The University of Northern Iowa’s TRIO Educational Opportunity Center, College for Social Behavioral Sciences and Center for Urban Education welcomes helping professionals within the community to participate in its 2021 System of Support conference.

The event, taking place Friday, Nov. 12 at Hawkeye Community College’s Van G. Miller Adult Learning Center, aims to provide helping professionals (who include social work, psychology, counseling and public health specialists) with the knowledge and tools to support the populations they serve and will cover topics surrounding health care, education, employment, housing, child welfare and self-care.

This year’s conference will also focus on local efforts in providing and maintaining safe living, learning and working conditions in the Cedar Valley through the uncertain environment of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The opening session of the conference will feature Joshua Pikora, disease surveillance and investigation manager for Black Hawk County's Health Department. Breakout sessions throughout the day will be led by Kyle Clabby-Kan, Waterloo IowaWORKS; Ben Brustkern, Friends of the Family; Rudy Jones, Waterloo Community Development Office; Julie Pitzen, Iowa Department of Human Services Black Hawk County; and Traci Ludwig, MercyOne. The closing session will be by Holmes Junior High Middle School Counselor of the Year, Angela Wittmer.

Register online at csbs.uni.edu/sos-2021. Cost for the conference is $25 per person. The event is approved for 5 social work CEUs. Masks are encouraged.

Contact:

Jenny Becker, LISW, UNI director of field instruction and BA program director, Department of Social Work, (319) 273-7881, jennifer.becker@uni.edu