Researching Child, Youth, and Family Services: A University-Ministry Partnership
“It’s really easy to have big ideas about how things can be better. It’s a lot more challenging to operationalize those ideas in meaningful ways where it actually results in systemic change.”
Shea Karst
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About the Episode
In this episode, Dr. Barbara Lee and Michelle O’Kane, course instructor for UBC School of Social Work, are joined by Shea Karst, Research Coordinator at MCFD, and Dr. Peter Rudiak-Gould, Manager of Research at MCFD. Together, they discuss the innovative partnership between the UBC School of Social Work and the Ministry of Child and Family Development (MCFD) which is centred around a Masters of Social Work research and evaluation course that engages students in meaningful applied social research.
This University-Ministry partnership is based on mutual benefit: students gain hands-on experience in research processes by conducting projects that address timely, relevant, and actionable issues, while MCFD benefits from enhanced organizational research capacity tailored to their priorities and needs. The discussion highlights the collaborative efforts involved in course delivery and the impactful, actionable research that students produce through their work, bridging academia and practice to drive meaningful change.
Timestamps
1:05 – Get to Know: Peter Rudiak-Gould
1:48 – Get to Know: Shea Karst
2:54 – Get to Know: Michelle O’Kane
3:28 – UBC School of Social Work and MCFD Collaborative Research Course
6:25 – The Role of Student Research at MCFD
9:51 – Creating Critical Change
13:05 – Balancing Researcher and Practitioner Identities in Social Work
16:45 – Student Research in Practice at MCFD
23:16 – Fostering Systemic Change Through Research
27:54 – Partnership and Mentorship in Student Learning
Mentioned in this Episode
Partner: Ministry of Child and Family Development (MCFD)
Partnered Course: Qualitative Methods in Social Work Rersearch: Research and Evaluation in Child, Youth and Family Services
E-Journal: Research and Evaluation in Children, Youth and Family Services
Organization: Fairness for Children Raised by Relatives
Organization: May’s Place Hospice
Organization: McCreary Centre Society
Our Guests
Peter Rudiak-Gould PhD, CE (he/him)
Manager of Research
Strategic Policy and Research BC Ministry of Children and Family Development
I have had a varied career in academia, consulting, and government, but what unites everything I do is my belief that high-quality research can help organizations do more good in the world. I hold a PhD in Anthropology and spent many years in the program evaluation field, helping organizations measure and increase their social impact. I am currently Manager of Research in the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
Shea Karst BSc, BSW, MCFD Research Analyst (she/they)
I gratefully acknowledge that I am an uninvited settler currently residing on the stolen ancestral lands of the Ts’ymsyen people, including the Kitselas and Kitsumkalum communities. I am a social worker, with 13 years of experience in mental health service delivery and program evaluation, working primarily with (and for) young people. The principle of ‘Nothing for Us, Without Us’ drives my passion for both individual work with families as well as my work in policy and research. I truly believe that individuals are the experts of their own experiences, and that my professional purpose is to provide opportunities for young people to inform and innovate the services they access. I am passionate about utilizing research and evidence-based best practices to inform widespread systemic change, while I continue to do community-based and family-focussed work outside of my position with the public service. It’s this balance that has allowed me to thrive working in big systems. As a Research Analyst with the Strategic Policy and Research Team at the Ministry of Children and Family Development, I coordinate the Research in Partnership Program with the University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria.