17th Annual Teen Summit:
Empowering Self-Love, Building Self-Worth, and Supporting Adolescent Well-Being
Friday, October 23, 2026 | 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Location: Southern Regional AHEC, 1601 Owen Drive, Fayetteville, NC 28304
Target Audience
School-based behavioral health professionals, including school counselors, school psychologists, social workers, behavioral health specialists, mental health case managers, and school nurses with a focus on mental health support.
Program Description
The 17th Annual Teen Summit is an educational and professional development program designed for school-based behavioral health professionals, educators, school nurses, counselors, social workers, psychologists, and others who support adolescent well-being. This year's summit explores the impact of social media, appearance culture, and body image on adolescent mental health while equipping participants with the knowledge and practical strategies to recognize the early warning signs of eating disorders and promote positive body image among youth. Through expert-led presentations and evidence-informed approaches, attendees will gain tools to support students in navigating today's digital landscape, foster resilience and healthy self-worth, and strengthen collaboration among schools, school behavioral health professionals, and families to create supportive environments that promote the mental and emotional well-being of adolescents.
Registration Fee
$40.00 Early Registration Fee – Ends on 9/30/2026
$45.00 Registration Fee - Begins on 10/1/2026
$35.00 Registration Fee-Group Discount when 3 or more register and pay together on one form of payment
Agenda
8:30 a.m. Check-in
8:55 a.m. Welcome/Introduction of Speaker
9 a.m. Beyond the Filter: Social Media, Appearance Culture, and Adolescent Mental Health
Katie Salmons, LCSW, LCAS, CCS, EMDR-T
10:30 a.m. Break
10:45 a.m. Stronger Than the Mirror: Building Resilience, Self-Worth, and Body Confidence
Chantal Gil, Psy.D.
12:15 p.m. Lunch (Provided)
1 p.m. Nutrition and Behavioral Health—What’s the Connection?
Alice Ammerman, DrPH
2:30 p.m. Adjourn
Speakers
Dr. Ammerman is interested in design, testing, implementation and dissemination of innovative clinical and community-based nutrition and physical activity interventions for chronic disease risk reduction in low-income populations. She is Director of the UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (HPDP), part of a national network of 26 CDC prevention research centers (PRCs) that work with community partners to identify public health problems to develop and evaluate prevention-focused public health interventions for wide dissemination. Dr. Ammerman and colleagues have developed and are testing the “Med-South” diet which is the Mediterranean diet adapted to agricultural availability and taste preferences in the Southeastern US. Her research addresses the role of sustainable food systems in health, the environment, and economic well-being, emphasizing the social determinants of health, particularly food access and food insecurity. Dr. Ammerman teaches courses in Nutrition Policy and Public Health Entrepreneurship. She has a developing interest in Culinary Medicine to improve medical training programs and uses social entrepreneurship as a sustainable approach to addressing public health concerns.
Chantal Gil, PsyD, is a licensed psychologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine. She has worked in the mental health field for more than a decade and specializes in the assessment and treatment of eating disorders across adolescence and adulthood. Dr. Gil completed her APA-accredited doctoral internship at North Carolina State University’s Counseling Center and her postdoctoral fellowship at the Duke Center for Eating Disorders. She divides her clinical time between Duke University Counseling and Psychological Services and the Duke Center for Eating Disorders, where she provides therapy, consultation, clinical supervision, and program development. Her clinical interests include supporting adolescents, university students, and emerging adults as they navigate identity development, life transitions, interpersonal relationships, self-worth, body-image concerns, and eating disorders. Dr. Gil’s therapeutic approach is collaborative, evidence-based, and holistic. Grounded in a relational framework, she integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and somatic-based interventions to help individuals build resilience, strengthen coping skills, and create meaningful, lasting change.
Katie Salmons, LCSW, LCAS, CCS, BCC, Katie Salmons is the owner of her private practice KS Empowers, PLLC, where she primarily works with teenagers and adults navigating various things including neurodivergence, LGBTQIA+ needs, trauma, anxiety, depression, substance use, technology use, self-harm, and other needs. Katie is also a contracted employee with Elevate Family Services as a therapist or coach that helps students and families return home from residential settings or prevents children and families from needing them. Katie has a passion for helping all kinds of people, including supervising, teaching, and presenting.
Objectives
- Enhance Skills in Identifying and Addressing Eating Disorders.
- Promote Positive Body Image and Self-Worth in School Setting.
- Equip Professionals to Address Co-occurring Mental Health Issues.
Credit
C.E.U.: .4
Contact Hours: 4.0
NBCC: Southern Regional AHEC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 5362. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Southern Regional AHEC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
NC Psychologists Category A: The program will provide 4.0 contact hours (category A) continuing education credit to NC Psychologists.
Substitutes/Refunds/Transfers
• Cancellations must be in writing (email or mail).
• Registrants cancelling between two weeks and five full business days prior to the first day of the event are refunded at 70% of the registration fee subject to a minimum $25 cancellation fee.
• No refunds or credits will be given for cancellations received less than five full business days prior to the event.
• No refunds or credit will be given for no-shows.
• No vouchers will be issued in lieu of a refund.
• Transfers/substitute(s) welcome (notify in advance of the program).
Attendance at this activity grants permission for Southern Regional AHEC to use any photographs, audio, video, or other images from this activity for promotional or educational purposes. Please notify an AHEC staff member if you have concerns.
ADA Services
Americans with Disabilities Act Individuals requesting accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) should contact the ADA coordinator at least five days prior to the event at (910) 678-7305 or mariah.williams@sr-ahec.org.
Contact Us
Jasmine Harris, Director of CPD, Behavioral Health / (910) 678-7218 / jasmine.harris@sr-ahec.org
Mariah Williams, Project Specialist / (910) 678-7305 / mariah.williams@sr-ahec.org