Description

Upon completion of this conference, participants will be able to:

1. Understand current evidence on the relationship between adolescent social media use and mental health outcomes, including anxiety, depression, and self-esteem.
2. Recognize how Social Comparison Theory and Symbolic Interactionism explain how digital environments shape adolescents’ identity development, meaning-making, and emotional regulation.
3. Identify system-level, trauma-informed organizational strategies that translate research and theory into practical interventions within clinical, school, and behavioral health settings.

 

Presenter Bio:

Delia Amadiz, LMSW, is a Doctoral Candidate in the Doctorate of Social Work (DSW) program at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work. She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Kentucky, along with graduate and undergraduate degrees in social work–adjacent disciplines including psychology, criminal justice, health science, and administration of justice and security. Ms. Amadiz currently serves as an Individual and Family Therapist with Thrive Behavioral Health, LLC, where she provides evidence-based clinical services to children, adolescents, and families across diverse practice settings.

In addition to her clinical role, she is an active-duty U.S. Army noncommissioned officer with extensive leadership experience in medical readiness, administrative operations, and multidisciplinary healthcare environments, including service at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Her research interests focus on adolescent mental health, childhood trauma, and the impact of social media on anxiety, depression, and self-esteem, with particular attention to trauma-informed, ethically grounded, and developmentally responsive practice. Her doctoral capstone project examines how social media use influences adolescent mental health outcomes and explores practice-informed strategies to support resilience and identity development. Ms. Amadiz has received multiple military awards for leadership, service, and volunteerism and brings a practice-integrated, interdisciplinary perspective to social work scholarship and professional engagement.

 

Delivery Method: Live Interactive Training via Zoom Video Conferencing

Credit Hours: 1.0 (ACE)

Target Audience: This conference is intended for social workers and students.

Accreditation: University of Kentucky College of Social Work, Provider # 1377, 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: 9/29/25-9/29/28. Social workers participating in this conference will receive up to 15 general continuing education credits.

Claiming CE Credit: Instructions for claiming CE credit will be disseminated at the beginning of each session.

Questions: If you have any questions regarding CE credit or to report a grievance, please contact Christina Krantz at Christina.Krantz@uky.edu. For technical assistance, please contact lmshelp@uky.edu.

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in these presentations are those of the individual presenters and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of the University of Kentucky or the College of Social Work. The inclusion of any topics, perspectives, or discussions is intended for academic engagement and does not constitute endorsement by the institution.