Philadelphia 2025
Mental Health & Substance use projects
Gaudenzia Philly House
Health and Healing in Reentry
Student Interns:
Casey Baughan, Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health
Lindsey Dowd, Drexel University School of Medicine
Academic Preceptor:
James Buehler, MD, Drexel University Dornsife School of Public Health
Community Preceptors:
Agnes Brown, Gaudenzia Philly House
Amanda Jernigan, LCSW, Gaudenzia Philly House
Community Site:
Gaudenzia Philly House is a transitional housing facility for formerly incarcerated women, offering mental health, substance use, and reentry services. Gaudenzia Philly House is funded by the Department of Corrections and regularly houses between 20 and 30 women. Gaudenzia aims to provide residents with the treatment, support, resources, and life skills they need to reintegrate into society.
https://www.gaudenzia.org/location/philly-house/
Team’s Experience:
The Bridging the Gaps student interns assisted residents with their personal, medical, and professional goals as they transitioned back into society post-incarceration. The interns led group sessions on a variety of health topics and created and distributed educational materials at each session. The interns connected residents to outside programs, coordinated and accompanied residents to medical appointments, and explored resources and interventions to help them with medical, professional, and housing needs. The interns also facilitated group activities focused on group morale and mental health.
Reflections:
Casey Baughan: “Working at Gaudenzia this summer has allowed me to learn about the unique strengths and challenges of a population that often does not get much attention. Working daily with the staff and residents at Gaudenzia provided me with important insights into the barriers that impact female reentrants. Reentry is an extensive and mentally draining process, which involves acquiring a new ID and medical insurance, navigating social services, establishing new healthcare providers, and more, all while adjusting to new living conditions, a new location, and changes in society. Many of the systems in place do not make it easy for reentrants to get the information and resources they need, with most processes requiring extensive phone calls, several appointments, and lengthy waiting periods. There are limited services and programs in Pennsylvania that serve women, especially those with mental health needs. Building relationships with the women here and navigating their needs firsthand has allowed me to understand the extensive challenges and difficult circumstances faced by reentrants. The residents here have been open and trusting of me and allowed me the opportunity to learn from and connect with them. I have been forever inspired by their patience and resilience in the face of constant obstacles and setbacks and hope to take all that I have learned from them with me in my future public health endeavors.”
Lindsey Dowd: “Spending the summer at Gaudenzia was an enriching experience as we had the opportunity to witness the day-to-day lives of residents and staff, gaining insight into the challenges and strengths of women navigating reentry. We learned a lot about resilience, identity, and the societal influences that shape self-perception and personal growth, while gaining firsthand experience navigating the health systems and social services of Philadelphia. While facilitating health and life skills education groups, we practiced organizing and presenting information in an effective and digestible way. One of the most significant takeaways from this experience was recognizing the invisibility of this population. We came to encounter many obstacles these women faced in accessing basic resources and care and learned how most services in the state were specific to formerly incarcerated men’s needs as opposed to those of women. Gaudenzia Philly House currently serves as the sole residential mental health facility in Philadelphia dedicated specifically to formerly incarcerated women. I leave this experience grateful for the relationships I have grown over the past six weeks and a profound admiration for the women at Gaudenzia and the strength they maintain in the face of some of life’s greatest challenges.”
Merakey – Police Assisted Diversion (PAD) Program
Navigating Urban Care: A Summer Experience at Merakey PAD in Kensington
Student Interns:
Gabriel De Jesus, Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law
Haley Masters, Drexel University College of Medicine
Academic Preceptor:
Charlene Chen, MD, Esperanza Health Center
Community Preceptor:
David Malloy, MSW, Merakey PAD
Community Site:
Merakey provides recovery services to help people struggling with substance use disorder. The Merakey Police Assisted Diversion (PAD) program works in collaboration with the Office of Public Safety of the Philadelphia Police Department and various social service providers to defer people from the criminal justice system by connecting them to behavioral and social health services. Merakey staff work collaboratively with the Behavior Health Unit, East Service Detail, and Central Service Detail to provide services instead of criminal prosecution. Merakey’s mobile team supports the local schools and community to create a safe environment for kids to learn and the community to thrive.
Team’s Experience:
The Bridging the Gaps student interns worked with Merakey’s outreach specialists. Their main role was to engage with people who walked in, address their needs, help with assessments, provide support for diversions, and work collaboratively with citywide partners. The interns’ primary focus this summer was meeting the ever-evolving needs of the Kensington community.
Reflections:
Gabriel De Jesus: “It was such a rewarding experience to be able to give back to the Kensington community. Every week provides a new opportunity to learn more about the community as well as the available resources within the area. As a law student, it was enjoyable to view how the criminal justice system intersects with the healthcare system and the alternative pathways available within diversion programs. As a law student, I enjoyed gaining firsthand exposure to the intersections between the criminal justice system and the healthcare system.”
Haley Masters: “This program has been extremely beneficial for my development as a physician. As a medical student, I enjoyed learning about the interdisciplinary health needs of this population as well as working collaboratively with the CAMP team from Penn Medicine. The hands-on experience with this acute population and those working with this group have helped me understand more about the pre-hospital healthcare system. From a personal development perspective, I have learned to call out the stigmatization this population faces and work to be their advocate in the healthcare system.”
Prevention Point Philadelphia
Syringe Services and Program Navigation
Student Intern:
Morgan Purcell, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine
Academic Preceptors:
Hillary R. Bogner, MD, MSCE, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine
Donald L. Boyer, MD, MSEd, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Community Preceptors:
Liba Judd, Prevention Point Philadelphia
Alison Sonnenschein, Prevention Point Philadelphia
Community Site:
Prevention Point Philadelphia is a harm-reduction-based public health nonprofit providing low-barrier services to Philadelphia and the surrounding area.
Team’s Experience:
The Bridging the Gaps student intern worked with both the Syringe Services and Integrated Healthcare Management programs. The intern helped provide services directly, including supplying participants with safe injection supplies, registering them for the syringe exchange, and helping to secure basic necessities such as water and clothing. By accompanying case managers and participants on medical visits, the intern learned how case managers can advocate for more vulnerable patient populations and how healthcare providers can incorporate harm reduction into their practice. The intern also assisted case managers in completing service eligibility checks and tracking program engagement. At the culmination of the internship, the intern created a new REDCap data collection form to register participants interested in social services, track engagement with navigation services, identify commonly requested resources among new participants at Prevention Point, and support follow-up efforts to engage participants in medical, legal, and social services offered at Prevention Point.
Reflections:
Morgan Purcell: “As I reflect on my time at Prevention Point, I am reminded of how essential community organizations are in bridging the gap between marginalized patient populations and the formal healthcare system. The folks working at Prevention Point show up every day for those who need it most and often serve as the first point of care for individuals who are often excluded or forgotten about in traditional medical settings. The support of community organizations like Prevention Point extends beyond what physicians can provide, offering hope, stability, and human connection in deeply meaningful ways. As a future physician, I hope to maintain strong, collaborative relationships with community organizations and to stay grounded in the real-life challenges my patients face outside the clinic walls. I have also witnessed how Prevention Point Philadelphia and other community organizations have suffered in today’s political climate and with significant cuts to funding, leading to a renewed commitment to advocacy for my future patients and for the organizations that care for them. It is not enough to treat illness; we must also protect and uplift the systems that allow people to survive.”