Gaudenzia Philly House
Title: 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 Preceptor:
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.
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
“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.”
Casey Baughan
“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.”
Lindsey Dowd