Depaul USA
Title: To Listen and to Learn: Experiences with Individuals Facing Housing Insecurity and Substance Use Disorder
Student Interns:
Sydney Fiore
Drexel University College of Medicine
Academic Preceptor:
Steven Peitzman, MD, FACP
Drexel University College of Medicine
Community Preceptor:
Suzannah Hartzell
Depaul USA
Community Site:
Depaul USA opened its first program in Philadelphia in 2009 and now runs five programs: a recovery house, supportive housing for individuals with chronic health conditions and a history of housing instability, transitional housing for college students experiencing homelessness, rapid rehousing, and a social enterprise that offers employment opportunities for residents and graduates of the recovery program. Depaul aims to provide comprehensive services, including housing, case management, financial assistance, and employment assistance, to help individuals transition out of homelessness and into lives of greater stability and fulfillment.
Team’s Experience:
The Bridging the Gaps student intern rotated among three Depaul USA locations: St. Raymond’s House, St. Joseph’s House, and Depaul House. St. Raymond’s provides housing for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness; St. Joseph’s provides housing for college students facing housing insecurity; and Depaul House is a recovery house for men with substance use disorder. At St. Raymond’s House, the intern organized the food pantry, attended interviews for new residents, went on walks with residents, and attended a field trip with the residents. At St. Joseph’s House, the intern made a résumé template for the students to follow and assisted the residents with job and scholarship applications, credit score requests, and medical billing and insurance issues. At Depaul House, the intern wrote progress notes about the residents by speaking with them about their recovery progress and well-being.
Reflections
“The Bridging the Gaps internship at Depaul House was an excellent, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to become acquainted with a population that I otherwise would not get to speak with in a nonclinical setting. Prior to this internship, I had never worked with people suffering from substance use disorder and facing housing insecurity. Over the course of the summer, I created many connections with the residents I met through our time spent together, and I witnessed the barriers that they face in accessing healthcare, finding jobs, and obtaining housing. Just listening to each of their stories taught me so much about humanity, community, and love. This experience has deeply affected how I view myself as a future healthcare provider, and I am so grateful that I was able to have this opportunity.”
Sydney Fiore