Social Workers: A Force for Collective Transformation
In a time when communities face unprecedented social, economic, and political challenges, this dynamic workshop explores how social workers can amplify on an individual and community level.
Moving beyond conventional social work approaches, participants will discover innovative frameworks for integrating individual care with broader community advocacy and social justice initiatives. Through interactive sessions and real-world examples, social workers will explore practical strategies for building resilient community networks, addressing systemic inequities, and fostering sustainable change.
Learning Objectives
- Explore Personal Social Location and the Transformative Calling of Social Work: Social workers will engage in deep personal reflection on their own social identities, lived experiences, and the profound personal motivations that drew them to this healing profession.
- Deconstruct Systemic Barriers to Mental Health Access: Social workers will critically examine how social inequities create obstacles to mental health support.
- Develop Holistic Community-Centered Healing Approaches: Social workers will build collaborative support systems for communities that integrate community wisdom, cultural strengths, and collective resilience.
- Cultivate Adaptive Professional Practices for Navigating Uncertainty: Social workers will learn to sustainably support their clients and themselves through complex, rapidly changing social landscapes by addressing compassion fatigue, developing flexible intervention strategies, and building personal and professional resilience.
This workshop satisfies the State of Illinois cultural competence requirement for social workers.
Camesha L. Jones, LCSW is a Community Mental Wellness Changemaker who serves at the intersection of culture, community, and social justice. She is the Executive Director of Sista Afya Community Mental Wellness, a social enterprise that provides mental wellness care that centers the experiences of Black women in Chicago. Since Sista Afya's founding in 2017, they've served over 1000 Black women through their innovative, community-driven programs. In 2020, she launched Sista Afya Community Care NFP, a nonprofit that provides free mental wellness care and education to women experiencing multiple barriers to care.
Virtual
If you have any questions about access or to request a reasonable accommodation that will facilitate your full participation in this event such as ASL interpreting, captioned videos, Braille or electronic text, food options for individuals with dietary restrictions, etc. please contact the event organizer.