Janet Liechty
Associate Dean for Academic Programs, Professor
Resources
Google ScholarCourses
SOCW 199A: HEALS Seminar meets with 561A
Education
Professor Liechty received her PhD in Family Studies from the University of Maryland in College Park, an MSW from the University of Maryland School of Social Work in Baltimore, and a BA in Social Work from Goshen College. She completed post-MSW clinical training in family systems, gestalt therapy, mindfulness, and neuro-linguistic programming and worked more than a decade as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Medical Social Worker assisting persons with chronic illness, neurological disorders, eating disorders, physical disabilities. Liechty also maintained a private practice and consulting business for 10 years prior to joining the faculty at UIUC in 2007. She holds joint appointments with the School of Social Work, the Illinois College of Medicine Urbana, Carle-Illinois College of Medicine, and the Division of Nutritional Sciences.
Research
Professor Liechty’s research explores social determinants of health and intersections of health and behavioral health, including depression, obesity, disordered eating, body image, health literacy, and healthy lifestyle behavior change. A second area of interest is healthcare delivery and interprofessional education to enhance cultural competency, team communication, and the integration of behavioral health and primary care. Dr. Liechty is the Principal Investigator on a
4-year federal Behavioral Health Integration workforce development grant (1.9 million from 2017-2021) from the Healthcare Resources Services Administration (HRSA). She is also the PI on Social Work HEALS: Healthcare Education and Leadership Scholars Program (2015-2020), 5-year a national leadership training program funded through the National Association of Social Workers, the NASW Foundation, and the Council on Social Work Education.
Professor Liechty’s current research projects include:
- Exploring young adults’ experience and concerns about primary care and attitudes toward preventive care, and developing team-based care strategies to better meet the health and behavioral health needs of young adults.
- Investigating the roles of parental health literacy, family body teasing, and media exposure on child and family diet, body image, and weight-related health.
- Examining trajectories of psychosocial risk and protective factors for obesity, diabetes, and positive embodiment from adolescence through young adulthood using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health).
Illinois Experts Profile
Illinois Transdisciplinary Obesity Prevention Program (I-TOPP) Faculty Profile
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New HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Development Grant Awarded to SSW
June 21, 2021
