Jaak Rakfeldt holds an MSW from Syracuse University (1972), an M. Phil. (1982) and a Ph.D. in
Interdisciplinary Social Science from the Maxwell School of Syracuse University (1983), and was a
Postdoctoral Fellow in Clinical Research at the Yale University School of Medicine, Department of
Psychiatry from 1986 to 1988. He is a full-time professor and has forty years of post-MSW
professional social work experience, which includes thirty years of full-time college-level teaching,
and nine years as a research scientist/clinician at the Yale Department of Psychiatry. He has been
the Chair of the Department’s Mental Health and Substance use – Co-occurring Disorders
Specialization since he created it in 1996. Professor Rakfeldt, has taught Research Methods,
Psychopathology, Advanced Clinical Practice Courses, Mental Health/Substance Use Courses, Thesis
Field Practicum Seminars, Social Work Research Methods (both MSW and BSW-level), and the SIFI
course (Seminar for Field Instructors). Dr. Rakfeldt was the 2006 recipient of the “J. Philip Smith
Outstanding Teacher Award,” at Southern Connecticut State University. He is also an Assistant
Clinical Professor at the Yale University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, where he
does clinical supervision, conducts seminars, and participates in clinical research. Dr. Rakfeldt
serves as a clinical consultant, conducts seminars and colloquia at various community mental
health/substance use agencies and maintains a private clinical practice. Dr. Rakfeldt has more than
fifty publications, primarily dealing with mental health and substance use issues. He has over one
hundred regional, national, and international conference presentations. Dr. Rakfeldt’ s research
interests include clinical practice research as well as program evaluation, and policy and systems
research, primarily in the area of mental health and substance use. Dr. Rakfeldt has received
twenty-eight (29) grants including twelve (13) Connecticut State University (CSU) research grants.