Judith Holder, Ph.D., M.S., director of occupational mental health programs for the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health’s Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, has retired, effective June 30, 2019. Holder’s primary faculty appointment was with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and she held a secondary appointment with the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health.
After receiving a doctorate in counseling psychology management from Southern Illinois University, Holder joined the the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health as a postdoc in 1995 and later was hired as a clinical associate in medical psychology in the Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Throughout her time at Duke, Holder used her rich background of clinical, consulting and facilitative skills to collaborate with others in order to assist them in developing the skills needed to become effective leaders. In addition, Holder worked to ensure that managers and leaders are able to understand the psychosocial factors that can impact employee performance and well-being.
As director of the Duke Occupational Mental Health Programs, Holder developed a number of programs including the Duke Professional and Personal Development Program (Duke PPDP), Leadership Enhancement and Development services (Duke LEAD) and the Duke OEM Employee Assistance Program. These programs provide consultation to employees at Duke University and other external organizations through coaching, workshops, seminars, career planning and case management, among other services.
At Duke, she provided interactive lectures and workshops on leadership-enrichment topics; personal and professional development; personal well-being and work resilience; conflict and energy/time management; effective communication; and team and interdisciplinary team dynamics for learners in the School of Medicine's MHS in Clinical Leadership, the Duke-Johnson & Johnson Nurse Leadership Program, Duke Urology K-12 Scholars, Duke Urology-VA Research Lab, Duke Family Medicine Residency Program, Duke Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency Program, and many other Duke programs. Outside of Duke, Holder served at the regional and national level as chair of the North Carolina Psychological Association Colleague Assistance Committee and as co-chair of the APA National Advisory Committee on Colleague Assistance. In each of her roles, Holder embodied what has become her signature tagline: “Making a Difference in Your Work, Family and Life.”
As Holder moves on to new adventures, her influence at Duke will live on through the knowledge that she has shared with not only her patient and clients, but also the learners she has helped educate.