Description

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

1. Describe how psychological distress develops in high school student athletes and identify key environmental and systemic contributors.
2. Explain how achievement, affiliation, and power needs influence athlete behavior, emotional responses, and vulnerability to distress.
3. Identify practical coaching and athletic department strategies that support early recognition of distress and motivation-aligned mental health prevention.

Presenter Bio:

Nikkimah P. Davis, MSW, LCSW, is a Doctoral Candidate in Social Work at the University of Kentucky, with an expected graduation date of May 2026. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia, with over twenty-five years of professional experience in clinical social work across school-based mental health, government systems, and clinical leadership.

She currently serves as a Sports Social Worker at Archbishop Carroll High School in Washington, DC, where she provides individual and group mental wellness services to nationally ranking student-athletes and collaborates with coaches, staff, and families to support emotional regulation, performance, and overall well-being. Nikkimah is also the Clinical Director of Safe Routes LLC, where she provides evidence-based mental health therapy, offers clinical supervision to licensed clinicians and social work supervisees, and leads the development and implementation of clinical programs and professional training.

Her prior experience includes serving as a Behavioral Health Supervisor with the Fairfax Falls Church Community Services Board and as a Senior Licensed Clinical Social Worker with the Department of Defense Family Advocacy Program at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where her work focused on trauma-informed care, family advocacy, program development, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Nikkimah holds a Certificate of Completion in Sports Social Work from the Alliance of Social Workers in Sports, an NASW-approved program that included advanced coursework and a sport-based practicum. Her research interests include adolescent mental health, sport social work, motivation theory, and identity development among high-performing student athletes. Her doctoral capstone project, Strengthening Athletes from the Inside Out: Applying Motivation Theory to Improve Mental Health and Wellness Practices in High School Sports, examines how motivation-based frameworks can inform school-based mental health interventions and coach education.

 

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.