Description

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

1. Identify key cultural, structural, and institutional barriers faced by online social work students in Appalachia.
2. Understand how resilience theory informs understanding of student persistence and academic success.
3. Describe the core components of a resilience-informed academic advising framework.
4. Explain how a structured advising checklist can be used to address academic, technological, financial, and personal challenges while fostering student resilience and engagement.

Presenter Bio

Jessica Williamson, MSW, CSW, DSW-C, works and lives in Hazard, KY, a rural town in southeastern Kentucky. She received an Associate of Arts and Associate of Applied Science in Human Services from Hazard Community and Technical College (HCTC) in May 2006 and a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services and Counseling from Lindsey Wilson College in December 2007. In May of 2013, Jessica graduated with a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. While pursuing her MSW, Jessica worked at a local community mental health center as a case manager. Shortly after receiving her MSW, in August 2013, Jessica began working at the University of Kentucky’s (UK) College of Social Work (CoSW) as an academic advisor. Jessica became a Certified Social Worker (CSW) in October of 2020. In addition to her full-time role as a Senior Academic Advisor, she has experience teaching part-time for UK’s CoSW and at HCTC.

In order to support her professional growth and commitment to the social work field and higher education, Jessica began pursuing her Doctor of Social Work (DSW) in 2023. Her advising and teaching philosophy is student-centered, where students feel seen, valued, and respected. Having been a non-traditional student in a rural region throughout her undergraduate and graduate education, she understands firsthand the difficulties that Appalachian students face. As such, Jessica has utilized her time in the DSW program to focus her research on the needs of Appalachian students and how academic advising can be utilized to address barriers for online social work students in Appalachia.

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.