The Social Justice Legacy of Oscar Romero: Solidarity Work
Total Credits: 1 including 1 Category I CEs
- Bundle(s):
- Oscar Romero
- Instructors:
- Patrice Forrester, PhD, LCSW-C | Leigh Beck, DSW, LICSW
- Duration:
- 1 Hour
- Location:
- SSW Auditorium - Baltimore, Maryland
Description
This training will provide information on how to approach service work with diverse and underserved populations, that is culturally sensitive and promotes justice. Participants will learn ways to engage in culturally sensitive service work through exploring the social justice work of Oscar Romero, a Catholic saint who was an archbishop in El Salvador around the time of the Salvadoran civil war. Participants will identify concepts of liberation theology and solidarity in the life of Oscar Romero and apply these concepts to service interventions.
Instructor
Patrice Forrester, PhD, LCSW-C Related Seminars and Products
Patrice Forrester is a licensed clinical social worker and is a graduate of the PhD SSW program at University of Maryland Baltimore. Patrice has experience providing mental health services to children, teenagers, and adults affected by trauma and chronic mental illness. She is a volunteer with the grassroots organization US-El Salvador Sister Cities that promotes social justice in Latin America and the US. She also provides mental health therapy and wellness groups in private practice in MD and DC.
Leigh Beck, DSW, LICSW Related Seminars and Products
Leigh Beck is a licensed clinical social worker and is a graduate of the DSW program at Tulane University. She is an expert in substance use and currently owns a counseling and consulting practice in Baltimore County. Leigh has been a member of the U.-El Salvador Sister Cities organization her entire life, beginning when her father participated in a delegation when Leigh was one year old. Her first delegation was when she was fifteen years old, and more than two decades later she is still a member.
Dates
The Social Justice Legacy of Oscar Romero: Applications in Social Work Practice
Mon, Oct 20, 2025 - 9:00 AM to 12:15 PM EDT Baltimore, Maryland |
Agenda & Learning Objectives
AGENDA:
0:50 - 11:00 am Registration
11:00 – 11:30 am
-
Overview of Oscar Romero
-
Define liberation theology, solidarity, cultural humility through the work of Oscar Romero
11:31-11:51 am
-
Identify culturally humble ways to engage with underserved populations, including Salvadorans, based in the work of Oscar Romero
11:52 – 12:00 pm
Questions & Adjournment
Learning Objective
-
Explore the historical legacy of Oscar Romero and his work in liberation theology and solidarity
-
Apply concepts of liberation theology and solidarity to service work with Salvadorans and other underserved populations
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Upon the completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:
Bibliography & References
BIBLIOGRAPHY & REFERENCES
Chong, V. (2024). Oscar Romero: A Theology of Symbol. Theologica Xaveriana, 74, 1-28, https://doi.org/10.11144/javeriana.tx74.orts
Hill, D., Bell, M., & Laredo, E. (2024). Solidarity is not a dirty word: exploring and locating solidarity as a theory and model for a radical community social work practice. Critical and Radical Social Work, 12(4), 442-455, https://doi.org/10.1332/20498608Y2024D000000022
Levine, E. (2024). Toward a Critical Social Work Ethics of Immigration, Migration, and Human Rights. International Journal of Social Work Values & Ethics, 21(1), https://doi.org/10.55521/10-021-109
Lusk, M., & Corbett, D. (2021). Liberation theology and international social work. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 40(1), 92-107, https://doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2020.1848750
Gottlieb, M. (2021). The case for a cultural humility framework in social work practice. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 30(6), 463-481.
Deal, H. E. (2024). Have you Developed your Theology of Social Justice? Theological Foundations to Sustain Your Social Justice Work. Social Work & Christianity, 51(4).
file:///C:/Users/pforr/Downloads/EBSCO-FullText-05_16_2025.pdf
Schmitt, C. (2022). Solidarity: A Key Concept for Social Work. Österreichisches Jahrbuch für Soziale Arbeit/Annual review of social work and social pedagogy in Austria, 4, 45-63, https://doi.org/10.30424/OEJS2204045
Course Completion & CE Information
Category I Maryland BSWE Requirement
The Office of Continuing Professional Education at the University of Maryland School of Social Work is authorized by the Board of Social Work Examiners in Maryland to sponsor social work continuing education programs. This workshop qualifies for quantity Category I Continuing Education Units for ethics/supervision/anti-oppressive social work practices. The Office of Continuing Professional Education is also authorized by the Maryland Board of Psychologists and the Maryland Board of Professional Counselors to sponsor Category A continuing professional education.
ASWB Information
University of Maryland School of Social Work Office of Continuing Professional Education, #1611, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 2/11/2024-2/11/2027.
To receive ACE credit, full attendance is required; no partial credits will be given for partial attendance.
Certificate Access
To access the evaluation and certificate, click on the orange certificate button in your CPE account. Once you complete the evaluation, access to the certificate will be available.
Live Interactive Webinars (Cat I) and Live Webinars (Cat II) - Allow up to 30 minutes post-training for attendance to be verified, then you will be able to access the evaluation and certificate.
In Person Trainings - Please allow five (5) business days post-training for attendance to be verified, then you will be able to access the evaluation and certificate.
Please refer to the tab "Live Interactive Webinar Policies & FAQs" for UMSSW Office of CPE policies regarding all live interactive webinar related matters. Contact our office at cpe@ssw.umaryland.edu for more information.
Evaluation
Participants will have access to the evaluation after attendance has been verified. Evaluations will be available for one (1) week after the workshop has ended.
After one (1) week, participants will no longer have access to the evaluation and will have to contact CPE about reactivation.
Target Audience
Social Workers, LCPCs, and Psychologists
We welcome anyone interested in the topic!
Late Fees and Refunds
The base price is $60, which includes CE credit.
Cancellations: **ALL cancellations will be subjected to a $35.00 administration fee.** To be eligible for a refund or CPE account credit, cancellations must be made at least 24 hours before the workshop.
For more information, please read the general policies on our website.
Live Interactive Webinar Platforms
LIVE INTERACTIVE WEBINAR PLATFORMS
The Office of Continuing Professional Education hosts Live Interactive Webinars through Zoom. This platform offers a high quality and user-friendly webinar platform for our registrants.
System Requirements:
- Operating Systems: Windows XP or higher; MacOS 9 or higher; Android 4.0 or higher.
- Internet Browser: Google Chrome; Firefox 10.0 or higher.
Our system is not compatible with the Safari web browser.
- Broadband Internet Connection: Cable, High-speed DSL and any other medium that is internet accessible.
**Please have your device charging at all times to ensure that your device does not lose power during the webinar.
Course Interaction Requirements:
To participate in Live Interactive Webinars, you MUST have a device that allows you to view the presentation on screen and hear the instructor at all times. We do not allow participants to call-in from their phones or mobile devices and solely listen to the presentation. Participation in Live Interactive Webinars is mandatory.
Our webinar policies can be found on our website by clicking here.
In-Person Policies
Please read our in-person policies here.
Each participant MUST sign in and out of the workshop. If you do not sign out, your CE’s will be adjusted (this only applies to workshops approved by MBSWE). CPE staff will assume you left during the last break.
Evaluations and certificates will be available by noon the next business day in your CPE account.
Click the ORANGE certificate button for the workshop you attended to access the evaluation. Then you will have an option to download, print, or email your certificate.
Please Note: As long as you have access to your CPE account, you will be able to access all of your workshop certificates offered by CPE.
Code of Conduct
The Office of Continuing Professional Education at the University of Maryland School of Social Work adheres to the NASW Code of Ethics. This policy is to ensure that the training environment for social work professionals remains respectful, productive, and conducive to learning. Disruptive behavior that interferes with the learning process, disrupts the training experience for others, or undermines the integrity of the program will not be tolerated.
Expectations for Participant Engagement:
In alignment with the NASW Code of Ethics and the University of Maryland Baltimore Code of Conduct, participants are expected to demonstrate professionalism, which includes respecting confidentiality, maintaining a collaborative and respectful tone, and contributing positively to the group dynamic. Disclosures made during the training (e.g., case studies or personal reflections) must be handled with care and in accordance with ethical and legal guidelines.
All participants in the training program are expected to:
- Engage actively in the learning process and show respect for the opinions and contributions of others.
- Demonstrate professionalism in both attitude and behavior, maintaining respect for instructors, peers, and the training environment.
- Maintain open communication by expressing concerns or disagreements constructively and respectfully.
- Follow the guidelines and expectations provided by instructors and facilitators.
- Support a collaborative learning environment where all participants feel valued and safe to contribute.
Instructors and CPE staff reserve the right to dismiss participants who do not adhere to ethical/professional principles and standards. If removed, CEs will be adjusted to reflect the time attended, unless otherwise specified.
ADA Accommodations
If you are requesting ADA accommodations, please contact our office via email at least two weeks prior to the workshop date. Requests after that date may not be fulfilled.
Our email address is cpe@ssw.umaryland.edu.
Location
SSW Auditorium

(410) 706-7790
www.ssw.umaryland.edu