John E. Imhof, PhD., LCSW
Dr. John Imhof is former Commissioner of the Nassau County Department of Social Services and former Commissioner of the Nassau County Department of Drug and Alcohol Addiction. Prior to his government service, Dr. Imhof was Vice President, Behavioral Health Services for the Northwell Health System, formerly the North Shore — Long Island Jewish Heath System. He was Assistant Chairman for Behavioral Heath Services for North Shore University Hospital Department of Psychiatry and co-founder of the North Shore Hospital Drug Treatment and Education Center, Long Island’s first comprehensive hospital-based addiction treatment center. A former educator and school district administrator, in 1969 Dr. Imhof was appointed Coordinator of Drug Education for the Lynbrook Public Schools, the nation’s first full time position in substance abuse prevention and education.
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Dr. Imhof co-founded Long Island’s first comprehensive treatment center, the North Shore Hospital Drug Treatment and Education Center and is the co-founder (1984) and currently Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of the esteemed Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. He has published over 40 articles, chapters, books, editorials, and audio-visual instructional materials on a wide range of issues in behavioral health services in addition to receiving several awards for his work in mental health and substance abuse treatment and prevention. During his term as Commissioner, in 2017 the Nassau County Department of Social Services was the first government agency ever acclaimed as Agency of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers, Nassau division.
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From 2010-2019, Dr. Imhof served as Chairperson of the Nassau County Task Force on Family Violence and in 2017 was elected President of the New York Public Welfare Association, representing the social service commissioners of New York’s 62 counties.
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Dr. Imhof earned his PhD in Psychology from The Union Institute and University, Cincinnati, Ohio; Master of Arts in Education (MA) and Master of Social Work (MSW) from Adelphi University; Master of Public Administration (MPA) from LIU Post; and Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Social Sciences from St. John's University. Dr. Imhof’s faculty appointments have included Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at NYU Langone School of Medicine; Clinical Instructor in Psychiatry at Cornell University Medical College; Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at NY and Instructor in Health Education at Adelphi University. He’s the former chair of the Long Island University — Post BSW program and Adjunct Professor of Social Work at Long Island University.
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Dr. Imhof currently practices in Roslyn Heights, NY, specializing in gerontological counseling in addition to providing clinical supervision of therapists developing private practices.
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