Description

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

1. Recognize how current societal and technological trends impact mental health perspectives.
2. Examine and understand the limitations of existing theories of identity development.
3. Develop an understanding of an emerging theoretical framework that addresses gaps in existing identity models and incorporates social media influence.

Presenter Bio

Sara Hamilton is a Licensed Independent Social Worker and Doctoral Candidate in Social Work at the University of Kentucky. She obtained her Master of Science in Social Work from Chamberlain University in 2023 and her undergraduate degree in psychology in 2018. Sara’s career has primarily focused on providing care to individuals with a range of mental health needs, including work in forensic mental health and with chronically homeless populations. She currently serves as the Assessment Coordinator, Crisis Therapist, and Mobile Crisis Team Lead for Mental Health Services for Clark and Madison Counties in Springfield, Ohio, where she conducts biopsychosocial and diagnostic assessments and provides crisis intervention services. Drawing on her experience, Sara’s capstone research focuses on the impact of social media on mental health, particularly the ways in which individuals adopt potentially inaccurate mental health diagnoses into their identities through online content. The goal of this work is to inform ethical clinical practice and advance macro-level approaches to social justice for individuals with severe mental health conditions. Sara is a recipient of the Clark, Greene, and Madison Counties Mental Health Recovery Board’s Max Graves Award for Exceptional People in 2023. Sara is also certified in problem gambling treatment and serves as a Certified Mental Health Officer for Clark County, Ohio.

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.