Description

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

1. Explain how adverse childhood experiences create lasting neurobiological vulnerability that influences veteran mental health across the lifespan.
2. Differentiate between additive and synergistic interactions of adverse childhood experiences and military trauma in shaping clinical severity and diagnostic complexity.
3. Implement trauma-informed assessment strategies that incorporate both developmental trauma histories and military service-related trauma.
4. Integrate protective factors and trauma-informed treatment modifications that improve engagement, completion, and outcomes for veterans with histories of childhood adversity.

Presenter Bio

Kaneisha Sanay Wheelock is a doctoral candidate in social work at the University of Kentucky, specializing in Military Behavioral Health, and a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. She earned her Master of Social Work from the University at Buffalo with a Trauma-Informed Care and Human Rights Perspective, where she was an Arthur Schomburg Fellow and a research assistant in the Veterans and Military Families specialization. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work with Leadership Distinction from the University of South Carolina, where she was named BSW Student of the Year. Throughout her career, Wheelock has remained committed to serving military-connected populations within the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Ms. Wheelock currently serves as a Senior Social Worker on the Trauma Services Program at the Washington, DC, VA Medical Center, where she provides evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions and clinical leadership. She is also an adjunct professor in the MSW program at Delaware State University and the owner of Serenity’s Path, LLC, a private practice specializing in trauma-focused therapy.

Her capstone research examines the impact of adverse childhood experiences on post-discharge mental health outcomes among military veterans. Through a systematic review of 28 studies encompassing nearly 50,000 veterans, Wheelock developed the Trauma-Informed Developmental Framework for Veteran Care, integrating developmental trauma theory and ecological systems perspectives to address gaps in measurement-based assessment within VA healthcare systems.

Her professional recognition includes the Arthur Schomburg Fellowship, selection as a highly competitive CESATE Fellow with the Puget Sound VA Medical Center, designation as a State of Maryland Board-approved Social Work Supervisor, and co-founder of the Social Work Clinical Supervision Program at the Washington, DC VA Medical Center.

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.