Dr. Jodi Jacobson Frey is an Associate Professor at The University of Maryland, School of Social Work. Dr. Jacobson Frey chairs the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) sub-specialization and the Financial Social Work Initiative. Her MSW and PhD degrees were earned from the University of Maryland.
Dr. Jacobson Frey’s research focuses on workplace behavioral health, including the impact of health and well-being on employee productivity and safety. She studies the effectiveness of workplace programs such as EAPs, work/life and financial capability programs. A second area of interest for her research focuses on traumatic stress with an emphasis on suicide prevention.
Recent refereed articles have been published in American Journal of Addictions, Social Work, Journal of Social Work Education, Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, Research on Social Work Practice, and Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior. Dr. Jacobson Frey has presented research findings at international conferences including, but not limited to: American Association of Suicidology, Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA), Employee Assistance Society for North America, and the Society for Social Work Research.
Dr. Jacobson Frey is actively involved with EAPA as the past chair of EAPA’s Subcommittee on Workplace Disaster Preparedness and Response. In 2006, she was the recipient of the EAPA President’s Award for Excellence, recognizing her work on this committee. Dr. Jacobson is also an active member of the Employee Assistance Society of North America (EASNA) Knowledge, Transfer and Research Committee and a certified trainer for the American Association of Suicidology.
Prior to teaching full-time, Dr. Jacobson Frey provided EA and work/life services to NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, where she was recognized with several awards for her service to employees and family members. As an employee of COPE, Inc., and later as an EA professional in private practice, she worked for several years providing direct EAP, outpatient mental health, and crisis intervention services. Dr. Jacobson Frey also works with MASI Research Consultants, Inc. as a senior researcher for the international consulting firm specializing in the evaluation of EAPs and work/life programs.
