DSW Candidate – Emily White, 4:00 PM – 5:15 PM
$0.00
Virtual Showcase of DSW Scholars 2025 Event!
From Adversity to Achievement: Promoting Growth and Mental Health in Secondary Education Student-Athletes
DSW Candidate – Emily White, LCSW, PTG Certified
Monday, April 28, 2025
4:00 PM- 5:15 PM Eastern Time Zone
Credit Hours: 1.0
Description
From Adversity to Achievement: Promoting Growth and Mental Health in Secondary Education Student-Athletes
This presentation examines the intersection of mental health, post-traumatic growth (PTG), and the psychosocial challenges experienced by student-athletes within secondary education. While student-athletes are often celebrated for their achievements, they encounter unique stressors, including performance pressures, academic demands, and interpersonal challenges, in which they are particularly vulnerable to mental health concerns. Despite significant scholarly attention on collegiate athletes, the mental health needs of secondary education student-athletes remain underexplored and underserved.
Through a review of emerging literature and evidence-based frameworks, this presentation highlights the integral role of school social workers and school-based mental health clinicians in addressing the multifaceted needs of this population. Emphasis is placed on the concept of PTG, which refers to the positive psychological changes that can arise from navigating adversity. By leveraging athletic participation as a platform for resilience-building and personal development, this presentation underscores the transformative potential of sports in fostering mental health and socio-emotional growth.
The session will articulate the theoretical and practical contributions of sports social work as an emerging subspecialty and present actionable strategies to support student-athlete well-being within secondary educational settings. This work seeks to advance the discourse on integrating mental health services into secondary education and expand the potential of school social work to address the unique challenges of student-athletes.
Upon completion of this conference, participants will be able to:
- Examine the unique mental health challenges faced by student-athletes in secondary education, including the intersection of academic, athletic, and personal stressors.
- Analyze the concept of posttraumatic growth (PTG) and its application in fostering resilience and positive psychological outcomes among secondary education student-athletes.
- Identify evidence-based interventions and trauma-informed practices that can be implemented by school social workers to support the mental health and socio-emotional well-being of student-athletes.
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: 9/29/22-9/29/25. 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.
