Jennifer Mead is a licensed clinical social worker currently practicing with the Patient Aligned Care Team at the Veterans Health Administration in Georgia. Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Central Florida and a Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina. Jennifer has devoted her career to medical social work and has worked extensively in a variety of healthcare settings including mental health, rehabilitation units, skilled nursing homes and home-based settings for hospice and end of life care. Her passion lies in helping individuals and families facing a new cancer diagnosis and specifically head and neck cancers.
In addition to her work in social work, Jennifer is a Registered Dental Hygienist and has served as an adjunct clinical dental hygiene instructor. Jennifer is committed to community service and has served as a Board Member and volunteer for The Savannah Volunteer Dental Clinic where she also co-established the clinic’s adult oral cancer screening program.
Jennifer is completing a Doctor of Social Work (DSW) degree in the Clinical Social Work track at the University of Kentucky. Her research interest and Capstone project envisions the blending of her two professional lives through the development of a pre-habilitative psycho-oncology model that integrates the novel therapeutic paradigm, Accelerated Resolution Therapy (abbreviated as PPA). The PPA model seeks to address the unmet psychological distress unique to the head and neck cancer patient and would be best implemented in the outpatient clinic setting after a diagnosis has been made, but prior to the initiation of oncological interventions. PPA would strive to prepare patients for treatment, reduce distress and improve quality of life.
Jennifer also has a deep interest in expanding the role of medical social worker through the development of a sub-specialty specific curriculum as well as core competencies at the graduate level that would prepare social workers as healthcare leaders.