Julia Reed is a licensed clinical social worker serving as the Senior Director for the Center for Counseling and Well-Being at the University of Central Oklahoma.
Ms. Reed sees her social work life as a profession of storytelling and story collecting. The story sharing presents an opportunity for connection with new people and creates space for experiencing the world through someone else’s lens.
Ms. Reed loves learning about others, experiencing new places and spaces in books or in real life, and trying new flavors and foods. As a military brat, Ms. Reed moved frequently and attended at least six different schools in her K12 experience. These moves helped her redefine what “home” means, yet gave her an incredible opportunity to make new friends and connections, many of whom remain her close friends today.
Ms. Reed obtained her Bachelors of Science in Political Science and Sociology, and completed her Master of Social Work from the University of Oklahoma. This experience connected her with community leaders and visionaries who were mentors and shapers of her career in social work.
For the first 23 years of her career, Julia worked in nonprofit agencies serving diverse populations and has a passion for serving children, young people, and families. Her social work career has provided experiences in many settings, including hospitals, juvenile justice, and nonprofits.
She has served as the Assistant Director of Catholic Charities, as the Chief Operating Officer at Sunbeam Family Services, and as a consultant and trainer for the Oklahoma State Board of Licensed Social Workers.
Since 2014, Ms. Reed has worked at the University of Central Oklahoma serving as the senior director of the Center for Counseling and Well-Being. In 2019, Ms. Reed was a 2018 recipient of the University of Central Oklahoma “Women Who Inspire” award. In 2019, she was selected as the Oklahoma Social Worker of the Year by the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.