Description

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

1. Describe how psychological and behavioral symptoms of dementia, caregiver burden, and fragmented healthcare lead to crisis-driven ED utilization.
2.  Explain how systems and empowerment theories converge to inform collaborative, person-centered, action-oriented social work interventions.
3. Apply ethical, culturally sensitive, and evidence-based approaches to support dementia caregivers and reduce the need to escalate to emergency services.

Presenter Bio

Virginia Donihoo is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 20 years of experience in healthcare, behavioral health, crisis intervention, military/veteran services, interdisciplinary collaboration, and clinical supervision. She is a Senior Social Worker at the Fayetteville, North Carolina Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts from Roanoke College and a Master of Social Work from Savannah State University. She is a Doctor of Social Work candidate at the University of Kentucky with a concentration in clinical social work. Ms. Donihoo’s research focuses on developing clinical approaches to improve dementia care management, support caregivers, and enhance well-being across all stages of the disease trajectory. Her capstone centers on addressing the overreliance of emergency department care by people living with dementia. Through her work as a geriatric social worker and her personal experiences caring for a loved one with dementia, she has demonstrated a profound commitment to this population.

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.