Giovanna Giacobbe, MSW, is a Lecturer for Rutgers University in the Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation. Giovanna has had over 15 years of experience managing various research projects from the state of NJ, NIDILRR, NIH and NIMH that focused its research on severe mental illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, schizoaffective disorders, as well as substance abuse, trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), personality disorders, smoking cessation, college students with psychiatric disabilities, Supported Housing, Supported Employment and Supported Education.
Giovanna’s area of specialty is in trauma and PTSD. She currently teaches a trauma graduate course at Rutgers University for students in the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Graduate Program. She is also a trauma consultant for the NJ State Psychiatric Hospitals. In this role she has authored a Stage 1 trauma treatment manual called: Managing Difficult Life Experiences (MDLE) and adapted a trauma manual called the “New Jersey-Trauma Addictions Mental Health and Recovery” (NJ-TAMAR). She also serves as a member and trauma consultant to the NJ Centralized Trauma Informed Care Committee.
Giovanna has served as a trauma clinician for a PTSD research study and at Trenton Psychiatric Hospital implementing the NJ-TAMAR program and is responsible for training clinicians on MDLE and NJ-TAMAR manuals and Trauma Informed Care at all four NJ state psychiatric hospitals. Ms. Giacobbe also serves as a co-investigator, clinical and assessment supervisor and trainer for research assistants on various PTSD research grants for her department.