Welcome Remarks

Bill Berkhout--Clinical Counselor and Native American House Liaison 
Jeffrey Graham--Assistant Director of Outreach and Prevention and Conference Co-Chair
Lowa Mwilambwe--Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs & Director of Auxiliary Services
Carla McCowan--Counseling Center Director
Emily Barnum--Assistant Director of Clinical Services and Conference Co-Chair

Engaging in Anti-Racism Work with University and College Students

William Berkhout, Psy.D. (he/him/his) and Rebecca Schlesinger Ph.D. (she/they)
University of Illinois Counseling Center

Summary: The impacts of longstanding historical systemic white supremacy is embedded in all systems, including universities. In striving to care for college students, we aim to explore how anti-racist work can be defined and utilized to ameliorate the psychological, emotional, and physical consequences of white supremacy for both BIPOC and white students. In an effort to support faculty and staff in university and college settings to work towards community level intervention and liberatory healing, we aim to explore and foster discussions around anti-racist work.  Participants will engage in a dialogue focused presentation, to consider the work that is being done, work that could be done, the barriers/ challenges, and resources/ tools to mobilize into active anti-racist work. We hope to provide an environment of support, foster ongoing development of critical consciousness, and explore how personal and professional identities factor into anti-racist efforts.

Wayfinding and placemaking: The transformative role of the arts in creating livable communities

Rachel Storm, PhD., Arts & Culture Coordinator for the City of Urbana’s Arts & Culture Program and Lisa Fay, MFA, Program Coordinator and Ensemble Director for INNER VOICES Social Issues
Theatre, University of Illinois Counseling Center

Summary: This session is designed to address this unprecedented social moment in which we connect with our communities. Using a round-table format, we will explore a variety of concepts through out discussion. The transformative role of the arts in transcending the constructed borders between campus and community in order to create livable and safe spaces for our students. We will challenge the feasibility for living safely within the constructed borders between campus and community – particularly for students of color and the vital ways that the arts can serve placemaking and wayfinding functions. This round table will begin with a slide show that offers a survey of community-based art works and practices that have recently emerged. Guiding this slideshow will be making explicit the social context in which these art works and practices have emerged, creating new cultural landscapes. We will talk about and draw attention to the ways in which the artist, as cultural worker, is responsive to the social moment, not unlike the social worker. We will briefly offer some deeper insight into best practices of community- based artists and offer insight into the arts as social practice. For example, in a culture imbued with erasure what is the role of the arts as affirmation and celebration? The round table will than shift into a discussion. This discussion begins with simply asking, what can art do? Among other questions we will ask, what roles might artists as cultural workers play in these most trying of times and how might they inform, intersect and re-energize the work of counselors and social workers and vice versa.

Facilitating Conversations around International Student Experiences during COVID-19

Summary: This program aims to highlight unique challenges and struggles commonly experienced by international students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The facilitators of this program will create an interactive space for all attendees to collaboratively discuss, explore, and brainstorm possible solutions to potential problems faced by the target population. In addition, basic resources shall be provided in an attempt to better equip and encourage participants to actively and effectively support international students.

COMING OUT OF COVID – Why we need a return to balance & how to start

Kristen W. Kauke (she/her) NASW, Yoga Alliance

Summary: This workshop will offer an understanding of the central nervous system, impact of living through a pandemic, and strategies to being the CNS back to balance. We will combine the wisdom traditions of psychology, yoga and Ayurveda to offer strategies for healing. Psychology will cover cognitive distortions,defusion, perspective and how to really feel our feelings. Yoga will lend aspects of the 8-fold path (philosophical principles, breath work, movement, meditation) to bring clarity of mind and body. And Ayurveda will highlight the importance of living in rhythm with nature in how we move, eat and sleep. We'll discuss "bookend" practices to being the day with intention and end the day with gratitude.

Closing Session: Self-Care In Uncertain Times: Encouraging Post-Traumatic Growth

Morris A. Mosley, LCSW, Faculty/Staff Assistance Services, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign