Jacqueline McLean is a licensed independent clinical social worker working with a broad spectrum of clients. She can accept referrals for individuals, couples, and families.
Jacqueline is an interactive, solution-focused therapist. Her therapeutic approach is to provide support and practical feedback to help clients effectively address personal life challenges. She is certified in CBT, coaching, and EAP and has extensive post-graduate training, and she is very familiar with and experienced in CBT, DBT, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing.
Jacqueline integrates complementary methodologies and techniques to offer a highly personalized approach tailored to each client. With compassion and understanding, she works with each individual to help them build on their strengths and attain personal growth. Her goal is to provide you with tools and interventions in an efficient manner.
Jacqueline began working as a practitioner for a variety of healthcare institutions and organizations in the areas of behavioral medicine, psychiatry, and in-patient and out-patient treatment. She completed a one-year clinical placement at McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate in Belmont, Massachusetts. This began her specialization in dual diagnosis, working on an in-patient addiction unit with an emphasis on treating comorbid disorders, especially those involving anxiety and mood disorders.
Jacqueline then joined the staff of St. Vincent Health Care System and worked in the psychiatric unit, in outpatient addiction services, and in all the inpatient medical units. In these medical settings practicing behavioral medicine, she was a clinical director, both in the area of family practice and pediatric services, working with families dealing with a variety of both medical and behavioral health issues.
One of the primary goals and major accomplishments she achieved there was helping to establish the eating disorder team within the pediatric department. Also, she received, and to this day continues to receive, many referrals from both pediatricians and specialists for the management of anxiety, depression, and relationship issues as well as other stress symptoms.
She continues to receive referrals from primary care physicians as well as specialty providers to address the behavioral elements that needed to be addressed before the client could become physically better.
To this day Jacqueline continues to work closely with those in the medical community, and some of the referrals Jacqueline is responsible for include diabetes, heart disease, chronic pain, obesity, migraine headaches, and a variety of cancer diagnoses. In addition, she receives referrals for patients being seen prior to their bariatric surgery.
A successful career-changer herself, prior to being in the behavioral health profession, Jacqueline had been a successful business professional. By bridging these two careers for the past 24 years, she is able to work with people, not only around behavioral health issues but major mental health issues, and guiding them in their own career-changing and strategic life planning.
She was an accomplished business professional working in a variety of sales, sales training, and sales management positions, including in the area of lending. She is a former loan officer for J.P.Morgan Chase.
Born in Hartford and a third generation Hartfordite. My father’s parents lived in North Hartford, owned a grocery store and some apartments. My mother’s parents owned a fur store in the city, where grandma, a poet/entertainer entertained her patrons. My father put himself through Yale and Columbia Business school. My mother graduated from Dean Junior College. Education, cultural arts and civic duty were values I learned from family.
Kelly Ha is a first year UConn Masters of Social Work student in the Individuals, Groups, and Family Practice concentration as well as a student in the Certificate in Foundations of Public Health program. She is the first one to attend college in her family, her advocacy work and want to address inter-generational trauma are an homage to her immigrant Vietnamese family sacrifices for her to have a better life. As an aspiring Medical Social Worker, Kelly will be doing her 2nd year placement at Connecticut Children’s. Kelly is incredibly involved as she chairs two positions in the Graduate Student Organization as the Social Media Specialist and PEERS Co-Chair. She is also involved with UConn Health’s Urban Service Track where she is able to work in an interdisciplinary team to serve under served communities.
Tessa recently accepted the position of the Dean’s Administrative Assistant. Tessa has been with the School of Social Work since March 2018 as a Program Assistant in the Dean’s office, working with the MSW and BSW Program Directors. In her new role, Tessa will work closely with the Deans to assist in managing the administrative functions in the Dean’s office. Before her time at the SSW, Tessa worked on the Storrs campus in the Department of Communication. Having grown up in Connecticut, she comes from a family of Husky fans, and is appreciative to be a part of the UConn community.
Lindsey joined the Office of Research and Scholarship/Finance Office staff in November. Lindsay is providing support for all aspects of ORS, including event planning logistics and support, communication, grant development and budget support. Lindsay serves as a liaison between the school and SPS, which will be an especially important role as we strive to increase our research grant writing/funding activities in the coming months and years. Lindsay is familiar with Hartford and with local community agencies. She previously worked at Riverfront Recapture and at the Community Renewal Team.