Description

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

1. Identify social isolation as a systemic and organizational challenge impacting mental health outcomes among older adults across care settings.
2. Explain how transformational leadership theory and ecological systems theory inform leadership responses to social isolation in aging services.
3. Describe the core components of the Social Connection Systems Model (SCSM) and its application to organizational practice.

Presenter Bio

Ashley M. Sylvester, MSW, LMSW, is a Doctoral Candidate in Social Work at the University of Kentucky, College of Social Work. She earned her Master of Social Work degree from Simmons University in Massachusetts and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Connecticut.

Ms. Sylvester is a hospice medical social worker with Constellation Health Services, where she provides psychosocial assessment, counseling, and interdisciplinary care coordination for individuals and families navigating end-of-life care across home, skilled nursing, and assisted living settings. Her professional background includes extensive experience in hospice and palliative care, long-term care, geriatric social work, foster care, and behavioral health services across medical and community-based settings.

Her research interests center on social isolation, loneliness, and mental health among older adults, with a particular focus on hospice care and long-term care environments. Ms. Sylvester’s doctoral capstone project examines the impact of social isolation on the mental health of older adults. It explores leadership-driven, systems-level interventions designed to strengthen social connection, interdisciplinary collaboration, and quality of life in aging services organizations. Her scholarly work is informed by transformational leadership theory and ecological systems theory, emphasizing organizational leadership, service delivery, and policy implications in end-of-life care.

Ms. Sylvester’s academic and professional interests align with equity-informed hospice practice, interdisciplinary teamwork, and administrative leadership in aging and end-of-life care systems.

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.