Description

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

1. Recognize how stress, trauma, depression, and anxiety can affect heart health over time.
2. Understand why Black women experience higher risks for heart disease, including the role of stress, caregiving demands, and unfair systems.
3. Identify warning signs that mental and emotional stress may be impacting physical health.
4. Explore practical, culturally responsive strategies that support both mental well-being and heart health at the individual, family, and community levels.

Presenter Bio

Latara Catrease Leggett, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Doctor of Social Work (DSW) candidate at the University of Kentucky with over 15 years of professional experience across clinical practice, child welfare systems, and community-based service delivery. She currently serves as the founder and clinical social worker of Graceful Balance Counseling & Consulting, LLC, where she provides trauma-informed, culturally responsive
mental health services to adolescents and adults through multi-state telehealth practice.

Ms. Leggett holds a Master of Social Work and a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Southern Mississippi, an Associate of Arts from Pearl River Community College, and a Certificate of Advanced Supervision from Grambling State University. She maintains Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) credentials in Louisiana, Massachusetts, Alabama, Utah, and Mississippi. Her professional background includes inpatient and outpatient behavioral health care, Medicaid care coordination, and statewide child welfare consultation focused on safety, permanency, and quality improvement.

Her research interests center on mental health disparities among Black women, chronic stress exposure, trauma-informed leadership, and the integration of clinical and community systems.
Her doctoral capstone project examines the relationship between untreated mental health conditions and cardiovascular disease risk among Black women through a systematic literature review grounded in intersectional and equity-centered frameworks. Her scholarly work includes peer-reviewed writing in progress and applied research advancing evidence-based, culturally responsive social work practice.

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.