Recent Executive Orders have profoundly affected social work practice, particularly in areas impacting vulnerable and marginalized communities. Shifts in federal policies and agency structures have further reshaped access to critical services, presenting new challenges for social workers committed to advocacy, equity, and justice. These changes have also raised ethical dilemmas around our profession’s core values and responsibilities, as outlined in the NASW Code of Ethics.
Join us for this lunchtime series, a collection of speakers over one-hour virtual sessions designed to provide food for thought and actionable insights. Each session will feature discussions on critical policy shifts, their implications for social work practice, and actionable strategies to support vulnerable and marginalized communities. This series offers a space for reflection, dialogue, and professional growth in the face of our evolving social and political landscapes.
Open to all students, alumni, and practitioners
Free to attend | 1.0 CEU available for $10 per session (LCSW/LSW and LCPC/LPC)
Understanding Federal Immigration Directives and the Impacts of Undocumented Students in Higher Education
March 26, 2025
12:00-1:00pm CST
1.0 CE for LCSW/LSW or LCPC/LPC
$10 for CEs, free for no CEs
New federal policy and legal changes may impact undocumented and mixed-status students in higher education. What exactly do these proposed changes mean, and how can we best support undocumented and DACA members of our campus community? Join Ross Wantland, Director of Curriculum Development and Education, and Danny Melendez, Undocumented Student Support Graduate Assistant, from the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for a webinar on federal legal immigration directives and strategies for creating supportive environments for undocumented students on the college campus.
Learning Objectives
- Define undocumented status and define three related immigration statuses
- Understand the opportunities and barriers to undocumented students in Illinois higher education
- Learn about the impact of current federal directives on undocumented individuals in Illinois
Registration Options:
If you do NOT need CEUs for LCSW/LSW or LCPC/LPC, register via the link below:
If you DO need CEUs for LCSW/LSW or LCPC/LPC, register via the link below:
Speakers:
Ross Wantland
Ross Wantland is the Director of Curriculum Development and Education and Interim Director of Campus Culture and Climate in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In this role, he helps coordinate Undocumented Support Services and expand resources for undocumented students. Ross is a farm-raised social justice and violence prevention educator, who received his Master of Education in Educational Policy Studies and Bachelor in Psychology with a minor in Women’s Studies, all at the University of Illinois. Ross lives in Champaign with his incredible partner, musical teen, and pandemic garden.
Danny Meléndez
Danny Meléndez was born and raised in Carora, a small town known for its dry climate in western Venezuela. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Teaching English as a Foreign Language, reflecting his passion for both teaching and language. His intellectual curiosity led him to pursue further studies, earning a Master of Arts in Spanish Linguistics. Currently, he is completing a PhD in Spanish Linguistics at the University of Illinois. His research interests include bilingualism, first and second language acquisition, and psycholinguistics, with a particular focus on the development and ultimate attainment of Spanish morphosyntax among Spanish speakers in the United States. In his free time, Danny enjoys lifting weights, biking, listening to reguetón, and helping others achieve their full potential.
The Queer Agenda: To Survive and Thrive
April 17, 2025
12:00-1:00pm CST
1.0 CE for LCSW/LSW or LCPC/LPC
$10 for CEs, free for no CEs
The current administration is stripping rights away from multiple marginalized communities and the LGBTQIA2S+ community seems to be high on the priority list. People are afraid, but they’re also angry and determined. These threats to our personhood and our civil liberties are not new. They’re the same narrow-minded packages that are wrapped in different bigoted paper.
The acceleration in attacks on the Queer community has made its members even more resolute in protecting each other. Mutual aid groups are being formed; calls and letters are going out to congresspeople; protests and marches are being organized. We’ve never stopped fighting for our rights, and we certainly won’t stop now.
Along with our resolution comes heartbreak. Already, in the last month, we have lost too many Trans and Queer siblings to preventable deaths. This is also a too-common refrain. Sadly, we can’t completely protect ourselves by ourselves. We need the non-Queer community to contribute to join our call to action. We need systemic change and support. We need all communities to remember that our survival is intertwined. My liberation is linked with yours.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will hear a brief history of the Queer Rights Movement.
- Participants will hear about the ways the LGBTQIA2S+ community is at risk in the current political climate.
- Participants will learn ways to support the queer community through advocacy.
Registration Options:
If you do NOT need CEUs for LCSW/LSW or LCPC/LPC, register via the link below:
If you DO need CEUs for LCSW/LSW or LCPC/LPC, register via the link below:
Speaker:
Martha Mills
Martha A. Mills (they/them) has been an activist in Champaign County for almost twenty years. From advocating for individuals with developmental disabilities, to protesting in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street; from marching with Black Lives Matter, to working toward queer equality, Martha has experience in many aspects of civil disobedience and civic engagement.
Martha was on the Board of Directors for Uniting Pride of Champaign County for many years and served as President of the Board for two years. They facilitated UParent, a support group for parents of queer and transgender children, and founded The Name Change Fund: a mutual aid fund that pays for legal name changes for transgender individuals across the country. They belong to multiple local organizations that support the queer community through direct action, civic engagement, protests, and accessible healthcare. They are also a youth mentor for CU One to One Mentoring, an openly and visibly queer staff member at University Laboratory High School, and a coach at CU Women’s Boxing where they have established a queer-friendly, all-gender class.
They are a mom to their own queer child and to all queer kids they know whose parents aren’t ready to love them fully yet.
Community Organizing for Social Change: Insights from Climate Justice Organizing
April 29, 2025
12:00-1:00pm CST
1.0 CE for LCSW/LSW or LCPC/LPC
$10 for CEs, free for no CEs
The planet is on fire, right wing authoritarian governments are on the rise, and marginalized groups are increasingly targeted and scapegoated as the vast majority suffer under rising economic inequality. Amidst the current moment of polycrisis, many are calling for organizing as a necessary political response. But what does organizing actually mean, and how does it differ from other social change strategies? In this interactive presentation, participants will learn about some of the fundamental principles and histories of community organizing as a form of leadership and a craft, and hear from a climate justice organizer and anthropologist on some of the challenges and possibilities for applying these lessons on the ground.
Learning Objectives
- Understand key characteristics of community organizing as a strategy for social change and how it differs from other approaches to social change (e.g. lifestyle changes, policy advocacy, research).
- Explore fundamental principles and histories of community organizing as a leadership practice and craft.
- Examine practical applications of community organizing in efforts to respond to the climate crisis and other related social, economic, and environmental struggles.
Registration Options:
If you do NOT need CEUs for LCSW/LSW or LCPC/LPC, register via the link below:
If you DO need CEUs for LCSW/LSW or LCPC/LPC, register via the link below:
Speaker:
Amanda Harvey-Sánchez
Amanda Harvey-Sánchez (she/her) is a Latina organizer, activist-researcher, and educator. The daughter of a climate scientist and a teacher, Amanda was called into the climate justice movement through working on her campus fossil fuel divestment campaign at the University of Toronto in 2015. Since then, she has had the opportunity to take part in community-based and justice-focused campaigns and projects across Canada, the US, India, and France. She is currently completing her PhD in Anthropology at the University of Toronto, on the social and political life of climate justice organizing in Canada, and works at the Climate Justice Organizing HUB as their Principal Coach and Program Development Specialist.
Information on Previous Sessions
Funding the Critical Work of Community-Based Organizations: Challenges and Opportunities at the Federal, State, and Local Levels
March 12, 2025
12:00-1:00pm CST
1.0 CE for LCSW/LSW or LCPC/LPC
$10 for CEs, free for no CEs
Community-based organizations (CBOs) play a vital role in advancing social justice and addressing community needs, yet navigating the grant funding landscape remains a significant challenge. This panel discussion brings together experts from the nonprofit and academic sectors to explore funding opportunities at the federal, state, and local levels. Panelists will share strategies for securing grants, building partnerships, and aligning funding with organizational missions. The session is designed for CBO leaders, grant writers, and students interested in leadership, social change, and community-based research.
Learning Objectives
- Identify diverse funding sources available to CBOs across federal, state, and local levels, strengthening their capacity to deliver impactful social services.
- Apply effective grant-seeking strategies that align with community priorities and reflect funders’ expectations, advancing the social work profession’s commitment to equity and justice.
- Understand and address common challenges CBOs face as they navigate the funding landscape.
Speakers:
Liliane Cambraia Windsor
Liliane Cambraia Windsor, Ph.D., MSW is Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Social Work at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Windsor is also co-lead of the Substance Use Disorders and Behavioral Health Working Group at the Institute for Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois System. Dr. Windsor’s research focuses on the application of critical consciousness theory to the development of multi-level interventions designed to promote health equity in the fields of substance use disorders treatment, infectious disease, and the criminal legal system in historically divested Black communities. She is the founder and chair of the Critical Consciousness Collaborative (www.the3c.org), a group of researchers, service providers, and consumers who partner with marginalized communities to develop evidence-based health interventions with real world impact. Born and raised in Brazil, Dr. Windsor received her Bachelor of Science degree in Education from FCH-FUMEC, Brazil in 1998. She moved to Texas in 2000 to pursue her Master of Science and doctoral degrees in Social Work from The University of Texas at Austin.
Douglas Smith
Since 1996, Dr. Douglas Smith’s practice and research experience has focused on treating and preventing substance use disorders. He has practice experience with varied substance misusing populations including: adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system, adults addicted to crack cocaine, and addicted mothers involved with child welfare. Dr. Smith is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and has experience implementing numerous empirically-supported treatments, including: Motivational Interviewing, the Community Reinforcement Approach, The Seven Challenges®, and Strengths Oriented Family Therapy (SOFT). His research currently focuses on what treatments work best for adolescents and young adults with substance use disorders. For example, with generous support from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), he is developing a peer-enhanced treatment for use with young adults with alcohol problems. Additionally, he is interesting in studying the effects of Motivational Interviewing among adolescents with alcohol and other substance use disorders. Because of his productivity in these two areas, he was awarded the Deborah K. Padgett Early Career Achievement Award in 2012 from the Society for Social Work and Research.
Joseph Harper
Joseph Harper is currently the Executive Director of Comprehensive Behavioral Health Center of St. Clair County, Inc. which provides mental health and substance abuse services to the community. He previously held positions with the Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health including Executive Director of the Southern Region and Hospital Administrator of Chester Mental Health Center. He has served as the program administrator for mental health services at Menard Correction Center which is the state’s largest maximum-security correctional facility. He has prior practice experience in child welfare, employee assistance programs, and outpatient mental health services. Mr. Harper is currently a faculty member with Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He also serves as an adjunct faculty member in social work at the University of Southern California. He has been a long-term member of the National Association of Social Workers and former First Vice-President of the Illinois Chapter. He also served as the Chair of NASW-IL’s statewide Political Action Committee. He has previously served as the Chair of the Metro East St. Louis District and has represented the Illinois Chapter at the past Delegate Assemblies. Mr. Harper has presented on the topic of services to forensic patients at several conferences including those held by the Illinois Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, the National Commission on Correctional Health Care and the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers. Mr. Harper has also coauthored several publications in the field of forensic social work practice and has served as an expert witness regarding forensic populations. Mr. Harper is currently a member of the clinical examination committee with the Association of Social Work Boards.