Health

Dr. Jacqueline E. Somerville is a distinguished public health leader, licensed clinical professional counselor, educator, and advocate with more than 20 years of progressive experience in behavioral health, public health administration, clinical practice, and policy development. In 2025, Dr. Somerville was appointed Interim Health Officer for Prince George’s County, where she currently leads strategic health initiatives aimed at improving the well-being of over 900,000 residents.

In her role as Interim Health Officer, Dr. Somerville oversees all operations of the Prince George’s County Health Department, including a workforce of more than 500 public health professionals and an operating budget exceeding $74 million. She is responsible for executing the Department’s mission to promote, protect, and ensure the health of the County’s residents by leading efforts in disease prevention, health promotion, environmental health, emergency preparedness, and equitable service delivery. Working in partnership with the Maryland Department of Health, local government officials, and community stakeholders, she plays a central role in shaping health policy, ensuring regulatory compliance, and directing responses to complex public health challenges.

Dr. Somerville’s leadership is grounded in decades of direct service and executive experience within the Prince George’s County Health Department. Prior to her current role, she served as the Associate Director of Behavioral Health Services from 2022 to 2025, where she provided executive oversight for the Behavioral Health Services Division and the Local Behavioral Health Authority (LBHA). She led high-impact initiatives focused on prevention, treatment, and recovery for mental health and substance use disorders, developed cross-sector partnerships, and expanded community access to culturally responsive care. Under her direction, the Department successfully secured and implemented multi-million-dollar state and federal grants, improved service integration across criminal justice and healthcare systems, and introduced innovative strategies to reduce health disparities.

From 2013 to 2022, Dr. Somerville served as Public Health Program Chief, where she was instrumental in designing and implementing countywide behavioral health strategies aligned with local priorities and emerging needs. She directed more than $10 million in grant-funded programming, led multidisciplinary teams, and coordinated public awareness campaigns to reduce stigma, promote early intervention, and elevate community engagement. Her work helped to establish reentry treatment programs for individuals transitioning from incarceration, enhanced continuity of care, and promoted evidence-based practices throughout the provider network .Her earlier roles with the Health Department included serving as Program Supervisor for the Addictions and Mental Health Division from 2012 to 2013, where she managed jail-based treatment programs and the County’s Drug Court initiative. She provided leadership in budget development, regulatory compliance, and service integration, ensuring quality outcomes for justice-involved populations with complex behavioral health needs.

Beyond county government, Dr. Somerville brings deep clinical and academic expertise to her work. From 2005 to 2012, she served as Clinical Supervisor at Johns Hopkins Community Psychiatry at Bayview, where she led clinical operations supporting persons with severe and persistent mental illness within a community psychiatry program. She provided supervision to licensed therapists, coordinated internship training for graduate psychology students, and managed grant-funded projects focused on expanding access to behavioral health services.

Dr. Somerville also maintained a private clinical practice from 2007 to 2020, specializing in individual, couples, and family therapy for clients facing co-occurring mental health and substance use challenges. Her approach integrates trauma-informed, evidence-based, and culturally competent models of care.

Her research and grant development experience have been equally impactful. She has served as a Principal Investigator on major federal initiatives, including the U.S. Department of Justice Smart Reentry Initiative and SAMHSA’s Offender Reentry Program, and played a central role in securing over $3 million in competitive funding from federal, state, and multi-agency sources. Early in her career, she contributed to the National Male Minority Health Project as a research assistant at Bowie State University, supporting a $1.2 million initiative to address health disparities among minority men.

A passionate educator, Dr. Somerville has taught graduate counseling psychology courses since 2009 at Bowie State University and since 2022 at Johns Hopkins University. Her teaching emphasizes cultural humility, clinical ethics, and system-of-care approaches, helping shape the next generation of behavioral health professionals.

Dr. Somerville holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (2008) from Argosy University, as well as a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology (2005) and a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology (2003) from Bowie State University. She earned her Bachelor of Science in 1990 from York College of Pennsylvania and has been licensed as a Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in Maryland since 2005. Throughout her career, Dr. Somerville has been recognized for her commitment to equity, excellence, and innovation in public service. Her leadership style is collaborative and mission-driven, grounded in a deep understanding of behavioral health systems and the social determinants of health. As Interim Health Officer, she continues to serve Prince George’s County with distinction—advancing the County’s health equity goals, fostering resilience in communities, and building strong foundations for lifelong wellness.