Janet Melnick, PhD

Dr. Janet Ann Melnick holds a PhD in Human Development with a specialization in Social Work. Prior to working on her doctorate, she was in clinical practice and administration in local agencies that specialize in work with the elderly for over fifteen years.

Dr. Melnick was the original supervisor of the Protective Service Unit for the Lackawanna County Area Agency on Aging. After leaving the AAA, Dr. Melnick was the Director of Rehabilitation Services for Telespond Senior Services. In that capacity she was responsible for the administration of two adult day services facilities, a CORF- Coordinated Outpatient Rehabilitation Facility, In- home Respire Services and Family Caregiver Services.

Dr. Melnick was one of the original grantees for Robert Wood Johnson Dementia Care and Respite Services Project. After the end of that grant demonstration project she was invited to become a consultant for the RWJ Foundation Partners in Caregiving Program, which funded and mentored Adult Day Care Program across the country. Dr. Melnick was the Assistant Coordinator of the Social Work Field Program at Marywood University prior to moving to Penn State.

Dr. Melnick has been faculty member in Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) at the Pennsylvania State University Scranton since 2000. She is a Teaching Professor and also the Program Coordinator and Field Coordinator for the HDFS program on the PSU Scranton campus. Her primary teaching responsibility is in the gerontology and the internship components of the program. Dr. Melnick’s research has been predominantly in the area of rural home and community-based services to the elderly. She has been the primary investigator for 3 grants from the Center for Rural PA in this area of research.

Discipline Focus: Research in geriatric issues, services and dementia care and caregiving issues; field (internship): the transmission of knowledge from experienced practitioner to novice and pedagogical development.