MANITOBANS who want to study to become social workers have another option in the province through Canadian Mennonite University.
The school’s new social work program has been pre-accredited by the Canadian Association for Social Work Education, enabling the university to offer a bachelor of social work degree that will allow graduates to practise anywhere in Canada.
When the new program begins in September, it will be the third university in Manitoba that offers the fully-recognized and cross-Canada degree. The other two are the University of Manitoba and the Université de Saint-Boniface.
The stamp of approval from the social work education association is validation of the program, said Alex Sawatsky, chair of the CMU social work department. It also includes a focus on faith.
“We don’t want to shut down that conversation,” he said, adding social work studies should include a recognition that faith is still important to many people in Canada today — including for many newcomers from other countries.
Sawatsky said the university encourages students to investigate faith so it “can be developed as an asset.”
Jonathan Dueck, CMU’s vice-president academic and academic dean, agreed. “Faith is on the table at CMU,” he said. “We can talk about it in ways that aren’t patronizing. It’s a real part of life for many people today.”
At the same time, the harms caused by religion will be recognized. “We can talk about that, too,” Sawatsky said. “Religion has used its power badly in the past,” added Dueck. “We need to honestly wrestle with that.”
The program will also focus on serving Indigenous people. When it was being created, Sawatsky spoke to elders and leaders in the Indigenous community for guidance.
“We want to help students think about what reconciliation means,” said Sawatsky, adding that seeking ways for social workers to support Indigenous families is a key part of the program.
The course will also build on other aspects of CMU’s programming, including its Mennonite-Anabaptist emphasis on peace, justice and service, Dueck said.
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