|
Dr. Jodi Frey Named Associate Dean for Research
After an extensive search, I am pleased to announce that Professor Jodi Jacobson Frey, PhD, LCSW-C, CEAP will become the school’s new Associate Dean for Research (ADR) beginning July 1.
Dr. Frey replaces Paul Sacco, PhD, MSW, who has served in the ADR role since 2017. Dr. Sacco made the decision earlier this year to focus all his attention on teaching and research. Paul has done an incredible job as our ADR these past five years and I thank him for his dedicated and impactful service to the school.
Currently, Dr. Frey, PhD, LCSW-C, CEAP, is a Full Professor with tenure at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. Dr. Frey chairs the Social Work in the Workplace & Employee Assistance Sub-specialization (formerly EAP Sub-specialization) and the Financial Social Work Initiative. She is the Founder and Faculty Executive Director of the recently launched Behavioral Health and Well-Being Lab (BHWell Lab). Her MSW and PhD degrees were earned from the University of Maryland. She is also co-Chair of the University of Maryland Mental Health and Addiction Health Disparities Think Tank at the School of Medicine.
Dr. Frey’s research focuses on workplace behavioral health, including the impact of employee mental health and well-being, substance use and well-being on productivity and safety. She studies the effectiveness of employee assistance, work/life, and related programs for working-aged adults and families. She has dedicated a significant portion of her research and advocacy work to suicide prevention, mental health, substance use and recovery and the intersection with the workplace.
Dr. Frey's refereed articles have been published in JAMA, American Journal of Addictions, Social Work, Journal of Career Development, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Research on Social Work Practice, and Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior. Dr. Frey is the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health. Dr. Frey also co-founded the International Employee Assistance Digital Archive, housed at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, which was awarded the Best Use of Technology in the Employee Assistance Field by the Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA) in 2019. Last month, Dr. Frey was named Educator of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers’ Maryland Chapter.
Dr. Frey co-chairs the Workplace Suicide Prevention and Postvention Committee where she is contributing as a leader in the development and dissemination of the National Guidelines for Workplace Suicide Prevention. She is past chair of EAPA’s Subcommittee on Workplace Disaster Preparedness and Response. In 2006, Dr. Frey was the recipient of the EAPA President’s Award for Excellence, recognizing her work on this committee. Before joining academia full-time, Dr. Frey provided workplace mental health and EAP services to NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, where she was recognized with several awards for her service to employees and family members. She continues to fuel her passion for workplace behavioral health and support for working families through her research, teaching, and service to the social work profession.
As you can see, Dr. Frey is well-qualified to lead the school’s ever-growing research efforts. We are at a critical junction of continuing to take and expand our efforts to get our world-class research to those in the social work workforce and those in the policy arena. I look forward to all she will accomplish for the school in the future.
Judy L. Postmus, PhD, ACSW
Dean & Professor
University of Maryland School of Social Work
| 
