community leaders from across Canada in research that will drive structural change by fostering policy reforms, anti-racist health systems, and community-led solutions. This project titled “Community-Led Structural Interventions to Improve HIV/STBBI Outcomes and Dismantle Structural Racism and Colonialism Affecting Indigenous, Black, and Racialized Communities in Manitoba” was ranked top 3rd in applications submitted to CIHR’s Moving Upstream: Structural Determinants of Health - Catalyst Grants.