CEU | School of Social Work

Learning Our History Webinar Series

Learning Our History is an initiative of the University of Illinois School of Social Work’s Engagement Office that brings university and community members together to learn about the histories of the places where we live, teach, work, and build partnerships.

Understanding local history is essential to meaningful community engagement. Our relationships with communities do not begin with our current projects or partnerships. Instead, they are shaped by histories of belonging and exclusion, inequity and resilience, and trust and mistrust. Through conversations with community members, historians, educators, and national partners, Learning Our History creates opportunities to better understand these histories, reflect on how they continue to shape our communities, and consider what they mean for building more responsive, equitable, and respectful relationships today as we continue our University’s engagement with communities.

The Reconstruction Era and the Fragility of Democracy

November 18, 2026
12:00-1:00pm CST
1.0 CE for LCSW/LSW And LCPC/LPC
$10 for CEs, FREE for no CEs

What was the Reconstruction Era, and why does its history matter for us in Illinois today? Following the Civil War, Reconstruction (1865–1877) confronted fundamental questions about freedom, Black citizenship, racial equality, and belonging. Although centered in the former Confederate South, these struggles were national and shaped Illinois, with its own history of racial exclusion and its later role as a destination for Black migration. Drawing from Facing History & Ourselves’ The Reconstruction Era and the Fragility of Democracy, this session explores teaching this history is essential to helping students understand citizenship and democracy in the United States today.

Learning Objectives:

Provide an overview of key events and issues of the Reconstruction Era (1865–1877), including struggles over freedom, racial equality, citizenship, and belonging, and their relevance to Illinois and local communities.
Awareness of how policies, institutions, and decisions related to the Reconstruction Era have shaped contemporary issues of equity, access, opportunity, and community relationships.
Reflect on how lessons from Reconstruction can inform the work of community organizations, educators, and university partners in strengthening partnerships, expanding opportunities, and fostering more inclusive and connected communities.

Jeremy Nesoff is Managing Director of Growth and Engagement at Facing History & Ourselves, a national organization that uses lessons from history to help K-12 students and educators examine racism, antisemitism, prejudice, and the choices individuals and communities make in shaping society. Through its professional learning and educational resources, Facing History supports educators in teaching difficult histories while fostering reflection, civic engagement, and more inclusive learning environments.

Creating Community: A History of African Americans in Champaign County

December 2026–January 2027 | FOUR-PART SERIES
December 4, 2026; December 16, 2026; January 14, 2027; January 29, 2027
12:00-1:00pm CST
1.0 CEs per session for LCSW/LSW and LCPC/LPC
$10 per session for CEUs, FREE for no CEUs

Spanning more than 170 years, this four-part series explores the rich history of African American life in Champaign County. Beginning with some of the county’s earliest Black residents and continuing through generations of families who made Champaign County home, the series examines how African Americans built families, neighborhoods, churches, businesses, organizations, and other institutions while navigating racial prejudice, segregation, and unequal access to opportunities.

Drawing on local stories, historical records, and places throughout Champaign County, Dr. Barbara Suggs-Mason and Angela M. Rivers will illuminate both the challenges Black residents encountered and the many ways they created community, advocated for change, and contributed to the development of Champaign County. Across four sessions, participants will consider how this history continues to shape the places, institutions, and community relationships around us—and why understanding the experiences and contributions of African Americans is essential to understanding Champaign County today.

Learning Objectives:

Gain knowledge of the history and experiences of African Americans in Champaign County and their contributions to the development of local communities and institutions.
Awareness of how racial prejudice, segregation, unequal opportunities, and community resilience have shaped African American life in Champaign County across generations.
Reflect on how understanding local African American history can deepen our understanding of contemporary communities, relationships, and opportunities for more equitable and meaningful community engagement.

Barbara Suggs-Mason, Ed.D. & Angela M. Rivers are educators, historians, and former co-chairs of the Champaign County African American Heritage Trail. Both grew up in Champaign and descend from families who settled in the county following the Civil War. Drawing on their professional expertise, family histories, and deep connections to the community, they have worked extensively to document, preserve, and share the stories and contributions of African Americans in Champaign County.

Race, Belonging, and Exclusion in Central Illinois

TBD
12:00-1:00pm CST
1.0 CEs for LCSW/LSW and LCPC/LPC

Explore the complex history of race, belonging, and exclusion in Central Illinois. Drawing on local stories and historical records, this session examines racism, segregation, anti-immigrant and religious prejudice, and organized movements such as the Ku Klux Klan. It also considers how communities challenged exclusion and created spaces of belonging—and what this history means for understanding community, power, relationships, and racial healing today.

Learning Objectives:

Describe key historical examples of racism, segregation, anti-immigrant and religious prejudice, and organized exclusion in Central Illinois.
Examine how historical patterns of power, exclusion, and belonging have shaped relationships and communities in Central Illinois.
Apply insights from local history to social work practice by identifying opportunities to support community belonging, address inequity, and contribute to racial healing.

Mark W. Sorensen is the Official Macon County Historian and a longtime scholar of Illinois state and local history. A former educator and administrator with the Illinois State Archives, he has written extensively on Central Illinois history, including the modern Ku Klux Klan and racist terror lynchings in Illinois. He is a former president and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient of the Illinois State Historical Society.

Miners, Memory, and Community in Central Illinois

February 11, 2027
12:00-1:00pm CST
1.0 CEs for LCSW/LSW and LCPC/LPC

What can local history mean for the future of rural communities? Drawing on the Mythic Mississippi Project, a collaboration between the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Illinois Springfield, this session explores how universities can work alongside rural communities to preserve and transform local histories into heritage resources that support social and economic development. The Central Illinois “Coal Triangle” offers a case study of the opportunities, challenges, and lessons of community-engaged heritage work.

Learning Objectives:

Gain knowledge of the history and cultural heritage of Central Illinois’ coal-mining communities and how these histories shape local identity and community development.
Reflect on the role of local history, collective memory, and cultural heritage in strengthening rural communities and supporting social and economic development.
Identify opportunities and challenges in university-community partnerships, drawing on lessons from the Mythic Mississippi Project and its work with Central Illinois coal-mining communities.

Helaine Silverman is Research Professor Emerita of Anthropology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and co-director of the Mythic Mississippi Project. Her research focuses on cultural heritage, memory, and community development, with recent work exploring the history and contemporary identity of Illinois coal-mining communities. Through the Mythic Mississippi Project, she works with communities across downstate Illinois to preserve and use local history as a resource for community development.

Intertwined Legacies: My Settler Forebears and Our Potawatomi Trail of Death

March 2027
12:00-1:00pm CST
1.0 CE for LCSW/LSW And LCPC/LPC
$10 for CEs, FREE for no CEs

The Potawatomi Trail of Death offers a powerful lens for understanding the intertwined histories of Indigenous displacement, settler expansion, and the development of communities in east-central Illinois. Drawing on local history, her own family’s settler ancestry, and her involvement with the Potawatomi Untold Story project, Janet Elaine Guthrie examines how personal and family histories connect to broader experiences of forced removal, dispossession, and the lasting impact of these events on Indigenous peoples and local communities. By bringing together historical accounts, personal reflection, and community engagement, this session invites participants to consider how these histories are remembered, whose stories have been overlooked, and what it means to acknowledge and take responsibility for the past. The session also encourages reflection on reconciliation, repair, and how a deeper understanding of local history can inform more respectful and meaningful relationships with Indigenous peoples today.

Learning Objectives:

Gain knowledge of the Potawatomi Trail of Death and the intertwined histories of Indigenous displacement and settler communities in east-central Illinois.
Reflect on how personal and family histories intersect with broader histories of Indigenous displacement, historical responsibility, and opportunities for reconciliation and repair.
Identify opportunities for acknowledging Indigenous histories, fostering meaningful relationships with Indigenous peoples, and advancing reconciliation and repair in our communities.

Janet Elaine Guthrie is a retired pastor, professor, and spiritual director with deep roots in east-central Illinois. She served as lead pastor of First Mennonite Church of Champaign-Urbana and is involved in local racial justice and Indigenous justice efforts. As a volunteer with the Potawatomi Untold Story project, her work explores the connections between her own settler family history, the Potawatomi Trail of Death, and questions of historical responsibility, repair, and reconciliation.

Skills Lab: Practica, Conecta y Crece – Taller de destrezas en español para estudiantes y profesionales del trabajo social

CEU Information

November 14, 2026
10:00am -2:00pm CST
4.0 CEUs for LCSW/LSW and LCPC/LPC
$25 for CEUs / FREE for no CEUs
In person event at the School of Social Work (1010 W Nevada St, Urbana), Room 2027

The skills lab will offer participants interactive case studies, role-play activities, and instructional presentations that focus on the culture and background of Latine communities. It is designed to help participants develop and apply the interpersonal skills necessary for building effective helping relationships, while also practicing assessment, engagement, and evaluation skills in Spanish. Participants will have the opportunity to debrief their experiences and discuss practical strategies for adapting social work skills within a Spanish-speaking context. There will be a 30-45 minute break for lunch (on your own). Light refreshments will also be provided.

This lab is aimed at bilingual undergraduate and graduate social work students in practicum and beginning or entry-level social workers. Please note that advanced Spanish language proficiency is required, as all instructional materials will be provided in Spanish.

Learning Objectives:

Discuss key historical, social, and cultural factors that have shaped the experiences of major Latine communities and consider how these factors may influence client needs and engagement.
Demonstrate beginning-to-intermediate interviewing and assessment skills in Spanish by using culturally responsive communication techniques during a simulated client interaction.
Locate, evaluate, and adapt Spanish-language resources and materials to better meet the cultural, linguistic, and practical needs of Spanish-speaking clients.

Workshop Presenters

Headshots of Andrea Harris and Valerie Cintron

Andrea Harris, is an Instructor of MSW Field Education at the University of Illinois School of Social Work, where she supports students in developing meaningful field education experiences and preparing for professional social work practice. Prior to joining the MSW Field Education team, Andrea served as Program Coordinator for the Behavioral Health Workforce Education, Learning, and Leadership (BHWELL) Program, a federally funded initiative that prepared MSW students at the School of Social Work to provide integrated behavioral health services in rural and medically underserved communities across Illinois.

Andrea’s professional experience spans higher education, behavioral health workforce development, community mental health, crisis intervention, and maternal and child health. She has worked with children, families, and Spanish-speaking communities in a variety of clinical and community-based settings and continues to provide psychotherapy in private practice. A bilingual social worker, Andrea is passionate about mentoring future social workers, strengthening university-community partnerships, and advancing culturally responsive, trauma-informed practice.

Valerie Cintrón is a Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Illinois School of Social Work. She received her MSW from the University of Illinois in 2010. After graduation, Valerie provided bilingual counseling services in a local health clinic serving low-income and underinsured families. Her background includes providing support to individuals, couples, families, and groups using evidence based practice interventions that are adapted for cultural relevancy and to fulfill specific demographic needs. Valerie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She also has a master’s degree in Community Social Psychology from the University of Massachusetts and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Puerto Rico.

Concepts, Skills, and Strategies for Confronting and Challenging Ableism in the Social Work Profession and Beyond

A closeup of someone's hand on the wheel of their wheelchair

CEU Information

October 5, 2026
12:00-3:00pm
3.0 CEUs for LCSW/LSW and LCPC/LPC
$30 for CEUs, $10 for no CEUs

While the field of social work has always been rooted in human rights, it has historically lacked a comprehensive recognition of disability as a complex identity influenced by overlapping social, political, and oppressive forces.

This continuing education course will provide a conceptual overview of ableism through an intersectional lens, exploring how it manifests on an individual and a systemic level. Participants will learn to identify the different types of ableism and their impact on the development of U.S. social policy and daily lives of the estimated 1 in 4 Americans with disabilities.

More notably, this presentation will equip participants with practical tips for responding to ableist microaggressions as well as strategies to advance the principles of disability justice in various areas of social work practice including curriculum and program design, policy development, and legislative advocacy. Several interactive activities will provide participants an opportunity to apply what they have learned in smaller and larger group settings.

With new skills to understand the disability experience beyond paternalism and stereotypes, participants will be empowered to imagine and build an actively anti-ableist future for social work clients, colleagues, and society at large.

Learning Objectives:

Define and understand ableism through an intersectional lens
Identify examples of ableist microaggressions and understand how they impact people with disabilities
Apply strategies to interrupt and challenge microaggressions in real-life scenarios
Recognize the ways in which ableism affects social policy in the United States, including the foundations of healthcare and benefits programs
Explain major laws protecting disability rights and recent legislative efforts to build upon existing protections
Develop strategies to address ableism and increase accessibility both in the delivery of social work services and in everyday life
Explain the importance of cross-disability solidarity in creating inclusive spaces for people with both apparent and non-apparent

Registration Options:

If you do NOT need CEUs for LCSW/LSW or LCPC/LPC, register via the link below:

NON-CEU REGISTRATION

If you DO need CEUs for LCSW/LSW or LCPC/LPC, register via the link below:

CEU REGISTRATION

Workshop Presenters

Headshots of Kathleen Downes and Molly McLay

Kathleen Downes, LMSW, BCPA holds a master’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2018) with a concentration in leadership and social change. Born with cerebral palsy and a rare spinal disorder called Tarlov cyst disease, she is a passionate advocate for the disabled community, especially those navigating Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and home care. While unable to work in a formal capacity due to her disability and fluctuating health, she remains involved with many causes, including Medicaid Matters New York, where she serves as a volunteer Steering Committee member and consumer representative. She has been a board-certified patient advocate since 2021. She volunteers as her health allows to create parent education materials for families of disabled youth at a non-profit dance program called Dancing Dreams. She serves on the St. Mary’s Patient and Family Advisory Council, representing families of medically complex children and adults with disabilities receiving in-home care. Kathleen is an avid reader, writer, and thinker who resides on Long Island with the help of her parents, her caregivers, and her bossy lap dog Dolly.

Molly M. McLay, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist who has worked as a mental health educator, researcher, and advocate from her current home base of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, for the last 15+ years. Her areas of practice expertise include gender-based violence, LGBTQIA support, anxiety, neurodivergence, chronic illness, and reproductive health including infertility and pregnancy loss. In early 2024, she opened Molly McLay Counseling & Consultation Services, PLLC, an organization that provides psychotherapy, clinical supervision, and medical advocacy virtually to individuals across the state. She has spent time working toward a PhD in social work at Washington University in St. Louis, and she has previously worked at a group therapy practice, the University of Illinois Women’s Resources Center, and a federally qualified health center with at-risk pregnant and parenting individuals. She has also been a member of the Champaign County Mental Health Board for the past 4 years and an officer for the board for the past 3 years. She loves singing karaoke, writing poems, listening to most genres of music but especially jazz and musical theater, hanging out with her husband and her senior hound mix Alvin, and talking about whatever is important to you.

Sounding Home: a conversation with Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist, composer, playwright, and scholar, Somi

Event Information

Sounding Home: a conversation with Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist, composer, playwright, and scholar, Somi
Moderated by Dr. Dora N. Watkins, Teaching Assistant Professor and BSW Program Director; School of Social Work
September 16, 2026
2:00-3:00 pm
Spurlock Museum, Knight Auditorium, 600 S Gregory St, Urbana | 1.0 CEU’s and PDH available

Somi’s Performance
September 17, 2026
7:30-9:00pm
Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Colwell Playhouse | 1.5 CEU’s and PDH available

Sounding Home holds two ideas simultaneously: home as something we inhabit and home as something we create, express, remember, and carry. What happens when sound becomes one of the ways we locate ourselves; in relationship to place, culture, history, other people, and our own becoming?

This dialogue will move through interconnected questions of making and carrying home; music as memory and cultural expression; migration, identity, and place-making; and the relationships and conditions that allow people and communities to flourish. Somi’s existing body of work provides a foundation for these questions, while her current project, What Does It Take to Bloom?, offers an opportunity to consider where those inquiries are taking her now.

Somi’s visit is partially funded by Leveraging the Arts for Global Dialogue: Exploring Racial and Social Transnational Justice through Creative Expression, an interdisciplinary grant initiative from the Illinois Global Institute (IGI) and led by the University of Illinois School of Social Work and Krannert Center for the Performing Art in partnership with the Center for the Study of Global Gender Equity (CSGGE) and the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Asian American Cultural Center, Center for Global Studies, McKinley Foundation, and the Council on Teacher Education.

Somi’s performance at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is on Thursday, September 17, 2026 at 7:30pm. If you would like to attend Somi’s performance, we will have 15 complimentary tickets for SSW students and alum. Please register below if you are interested in these events and/or a complimentary ticket.

Somi Kakoma (“Somi”)
Vocalist, composer, actor, and playwright Somi Kakoma is the Midwestern daughter of immigrants from Uganda and Rwanda. Hailed by The New York Times as “a virtuosic performer in full command of her instrument and powers,” she is known in the international jazz world simply as ‘Somi’. Her 2021 Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album made her the first African woman ever nominated in any of the Grammy jazz categories, as well as the first Rwandan or Ugandan ever nominated for a Grammy. Her last release, Zenzile: The Reimagination of Miriam Makeba, was a companion project to the critically acclaimed original musical “Dreaming Zenzile” that Somi also wrote and starred in Off-Broadway as a tribute to the great South African singer and activist. Her new album, What Does It Take to Bloom?, was released in August 2026.

Dr. Dora N. Watkins, PhD, MSW
Dr. Watkins is a Teaching Assistant Professor and BSW Program Director in the School of Social Work. As Krannert Center’s former Director of Campus Engagement, she also continues to consult with the Center’s engagement team on their relational engagement practice. Her scholarship and practice sit at the intersections of critical arts-informed inquiry, storytelling, embodiment, healing justice, and relational and community-engaged methodologies.

Building CQI Resilience in your Organization, Team, and Yourself

CEU Information

September 25, 2026
11:00am-12:30pm CST
1.5 CEs for LCSW/LSW and LCPC/LPC
$10 for CEs, free for no CEs

CQI is often a “watchdog” function in organizations, reactive to regulation, infrequently viewed as integral to strategy. Consequently, external threats to services can be doubly concerning for non-direct service functions like CQI, putting CQI staff in survival mode, sometimes just able to do the minimum. Our function is and can be so much more.

The enduring contribution of CQI can be demonstrated by strategically (and consistently) aligning its support function to the position of an organization along a continuum of measurement and data use practices. This alignment can advance strategic and CQI objectives while establishing CQI’s seat at the table. Acting upon “positional awareness” can benefit organizations, programs, as well as individual CQI professionals wanting to cultivate skillsets to grow within their current organization, or to prepare themselves for their next career stage somewhere else. This session will introduce the logic of the measurement and data use continuum, how it has related to the Quality & Evaluation department’s strategic approach at Nexus Family Healing, and how the continuum has broad applicability at multiple levels. Cornerstones of Care will share how it can apply the continuum to its CQI structure and planned evolution. This session is intended to be a discussion of this concept and the presenters welcomes audience reflections and insights.

This workshop is hosted by the CQI Community Group. The mission of the CQI Community is to promote and enhance the value of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) through a community of human services professionals providing opportunities for professional development, peer support, and collaboration. The CQI Community Group connects professionals across the nation who are interested in sharing resources, engaging in professional development, and networking with peers in the areas of CQI.

Learning Objectives:

Ways to nudge both infrastructure (macro) and projects (micro) along a growth continuum to demonstrate CQI value.
CQI department structures that promote growth and benevolent reliance on CQI.
Insights on how individuals performing CQI work can position themselves for career growth by developing skills that align with organizational growth needs.
Understand the facilitative role that CQI can play in nudging organizational growth.

Registration Options:

If you do NOT need CEUs for LCSW/LSW or LCPC/LPC, register via the link below:

NON-CEU REGISTRATION

If you DO need CEUs for LCSW/LSW or LCPC/LPC, register via the link below:

CEU REGISTRATION

Workshop Presenters

Headshots of Anita Larson and Paige Webb

Anita Larson has worked in quality improvement and evaluation for over 30 years, including her current position as Vice President of Quality & Evaluation at Nexus Family Healing where CQI was recently intentionally restructured to be a more effective and resilient function for the organization.

Paige Webb is Senior Director of Performance Excellence at Cornerstones of Care, where she leads quality assurance, performance improvement, and data systems. She is focused on building practical PQI structures that connect measurement, organizational learning, and continuous improvement to strengthen services and advance meaningful outcomes.

School of Social Work Engagement Office Welcome Event

An image of several colorful art pieces, created by Adam Johnson along with the words "You Belong Here!"

Event Information

Friday, August 21, 2026
2:00 – 3:00pm
School of Social Work, room 2015 (1010 W Nevada St, Urbana)
Virtual attendance option also available
Free event and giveaways!

Come and meet members of the School of Social Work Engagement Office and the University of Illinois Campus-Community Compact as they introduce their programs and initiatives for the 2026-27 academic year. This event provides an opportunity to learn about upcoming engagement opportunities, signature events, and ways to get involved throughout the year. Participants are welcome to attend either in person or virtually.

Following brief remarks from the School of Social Work Engagement Office and the Campus-Community Compact, we will virtually welcome special guest Adam Johnson of mrjohnsonpaints. A middle school math teacher by profession, Adam uses art to inspire solidarity and social change. Through his portraits of civil rights leaders, influential athletes, and individuals whose stories have shaped movements for justice, Adam’s artwork invites reflection, sparks meaningful dialogue, and fosters a deeper sense of community and shared humanity.

Hosted by Associate Dean Dr. Kevin Tan, this conversation will explore Adam’s journey as an “artivist”—someone who combines artistic expression with activism. Adam will share the inspiration behind his work, discuss how creativity can serve as a catalyst for social change, and reflect on why he freely shares much of his artwork to promote learning, healing, and collective action.

At the conclusion of the program (approximately 3:00 p.m.), all in-person attendees will have the opportunity to pick up free prints of Adam Johnson’s artwork while supplies last. In addition, a limited number of signed prints from Adam Johnson will be raffled among both in-person and virtual participants, with prints mailed to winners attending remotely (you must be in attendance to receive a mailed print).

About the Artist

Photo of professor Kevin Tan, along with artist Adam Johnson, holding up one of his art pieces (Muhammad Ali).

Adam Johnson (on Instagram as @MrJohnsonPaints) is a Minneapolis-based artist, educator, and youth mentor who is inspired by representation, trust, and justice. He strives to amplify the stories of the people he paints. Most of his art has been donated to educators and social justice activists.

Engaging People with Lived Experience to Strengthen QI

CEU Information

July 24, 2026
11:00am-12:15pm CST
1.25 CEs for LCSW/LSW and LCPC/LPC
$10 for CEs, free for no CEs

This workshop will focus on how to engage people with lived experience (PWLE) such as patients and caregivers in quality improvement (QI) processes. It will include opportunities for engaging PWLE in each phase of Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles. This includes:

Clarifying goals and key questions during the Plan stage of a QI project
Identifying relevant and feasible data sources during the Do stage, including designing collection of any patient data in collaboration with PWLE partners
Making sense of learning together with PWLE partners during the Study stage, including exploring additional interpretations of data and asking what may be missing
Deciding together how to take action during the Act stage, including monitoring for intended and unintended impacts of any implemented changes
The workshop will highlight ways that patient and caregiver insights can guide QI work, and will share suggested discussion questions and prompts for engaging PWLE in QI processes. This will include conversation starters for inviting PWLE into QI efforts, and tips for building authentic partnerships.

Learning Objectives:

Identify opportunities to engage people with lived experience in each of the Plan-Do-Study-Act stages of quality improvement work.
Understand best practices for building partnerships with people with lived experience as part of quality improvement work.
Learn how to engage people with lived experience through discussion questions, prompts, and conversation starters.

Registration Options:

If you do NOT need CEUs for LCSW/LSW or LCPC/LPC, register via the link below:

NON-CEU REGISTRATION

If you DO need CEUs for LCSW/LSW or LCPC/LPC, register via the link below:

CEU REGISTRATION

Workshop Presenter

Ellen Schultz is a health policy consultant specializing in partnering with patients and communities to center measurement, research, and evaluation on what matters most to their health and wellbeing. She helps clients understand what works, measure success, and communicate effectively through inclusive learning activities that foster collaboration and build trust.

Cross-Cultural Dialogue: Strategies for Navigating Communities as a Guest

CEU Information

May 22, 2026
10:30am-12:00pm CST
1.5 CEs for LCSW/LSW and LCPC/LPC
$20 for CEs, $10 for no CEs

This webinar invites participants to deepen their understanding of how cultural narratives and personal and collective histories shape the ways we see ourselves and others. Together, we will explore how these forces can reinforce “us-versus-them” dynamics and contribute to inequality within institutions and communities. Participants will also be encouraged to reflect critically on their own social location, including experiences of othering and areas of privilege, as a way to build greater self-awareness. Through this process, this session aims to support the development of more thoughtful, responsible, and justice-oriented approaches to engaging with clients across diverse cultural contexts. This webinar will be presented in an interview-style format and will cover the cultural competency requirement for LCSW/LSW and LCPC/LPC licenses in the state of Illinois.

Learning Objectives:

To learn to understand clients within the context of cultural narratives and personal and group histories, and to recognize how these histories and narratives produce and sustain us-versus-them dynamics and inequality in institutional and community contexts
To critically examine your own social location, experiences of othering, and areas of privilege to strengthen self-awareness and cultivate justice-oriented practices.
To learn how to use your knowledge of identity, privilege, and social context to engage clients thoughtfully and responsibly across cultural differences.

Registration Options:

If you do NOT need CEUs for LCSW/LSW or LCPC/LPC, register via the link below:

NON-CEU REGISTRATION

If you DO need CEUs for LCSW/LSW or LCPC/LPC, register via the link below:

CEU REGISTRATION

Workshop Presenters

Dr. Antonio Pizarro holds a Master’s degree in Christian Ministry and Restorative Arts and a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching, where his research focused on prophetic preaching for social justice within predominantly white churches. Dr. Pizarro is an itinerant prophetic preacher.

He is the founder and owner of Kintsugi LLC. Through Kintsugi LLC, he creates teaching and learning spaces that encourage individuals to embrace their full selves and recognize their brokenness as a valuable asset. A proud Baltimore, Maryland native, Dr. Pizarro embodies the transformative journey of turning brokenness into beauty.

Dr. Pizarro serves as the Program Manager for Illinois Humanities’ Envisioning Justice statewide initiative, adjunct professor with Lewis University’s Higher Education in Prison bachelor’s degree program, and the co author of Inside-Out: Journeys of Transformation

Katie Shumway works in community engagement at the University of Illinois School of Social Work and has been with the Community Learning Lab (CLL) since 2014. In her role, she is interested in building reciprocal, meaningful partnerships between local community organizations and university resources. Her work centers on service-learning project matching, while also supporting other collaborative, community-engaged initiatives.

From Surviving to Thriving: Cultivating Sustainable Self-Care

Woman meditating on the end of a dock with a view of a lake and mountains.

CEU Information

April 2, 2026
12:00-1:30pm
1.5 CEUs for LCSW/LSW and LCPC/LPC
$10 for CEUs, FREE for no CEUs

In collaboration with the Housing Authority of Champaign County and the Rock Counseling Group, join us for a session meant to empower individuals to combat burnout by shifting from momentary stress relief to building long-term, sustainable self-care habits. Participants will identify personal barriers, explore evidence-based resilience strategies, and develop tailored, practical routines to improve mental health and work-life balance. This event is free for those not seeking CEUs, but we ask that you still register via the links below.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will be able to recognize signs of compassion fatigue, differentiate between empathy and compassion, and apply self-compassion tools on the job.
Participants will be able to identify at least three personalized, accessible, and low-cost self-care activities (e.g., mindfulness, boundaries, physical activity) that can be realistically integrated into their daily routines.
Participants will be able to develop a written, actionable self-care plan that includes strategies for setting boundaries, reducing burnout, and seeking support, ensuring their wellbeing is maintained proactively rather than reactively.

Registration Options:

If you do NOT need CEUs for LCSW/LSW or LCPC/LPC, register via the link below:

NON-CEU REGISTRATION

If you DO need CEUs for LCSW/LSW or LCPC/LPC, register via the link below:

CEU REGISTRATION

Workshop Presenter

Lauren Duggins, MSW, LCSW is a dedicated clinician in private practice providing evidence-based therapy to children, adolescents, and adults. A graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s MSW program, she specializes in anxiety, depression, trauma-informed care, and life transitions. Lauren utilizes a compassionate, person-centered approach (such as CBT, DBT, and play therapy) to help clients navigate life challenges and foster resilience in a safe, supportive environment.

Civil Discourse: How Deep Listening Eases Conflict

Image of vibrant colored speech bubbles overlapping one another, appear to have been done in water color paints

How Deep Listening Eases Conflict

June 3, 2026
12:00-2:00pm CST
2.0 CEs for LCSW/LSW and LCPC/LPC
$40 for CEs, $20 for no CEs

Civil discourse asks us to listen not to what people say about us, but for the needs they’re trying to meet. Why do we get tangled up in their words? How do our own unmet needs interfere with our ability to hear others? Through deep listening, we can cease to react and instead offer presence which leads shared power for all. Using Nonviolent Communication as a foundational framework, this workshop uses role plays to help participants improve how they communicate for increased human connection and agency.

Learning Objectives:

Recognize why they may get tangled up in the hostile words of others.
Identify how unmet needs impede deep listening.
Speak with agency during conflict.
Listen with empathy and equanimity to others during conflict.

REGISTRATION:

If you do NOT need CEUs and are planning to attend virtually, register via the link below:

NON-CEU REGISTRATION

If you DO need CEUs and are planning to attend virtually, register via the link below:

CEU REGISTRATION

Presenter:

Dr. Phillip M. Wilder is an associate professor of literacy at Clemson University where his research explores the intersection of language, identity and nonviolence. His current research investigates how youth in Tanzania, the Philippines and the United States practice nonviolent communication. Dr. Wilder views research as a tool for building consensus across stakeholders and engendering more humanizing policies and practices in communities.

With over two decades guiding and evaluating global community partnerships, Dr. Wilder is the Senior Advisor to Mwangaza Education for Partnership in Tanzania whose current Safe School Initiative works alongside educators, parents and community members to support the emotional and physical safety of over 12,000 Tanzanian youth. Dr. Wilder also serves as an advisor and moderator for the award-winning fellowship, the Student DREAMers Alliance, a youth leadership accelerator modeled after the Aspen Institute approach to values-based leadership development, which in 2018 was one of only six global programs recognized with the prestigious McNulty Catalyst Award. Dr. Wilder consults with a wide array of organizations and leads conscious communication efforts in communities because he believes in the power of human connection to transform our world.