Wellness Program

Nicole Gier, LICSW, focuses her work on adapting and delivering evidence-based, contextual behavior therapies across the continuum of interdisciplinary healthcare settings. Upon completion of her master’s degree in social work at Indiana University in 2009, her career has unfolded in various settings including community hospitals, primary care, private practice and academic medical centers. She joined the Comprehensive Care Program (CCP) at the University of Chicago Medicine in 2014. CCP is an innovative primary care model and research study focused on building meaningful relationships between healthcare providers and individuals with complex, chronic medical and social needs. Within CCP, she develops and manages the provision of social service interventions and behavioral health programming alongside an interprofessional team of social workers, community health worker, AmeriCorps volunteers, nurses, and physicians.

Nicole applies Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), & mindfulness frameworks in healthcare settings as a way to guide interprofessional team communication, to explore social determinants of health, and to empower individuals who are suffering to lead meaningful lives. Nicole has presented her work and research on the local, regional, and national level.

In addition to her clinical work, Nicole maintains a small private practice and enjoys teaching the next generation of social workers and physicians at: UChicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice; The UChicago Pritzker School of Medicine; & The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.