Sasha Séguin
Master of Social Work
One of the requirements for the MSW degree is to conduct a research project with a community organization. In our case, a health centre submitted a research proposal asking the School to explore whether or not the agency used a strength-based approach when working with clients.
The strength-based approach is used in social services to work with people based on their own strengths and resources, rather than solely focusing on what’s going wrong. We found that the standardized intake forms used by the health centre followed a more medical model approach and focused on deficits, but the centre’s culture was fairly strength-based.
We were then invited to present our work at this year’s C2U Expo at Carleton University, which brings together researchers and community organizations. This was a great way to share our findings and learn about the work done in other community groups, as well. There’s no point in conducting research that benefits society if the community doesn’t hear about it.
Throughout this time, faculty members in the School of Social Work offered amazing support and advice. I was grateful to have been supported by an Ontario Graduate Scholarship and a teaching assistant position, so I was fortunate to finish my degree debt-free in August. I’ve now begun my career as a social worker on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
Friday, September 9, 2016 in FPA Voices, Justice, People, Policy, Professional, School of Social Work
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