Gerald Jordan, Ph.D., is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Yale University conducting research with the Program for Recovery and Community Health. He is committed to social justice and motivated to shift the overwhelmingly pessimistic narrative of research on, and care for mental health and substance use problems towards a greater recognition and understanding of the potential for recovery, particularly among youth, who are just beginning to chart important life trajectories (e.g., in work, school, relationships, etc.) and for whom hope is critically important.

Gerald’s program of research examines how youths’ capacity to recover and grow following a mental health or substance use problem is influenced by 1) mental health systems and 2) personal, social, cultural and systemic determinants of health. His research is informed by disability studies and critical positive psychology frameworks.