Description

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

1. Articulate the developmental and transdiagnostic relationship between youth emotional dysregulation and emerging personality pathology, including the biosocial, attachment-based, and trauma-informed mechanisms that link early dysregulation to long-term personality risk.
2. Understand the core architecture and four interlocking pathways of the Developmentally Informed Model for Emotional Regulation (DIM-ER), including how screening and risk stratification, DBT-informed skills, mentalization-based therapy, and trauma-responsive organizational practices operate together as an integrated prevention framework.
3. Identify practical strategies for implementing DIM-ER in K-12 school settings, including the specific roles of school social workers in universal and targeted screening, tiered clinical response, and cross-system collaboration with families and community providers.

 

Presenter Bio:

Michelle J. Barker, MSW, CSWA, is a Doctor of Social Work candidate in Clinical Social Work at the University of Kentucky, with an expected completion date of May 2026. Her academic background includes a Master of Social Work from Sacred Heart University and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from Georgian Court University, reflecting an enduring commitment to clinical practice and social justice-oriented scholarship. She is currently focused full-time on advanced doctoral study and the completion of her capstone project, while actively seeking clinical and academic opportunities aligned with her expertise in youth mental health and complex clinical presentations. Her capstone work, the Developmentally Informed Model for Emotional Regulation (DIM-ER), explores the association between emotional dysregulation in youth and the emergence of personality pathology in adolescence and young adulthood, with the purpose of informing early, developmentally attuned interventions. Barker brings over two decades of progressive experience in community-based services, having founded and led Stepping Stones-A Life Foundation, one of the largest parent- and individual-selected, privately managed case management agencies for adults with developmental disabilities and dual diagnoses in New Jersey. Her leadership in person-centered planning has garnered recognition through the Distinguished Professional Award from Opportunity Knocks, Loyal Heart Awards from the Middlesex County Chapter of the NJ Coalition on Women and Disabilities, and the adoption of her person-centered care plans as a training model at the Elizabeth M. Boggs Center at Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center. Her scholarly and professional interests include emotional dysregulation, mood disorders, emerging personality pathology, trauma-informed care, and equity-informed service delivery for individuals with developmental disabilities and dual diagnoses. Barker is an active member of the National Association of Social Workers, the American Psychological Association, the Clinical Social Work Association, the Council on Social Work Education, the International Federation of Social Workers, the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, and the North American Association of Christians in Social Work, evidencing deep professional engagement in the social work profession and its global communities.

 

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.