As executive director of Mental Health, Jerry Walker, Ph.D., oversees the care quality, operational efficiency, and strategic direction of TimelyCare’s expansive network of mental health providers. Before joining TimelyCare, Jerry was a manager of three behavioral health departments for the largest hospital system in Nebraska and lecturer for the University of Nebraska graduate school and medical school. A U.S. Air Force Veteran, Jerry is a licensed clinical psychologist, board-certified in counseling psychology (ABPP), who has managed mental health, suicide prevention, disaster behavioral health, integrated primary care behavioral health, and substance abuse prevention and treatment programs at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia. He then worked as the director of health and wellness for a large military intelligence organization, serving as both a clinical psychologist and industrial/organizational psychological consultant. Jerry has also worked as a sports psychologist and private practitioner (in-person and telehealth). He earned a Ph.D. in counseling psychology and human systems from Florida State University, a master of science degree in clinical psychopharmacology (MSCP) from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and bachelor’s degrees in both psychology and communication studies from the University of Texas, Austin. Jerry is also a board-certified medical practice executive (CMPE), a board member for his state psychological association, and a certified Lean/Six Sigma black belt professional.
Positive mental health among college students is on the rise, according to the 2023-2024 Healthy Minds Study report. However, 78% of students expressed still needing help managing their emotions, though only about half (36%) received counseling or therapy in the...