Jeff Natalie, LSW

Licensed Social Worker Jeffrey Natalie is known throughout the region for his work as a family therapist, who specializes in working with kids experiencing divorce, but his work extends far beyond his practice. Natalie also founded ErieKIDS, a local non-profit that benefits children who face emotional and mental health issues.  His KIDS (Knowledge, Involvement, Discipline, and Support) Curriculum helps children to communicate their feelings and cope with problems affecting them. Natalie is a part-time instructor in Edinboro University of Pennsylvania’s Social Work Graduate Program. He is also a nationally recognized consultant and speaker who has brought his insights to schools, community centers, churches, and other organizations throughout the region.

As an instructor, Natalie believes that being a social worker alone isn’t enough today. He says that social workers need to have self-awareness, creativity, and the ability to draw attention to what they are doing. In order to make a difference, social workers must see themselves as bigger than just their jobs, and they must work to reshape the social services sector.

To counter the burn-out that many therapists experience and to further expand the reach of his practice, Natalie learned the craft of filmmaking and launched a for-profit video production company, J Michael Films. Natalie created characters based on the emotions he most frequently sees in his work – anger, depression, and anxiety – and first built a talk from them. He later adapted this presentation into a series of videos on emotional intelligence. In “Lost in Erie,” his nieces played the roles and he received a lot of positive press about the production, which prompted him to develop additional films in the series: “Emily Gets Angry” and “In the Middle.” Natalie also produced “Sex, Drugs, and Rock ‘n Roll” for Family Services and “Do Little, Save Big” for Girl Scouts. He has won first place from the National Afterschool Alliance for a PSA.

In addition to his work as psychotherapist, videographer, and President of ErieKIDS, Natalie is extremely active in his profession. He serves as committee chair of the Downtown YMCA Childcare Committee; mental health liaison to the PA Governor’s Northwest Regional Key Leadership Committee; and children’s advisor for the American Association of Responsible Gambling Board. Plus, he has been a member of the National Alliance of the Mentally Ill, Erie Chapter and a committee member for the Committee on Psychological Reporting in Child Custody Cases and Parent Coordination. He is Divorce.Net.com’s “Parenting – Helping your kids” forum consultant and a professional consultant for the STAR 104 morning show on child and family problems.

Natalie grew up in a poor neighborhood Erie, which he believes brings him humility and keeps him close to his roots. He graduated from Gannon University in 1990 and Case Western Reserve University in 1998. He also trained in family therapy at Philadelphia Child Guidance and Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic.

Natalie lives in Millcreek with his wife Leslie, Vice-President and Treasurer of ErieKIDS, and their two children, Devon (12) and Gianna (7).