Information for
Helpful Links
About Jordan Johnson
Jordan Johnson ’23 works as coordinator of outreach and retention at Central Washington’s Area Health Education Center (in Washington state), where they partner with local nonprofits that are doing health equity and education work. Johnson’s M.A. in Community Psychology has been helpful in thinking about systems and social determinants of health. We caught up with Johnson recently in this Q&A.
What was most beneficial about your Sage experience when you were a student?
The instructors proved to be valuable resources. Dr. O’Connor made herself freely available to work with me and discuss concerns and just general questions I had about the work I was doing and what my degree might prepare me to do. It was also through discussions with Dr. Morse, as well as a job that she helped me get at the clinic where she practices, that finally solidified my decision to not pursue counseling as a career but instead focus on applied psychology.
How have you utilized what you learned at Sage in your career? Did it prepare you for your field?
My experience in community psychology has been very helpful in discussions surrounding social determinants of health (or the increasingly popular seven vital conditions), systems-level approaches to community health and well-being, and health equity. I also have a broader understanding of the healthcare system that I gained through discussions of the history and development of modern medicine. Because of Sage’s overlap of counseling and community psychology, I am able to discuss the work that behavioral specialists can perform, despite not finishing the counseling portion of the CCP program. Lastly, my externship prepared me for the networking I am doing as part of my job.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
The tangible difference we are making in health education in my local community.