Jennifer Hedges, an assistant professor in the University of Manitoba’s faculty of social work and a former social worker, says situations where emergency placement workers are sending kids to school in dirty or inappropriate clothes or not teaching them how to brush their teeth shouldn’t be happening — and if they are, it’s important to find out why.

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AmyAnne standing beside her winning poster

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

My name is AmyAnne and I am a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Manitoba. I am also a social worker in emergency mental health services here in Winnipeg. I am back at school in a doctoral program because I truly believe that social workers are uniquely positioned to recognize important issues impacting people’s lives through the work that they do.

What is your research about and why did you choose to focus on domestic violence survivors?

My doctoral research focuses on survivors of sexual violence and their experiences. My work at this conference was on the unique experiences of sexual minorities, but my main focus is on the experience of survivors who choose to engage with the justice system after a sexual assault. This research emerged out of personal work experience with survivors, justice officials, and community agencies. I have seen the conditions that survivors are facing and know that change is needed at the individual and structural level. I am passionate about the work that I am doing with survivors in my front-line practice and am committed to conducting research that is informed by the needs of the communities impacted by sexual violence.

Do you have any advice for new researchers or doctoral students who are just starting their program?

In terms of advice for new PhD students just starting their program, I think it’s so important to hold on to the reasons that brought them to the program. When everything gets tangly and stressful, the passion that pushed folks to apply will help carry them through. 

What is your vision for the future and what do you hope your research accomplishes?

I would love to see my work result in practical policy changes that centre the experiences of survivors, who are often overlooked in criminal justice settings. The rights of the accused are important; so are the rights of survivors.

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Dr. Christine Mayor, assistant professor, received an award for Caring or Complicit Bodies?: Addressing Carceral Logics in the Helping Professions.

Mayor’s project investigates how carceral logics or punishment-based values and principles blame marginalized people rather than bad systems. Across North America, people who are Black, Indigenous, racialized, poor, disabled, 2SLGBTQ+, migrants, or unhoused face high rates of criminalization, are often treated as disposable or punishable. Instead of understanding an individual’s personal situation, the first response is often to control or punish them. These principles are often embedded within “helping spaces” such as schools, child welfare agencies, non-profits, counselling services and treatment centres.

Mayor’s research, in partnership with Dr. Britton Williams (Co-I, California Institute for Integral Studies) aims to support helping professions in moving away from carceral logics, so they can better serve those who are most marginalized and harmed in current systems.

Dr. Blessing Ojembe, assistant professor, received an award for Exploring Preferences and Strategies to increase the Utilization of Adult Day Programs and Senior Community Centres by Black Older Adults in Manitoba.

As the number of older adults grows globally, so do concerns around loneliness and social isolation and ways to mitigate their negative impacts on the aging population, including ethnically minoritized groups. Thus, Ojembe’s research will explore ways to improve the utilization and participation of Black older adults in Adult Day Programs (ADPs) and Senior Community Centres (SCCs) across Manitoba.

Services like ADPs and SCCs are increasingly important for supporting aging in place and helping older adults stay connected to their communities. Unfortunately, these programs are often not culturally appropriate and therefore make Black older adults feel culturally unsafe, which hinders their use of these services, and further exacerbates their experience of loneliness and social isolation.

Ojembe’s project will assess availability, accessibility, and gaps in services for older Black adults; explore their needs and preferences; and develop practical resources and policy recommendations to enhance cultural representation and participation of Black older adults in ADPs and SCCs.

Dr. Ashley Stewart-Tufescu, assistant professor, received an award for Building Futures: Sociocultural Effects of an Empowerment Initiative for Young Displaced Rohingya Women.

Stewart-Tufescu, in collaboration with Dr. Bree Akesson (Wilfrid Laurier University) and The Hope Foundation for Women and Girls of Bangladesh, is leading a study on the Health Assistant Training (HAT) Program in Kutupalong, Cox’s Bazar, recognized as the world’s largest, most densely populated, and under-resourced refugee camp. An estimated 52–67% of Rohingya refugees in Kutupalong are women and girls. 

This research focuses on young Rohingya women living in the camp, a population facing severe gender-based vulnerabilities, including early and forced marriage, gender-based violence, and restricted access to education and livelihood opportunities. Using a socioecological lens, the study will assess the impacts of the HAT Program by examining the experiences of program trainees, alongside the perspectives of their families, community leaders, and humanitarian practitioners. It will explore how participation in the program influences young women’s empowerment, shifts in gender norms, decision-making within families and communities, and broader sociocultural dynamics within the camp context. 

The findings will generate critical insights into how gender-transformative initiatives can promote women’s leadership, challenge harmful social norms, and expand access to vital services and opportunities for displaced and marginalized women and girls in humanitarian settings. 

What was your thesis/practicum placement and major research paper on and who was your advisor?
For my practicum, I was placed at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, where I focused on the right to health, empathy, storytelling and information disorder. I also worked at the Manitoba Human Rights Commission through the STEP program, where I participated in investigations. My major research paper, advised by Professor Dr. Kjell Anderson, examined Indigenous genocide in Brazil during the pandemic, with a particular focus on state policies, structural violence, and accountability. The paper examined how conventional frameworks of transitional justice frequently fail to adequately address the unique and ongoing harms experienced by Indigenous communities.

Why did you choose that thesis topic or practicum placement?
As a Brazilian physician who worked on the front lines of the pandemic, I witnessed firsthand how public health was politicized and how marginalized communities were disproportionately affected. My transition into human rights advocacy emerged from that experience. The practicum at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights enabled me to integrate my medical background with critical human rights reflection. My major research paper was an extension of my commitment to amplify voices often silenced by dominant narratives and legal frameworks. 

What inspired you to pursue an MHR degree at the University of Manitoba?
After becoming politically engaged in Brazil during a period of democratic backsliding and misinformation, I realized the need to expand my understanding of justice and advocacy beyond clinical care. The University of Manitoba’s interdisciplinary MHR program was one of the few that offered both academic depth and practical experience. It was the perfect bridge between my medical training and my growing commitment to human rights, particularly in the areas of public health, Indigenous rights, and transitional justice.

What was your favourite / most memorable moment or experience while taking this degree?
There were many meaningful moments, but one that stands out was being part of the international partnership project between the University of Manitoba and the University of Brasília. Facilitating knowledge exchange between institutions in Canada and Brazil, especially on Indigenous justice and reconciliation, felt like a full-circle moment, bringing together my roots, my research, and my hopes for collective change. 

What advice would you give to anyone considering taking an MHR at UM as to the benefits the degree will have to your career?
The MHR program at UM opens space for bold, interdisciplinary thinking and action. Whether you come from a law, social sciences, healthcare, or activist background, this program will challenge you to connect theory to practice in a deeply personal and impactful way. For me, it reshaped my career path by blending medicine, research, and advocacy, and provided me with the tools and network to pursue meaningful work at the intersection of human rights and public health.

Applications for the next cohort of the University of Manitoba’s Master of Human Rights program are due December 1.

Survivors face unique barriers to care. An IPV survivor requires access to services from many agencies, yet these services often operate in silos and lack coordination. Social services, law enforcement, healthcare and the justice system do not currently coordinate care. This creates significant challenges for survivors, forcing them to navigate fragmented and overly complex care plans, attend numerous appointments and complete complicated paperwork without help.  Survivors are frequently overwhelmed while living with the physical and psychological aftermath of abuse.

Solutions guided by Indigenous wisdom

A team of researchers led by UM professor Dr. Kendra Nixon (Faculty of Social Work) and guided by Indigenous Elder, Marilyn Hart Murdock is creating a model for more integrated and trauma-informed care pathways, tailored to survivors with traumatic brain injury. This initiative has the potential to reshape policies and practices, bringing attention to a critical yet often overlooked issue.

Elder Marilyn Hart Murdock and Kendra Nixon

Clinical pathways currently rely on a Western care framework that overlooks the unique and varied psychosocial needs of survivors, including Indigenous women.

“Survivors’ varied experiences and needs underscore the need for multi-sector collaboration and broader access pathways, beyond traditional Western healthcare settings,” says Nixon.

This work seeks to:

• foster exchange of knowledge to create a network in Manitoba to address the gaps in care.
• design holistic, integrated and trauma-informed care pathways for survivors.
• develop implementation and evaluation plans for the new care pathways that ensure the best possible outcomes.

A push for change 

In Manitoba, 15% of women experience intimate partner violence, with higher rates of abuse reported among Indigenous and racialized women. Most experts agree that the reason for this stems from a legacy of colonization that systematically disrupted the traditional values and culture of Indigenous people in Canada.

“IPV is complicated because it is often intertwined with poverty, mental health, substance use and housing instability,” says Nixon. “We know that IPV survivors, especially when faced with a traumatic brain injury, find it difficult to attend multiple appointments or follow complex medical instructions.”

For many, the consequences are severe. Women with untreated TBIs may lose the ability to work, care for their children or advocate for themselves in legal custody battles. With a new coordinated approach to care that is efficient and centered on the survivors’ individual needs, victims will be able to focus on recovery and get the help they need at the right time.

This research partnership is supported by funding from a SSHRC Partnership Development Grant and benefits from the expertise of representatives from different community agencies and government sectors, including:

• Circling Buffalo Inc.
• General CFS Authority
• Klinic Community Health
• Manitoba Association of Women’s Shelters Inc.
• Manitoba Justice – Victim Services Branch
• Women and Gender Equity Manitoba
• The Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association

The inaugural meeting of the partnership team, June 2025.

The partnership promises to integrate academic research with the expertise and experience of community-based organizations, Indigenous groups, social services, healthcare providers and individuals with lived experience.

“From the front line of health care, we know that we need better supports for survivors,” says Ashley Stewart, Klinic Community Health. “This work will bring real change and allow us to bring service providers together so we can deliver more timely access to the care that survivors need.”

There is clear discontinuity in the system and survivors deserve more than the current disjointed offering of inadequate and fragmented care pathways. Through this partnership research, IPV survivors with TBI will be offered better futures for themselves and their families.

Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

My name is Tara Christianson; I was born and raised in Treaty 1 territory and have lived in Winnipeg for the past 18 years. I am Red River Métis, citizen of the Manitoba Métis Federation and a member of the Bison Local. I also have Scottish, Irish, and English settler ancestry. I’m a mom, a partner, sister, daughter and auntie. I’m also a registered social worker that works in the mainstream health care system.

What is your research about and why did you choose this particular topic for your thesis?

My MSW thesis explored the impact of COVID-19 on services for Indigenous people living with HIV who use substances. As someone working on the front line of health care throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, I witnessed the rapid changes to service and the detrimental impact it had on many individuals already marginalized by a colonial system designed to oppress, such as Indigenous people and people who use substances. Research, particularly highly medicalized HIV research, tends to be rooted in westernized concepts that do not acknowledge the vast Indigenous knowledge systems that exist. The community-based research design of my thesis provided me the opportunity to engage directly with community to learn their experiences and perspectives in relation to accessing and providing services during that time. I believe that community knowledge is the key to addressing many of the harms experienced within systems by rejecting deficit-based models of care and centering the wisdom, practices, and relationships within Indigenous communities. Utilizing Indigenous Storywork helped me to remain grounded within that understanding throughout the entirety of my thesis.

What program are you graduating from and can you tell me a little about your experience in the program?

I graduated from the Faculty of Social Work Master’s program. I started the program in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when all classes were still online, coming to in person classes during the last semester of my program. I was fortunate enough to have connection with the Village Lab and developed relationship with other students, faculty, and community throughout that time.

Dr. Rusty Souleymanov was my faculty advisor as well as mentor through the Village Lab where he is the director. I am grateful to have been matched with Dr. Souleymanov and am looking forward to continuing my work with him during my PhD. I was fortunate to be able to ground myself in community and Indigenous research methodologies with his guidance and support.

Do you have any advice for students interested in the MSW program?

Consider the thesis route and choose a research topic that you are truly passionate about. I entered the social work profession with the intent of disrupting the systems that perpetuate harm – many of which this profession has had a foundational and ongoing role in. For me, I feel that this academic route is helping me do that. I am grateful to have the pleasure to engage in community-based research and am deeply honoured for the stories that have been shared with me through this work. I have a deep commitment to community and ensuring that those stories are brought forward in ways that work towards lasting change.

Any other information you would like to share? Vision for the future? Other research interests?

This work for me is ongoing. I’ll be starting my PhD in social work in September 2025 and look forward to expanding on some of the findings from my MSW thesis, notably surrounding folx who use substances and are currently unhoused. I’ll be working from a community-based research design and incorporating the Métis Kitchen Table approach. I think that it is absolutely necessary as well to continually be working to decolonize academia and utilizing Indigenous research methods that move beyond western models and concepts.

Lastly, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Faculty of Social Work for the nomination. I am humbled and honoured to be one of this year’s recipients. I am very happy to see the recognition for these insightful and meaningful stories gifted by community.

Sandy’s commitment to community and politics was evident early on. In 1967, she was elected Lady Stick of Social Work, a leadership role that foreshadowed her later public service as a Winnipeg City Councillor from 1991 to 1995. During her time on council, she remained true to her social work roots, focusing on constituent needs and advocating for vulnerable populations. “I loved politics,” says Hyman, “a passion that has always been about making meaningful change.”

Over the course of her nearly four-decade career in child welfare and education, Sandy encountered both the triumphs and the heartbreaks that come with serving on the front lines of human struggle. When asked why she has remained so passionate about her chosen profession, Sandy responded, “Sometimes I think it’s anti-social work. Often, a social worker is alone, uncertain what’s next or what to do; neither education, on-the-job training, nor life experience prepared me for the challenges I encountered.”

One of Sandy’s most unforgettable experiences involved a teen who had been labeled extremely behaviorally disordered. He was housed alone in a group home with 24/7 supervision. “He so wanted to be with his mom,” Sandy recalls. “He was kept isolated in the group home because every system considered him a danger – to students, staff, and even himself.”

Her voice trembles as she recounts writing the funding application for this youth’s education plan, an effort involving multiple systems and extraordinary financial resources to create a safe learning environment. “As I filled out his funding application, I shed tears. This boy’s story was almost unbelievable, so deeply painful,” Sandy explains. “Writing this application felt crucial… a final opportunity to offer this teen a thread of hope, a way to learn how to be with others, and with himself, safely.”

Sandy’s career was filled with these moments; raw, real, and often heartbreaking. But she never wavered in her belief in the power of care, coordination, and courage. “We held our breath and followed the plan diligently to ensure all systems were on board,” she remembers. And it worked. A teen who had once been feared by every system around him began to experience moments of connection, learning, and growth.

Now retired, Sandy is focused on giving back to the profession that shaped her so profoundly. In honour of her MSW Class of ‘69, Sandy created a bursary for students pursuing a Bachelor or Master of Social Work, hoping to raise a minimum of $25,000 to endow the award and support future generations of compassionate social workers, like Sandy.

“This bursary is about legacy,” Sandy says. “It’s about giving someone else the chance to learn, to serve, and to make a difference – just like I had the privilege of doing.”

In every word and action, Sandy Hyman exemplifies the heart of social work. Her story is one of dedication, empathy, and hope. And through her legacy, the impact of her work will resonate for generations to come.

For more information on the MSW Class of ’69 Bursary, please contact Jennifer.triggs@umanitoba.ca or call 204-299-6641.

She is a Red River Métis doula, artist, MSW-IK student, sundancer, cedar bath conductor, and community helper from Treaty 1 Territory, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her spirit name, Leads With Light, guides her in her community work, and is grounded in her relationships with her family and her community. She comes from a long line of fierce aunties and carries on the tradition with her 13 nephews and nieces, and 1 great niece.

In this Q&A, Candace talks about her work as an experienced doula, and shares insight about the Master in Social Work based in Indigenous Knowledges program (MSW-IK).

Why did you decide to focus your research on Indigenous women who are pregnant and living with HIV?

I have been doing community work for the past 20 years and Indigenous doula work for the past 10 years. A couple years ago, I started working on the Indigenous HIV Doula program through Ka Ni Kanichihk and the Village Lab. As a birth worker, what stood out for me, were the stories shared by Indigenous women who had experienced pregnancy while living with HIV. Although everyone’s experiences were unique to their journeys, there was a common thread of relationships, sharing of stories, and cultural and land connections that were powerful. I wanted to do research that honoured this.

Besides research, what other ways are you sharing your talents?

Alongside Indigenous midwife Melissa Brown, I co-founded Zaagi’idiwiin Indigenous Doula Training. Together we have trained hundreds of doulas from Indigenous communities across Turtle Island. As a doula, I volunteer my time to support Indigenous women and 2SLGBTQIA+ birthing people whenever I can.

Why did you choose the MSW-IK program as part of your post-secondary journey?

I chose the MSW-IK program because a very good friend of my recommended it to me. My work is focused on my community, as well as other Indigenous communities across Turtle Island and the focus of Indigenous knowledges in this program seemed to be in alignment with that.

Do you have any insight for prospective students interested in the program?

For any students considering applying for this, I would say that the elders make this program. They are so knowledgeable, supportive, and are the heart of the program.

Candace Neumann is currently working on her research thesis in the MSW-IK program and hopes to defend this summer.