Description

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

1. Describe the current evidence linking post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia among U.S. veterans across the lifespan.
2. Explain key biological, psychosocial, and demographic mechanisms (e.g., neuroinflammation, hippocampal changes, genetic vulnerability, gender, and racial disparities) that contribute to dementia risk in veterans with PTSD.
3. Identify systemic and clinical barriers that delay early detection and cognitive screening for veterans with PTSD across veteran care settings.
4. Apply a trauma-informed, prevention-oriented cognitive health framework to inform clinical practice, program development, and policy change within military social work and the Veterans Health Administration.

Presenter Bio

Jaclyn Vance is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) in Alabama with fourteen years of professional practice. She is a Doctor of Social Work (DSW) Candidate at the University of Kentucky with a concentration in Military Behavioral Health and anticipates graduating in May 2026. Mrs. Vance holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (2007) and a Master of Social Work, with a concentration in social work with children, adolescents, and their families, from the University of Alabama (2011). Mrs. Vance serves as Program Manager for Outpatient Mental Health at the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System in Tuskegee, Alabama, with responsibility for program oversight, interdisciplinary team leadership, and outpatient mental health service delivery. Her professional experience spans inpatient and outpatient mental health and suicide prevention services for service members, Veterans, and their families. She also serves as a field instructor for Master of Social Work students and provides clinical supervision and staff training within the Veterans Health Administration.
Mrs. Vance’s doctoral research examines the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder and dementia risk among Veterans, with particular attention to how chronic trauma exposure may contribute to long-term cognitive decline. Her capstone addresses gaps in current practice by advancing trauma-informed, prevention-oriented mental health approaches that emphasize earlier cognitive screening and coordinated care for Veterans with significant trauma histories.

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.