Wichita native Malachi Winters has been a paramedic for 25 years. Recently, though, he decided he wanted to help people even further, which led him to pursue a master’s degree in social work at Newman University.
“I realized that it was just opening up the doors for this profession and that in order to get the tools I really wanted to have in order to accomplish what I want to in the community, I needed to get my master’s degree,” he explained. “I felt like I had already gotten all the generalist tools that I needed at Wichita State, and Newman University has more of a clinical focus, so it seemed like a good fit.”
Winters was also drawn to Newman’s Master of Social Work program because of its trauma-informed approach to curriculum.
“It’s important so that we are as compassionate, caring and open that we can be with our clients, particularly those who have experienced trauma in their lives and face a lot of barriers,” he said. “We want to acknowledge that and do everything in our power to not further those hurts and those pains. It’s a pretty important perspective to have, particularly when you’re working with individuals and families.”
Winters shared that in his professional life, one of the biggest things he strives for is interdisciplinary collaboration.
“I think that’s how you really solve community problems and how you come up with innovative and cost-effective means,” he said.
One program he’s involved with that champions this idea is ICT-1 — a multidisciplinary, co-responder program aimed at providing resources to those in the community experiencing mental health crises. The program is a collaboration between the city of Wichita and Sedgwick County.
Winters’ participation in the program was his first foray into the field of social work, as he witnessed the socioeconomic factors that surround mental health and saw the perspective that mental health professionals brought to situations that he hadn’t seen before as a paramedic.
“Working for EMS, I certainly saw that I had a blind window I needed to fill with knowledge in order to better understand those who are hurting in the community so that we can help them out better,” he said.
Today, Winters works as the crisis team supervisor for Sedgwick County. He feels his experience in Newman’s MSW program prepared him well for the duties that are required of his role.
“One of the things that is taught as part of the program is that in order to be a good social worker and effective when helping others, you have to take care of yourself and work on your own stuff, so to speak,” he said. “I think that is something Newman very much reinforces and tries to provide all the tools that they can for students.”
Winters also appreciated that the program allows you to go at your own pace, whether you’re a full-time or part-time student.
“Whatever your needs are, the program can work with you,” he said.
Earn a Master of Social Work degree
Social workers build their identities in order to honor and support people and communities and work to improve conditions in the world around us.
