Description

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

1. Identify and understand various emotional and pain capacities of non-human animals, connecting them to social work’s ethical responsibility of advocacy and social justice outside of the human species.
2. Explain a conceptual solution, critical animal pedagogy delivered on a learner-centered continuum, as well as its underpinning theories and learning approaches.
3. Understand the conceptual solution through an ethics application in social work education to develop learners’ critical skills, empathy, and anti-oppressive action skills for non-human animals.

Presenter Bio

Jessica Estep, LCSW, (she/her) is a licensed clinical social worker in Houston, TX. She obtained her Bachelor of Social Work degree in 2012 from the University of Montevallo and her Master of Social Work degree in 2015 from the University of Alabama. Jessica is currently a Doctor of Social Work candidate (DSW-C) at the University of Kentucky, where her research centers on integrating critical animal pedagogy on a learner-centered continuum in social work education to initiate the profession’s advocacy for non-human animal social justice. She plans to continue this research after graduation to expand social work’s social justice efforts beyond the human species.
Jessica has been a social worker for 13 years post-BSW, serving in Alabama from 2013 to 2018 and in Texas since 2018. During this time, she has served in various roles, including medical agencies such as those serving people living with HIV, the public health department, as well as residential and outpatient mental health facilities. Currently, Jessica co-runs her private practice, serving her community primarily as a trauma therapist. She is currently an Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy Certified Therapist and is a member of the EMDR International Association.

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.