News 2026 Education Event Highlights

Posted: October 23, 2026

MCSW held the 2026 Education Event on October 21 at the Victoria Inn, Winnipeg. This hybrid in person and virtual event encompassed a full day of learning and featured keynote speaker, Salena Starling of Community of Big Hearts.

Overview of the Agenda and CCP Eligible Activities:

Opening – Elder Allen Sutherland

Allen Sutherland , also known by his spirit name Waabshkii Masinazoot Michtaatim (White Spotted Horse), is of the Anishinaabe Bizhiw Doodem (Lynx Clan), and a member of Skownan First Nation, Treaty 2 Territory. An esteemed Anishinaabe Elder, Traditional Knowledge Keeper, Healer, and Historian, his work in the public has made a generational difference in Canada.
Eligible for 0.5 Content-Specific Hours in SW with Indigenous Peoples

Keynote: What the System Never Saw: A Fourth-Generation Story with Salena Starling

Drawing on her lived experience as a fourth-generation child welfare survivor, Salena walked through what the system looked like from the inside: the loss of family, the severing of Indigenous identity, the profound loneliness of growing up in a system designed to help but often failing to see the full child. She shared how she found her voice, built a company, and chose advocacy over bitterness.
Eligible for 1 Content-Specific Hours in SW with Indigenous Peoples

Supervision: Guiding Practice at Every Stage with Vicki Verge, MSW, RSW

This workshop highlighted how high-quality, integrated supervision across all career stages strengthens practice and supports quality social work services. It provided an overview of supervision and emphasized the ethical responsibility to engage in it, as supervision improves outcomes, enhances social workers’ resilience, and promotes ongoing professional growth and job satisfaction.
Eligible for 1 Formal CCP Hour

Ethical Social Work Practice in the Age of AI with Dr. Marina Badillo-Diaz, LCSW

This workshop introduced social work professionals to the transformative potential of generative AI technologies. The workshop engaged participants in critical discussions about the ethical implications of using AI in social work, emphasizing the
importance of social work ethics such as privacy, confidentiality, awareness of bias, and maintaining human-centered approaches while using generative AI.
Eligible for Content-Specific Hours in Social Work Code of Ethics/Standards of Practice

EDI in Social Work Practice with Cheryl Fleming, MSW, RSW

This interactive workshop supported practitioners in strengthening equity informed, culturally safer, and trauma-informed approaches to practice. Grounded in an Indigenous informed and social justice lens, the session emphasized reflective practice, relational accountability, and practical strategies to reduce harm and promote inclusive service delivery.
Eligible for Content-Specific Hours in EDI or Social Work with Indigenous Peoples