Tell us about your path to becoming a psychologist.
My path to my career began in high school when I became incredibly interested in the intersection of psychology and the legal system. This continued through college at Creighton University, where I was fortunate to have an incredible mentor related to forensic psychology. I continued to the clinical graduate program at UNL and participated in the law program, earning my Master of Legal Studies. I completed my predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino, California.
I have primarily worked in a clinical/forensic role both at the Lincoln Regional Center (DHHS) and the Omaha Correctional Center (NDCS). In 2023, I transitioned out of health services to a role in facility administration as the Deputy Warden. I act as second-in-command for an 800 bed minimum security men’s prison, overseeing security and operations of the facility.
What has been your biggest career challenge?
Moving out of psychology was a big leap, but it has been a wonderful challenge, and I feel like I have the opportunity to impact many people in my current role. I do maintain a private practice where I complete some forensic evaluations.
What do you like to do when you aren’t working? Any fun hobbies/interests?
Reading is my favorite hobby, and moving into more of an administrative role I have found myself reading more books about leadership.
What are you reading or listening to right now, or what is a recent book you read?
I have really enjoyed books by John Maxwell including "The Five Levels of Leadership”, as well as “Switch: How to Change Things when Change is Hard” by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. Also, I’m a big history buff - I love reading historical books, autobiographies, and memoirs. I recently read a book about Fort Sumter and the start of the Civil War, so now I am hoping to someday be able to visit it in person!
What’s a project you are working on right now? Why is it meaningful?
There is a great documentary called “26.2 to Life” which is about a group of volunteers who lead a running group at San Quentin Prison in California. The documentary captures the life-changing aspects of running, especially for those involved as they lead up to running a full marathon within the prison. Inspired by this, I reached out to the Omaha Running Club to see if they would be interested in starting something like that here. We have been collaborating since last fall and have developed a proposal that was recently approved to start a running group here at the Omaha Correctional Center (OCC). I am so excited to see how it plays out.
Download Member Spotlight PDF: Sarah Hoff