By Meghan McCarthy
Over twenty years ago, Felicia Greenfield, MSW, LCSW, was an observant English teacher in Durham, North Carolina. Each day, Greenfield returned home from school impassioned. Watching how past and present traumas impacted teens in the classroom, she questioned how to cultivate a rich learning environment for her students.
Her curiosity extended beyond the classroom, spurred by her relationship with her then landlord who worked in child welfare and introduced her to social work. Greenfield soon embraced her newfound career path, moving to Philadelphia in 2001 to ultimately pursue a Master of Social Work at the University of Pennsylvania, where she had since made her professional home.
Portrait of Greenfield
A Student and self-starter
Originally not intending to stay at Penn past graduate school, Greenfield juggled research coordinator roles in various departments while earning her Master of Social Work (MSW) degree part-time. While she started out in rheumatology, a research coordinator position at the Penn Memory Center (PMC) piqued her interest.
“Both of my grandparents on my father’s side died from Alzheimer’s,” Greenfield said. “The job had a more meaningful connection to me than my role in rheumatology.”
Hired by Christopher Clark, MD, in 2006, Greenfield began her career focused on research administration and was later promoted to oversee regulatory compliance for PMC studies. Still, Greenfield planned to work with children and youth as a social worker. As her MSW graduation approached in 2008, Greenfield informed Steve Arnold, MD, PMC new director at the time, of her impending leave, but Dr. Arnold was not ready to let the talent go.
Arnold pitched the idea of Greenfield starting a social work program at PMC. While this was not the plan, Greenfield was grateful for the opportunity and decided it was one that she could ultimately not pass up.
PMC Social Work Program blossoms
In its beginnings, the program started out small.
Greenfield became educated on the resources families could benefit from at the time of diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRDs).
In clinic, she would sit with families to help process diagnostic information and provided a packet of resource materials.
“It was exciting because I like building things from the ground up,” she said. “I didn’t necessarily have a vision for PMC at that time. I just wanted to learn what it took to be a good social work clinician.”
Slowly but surely, Greenfield did develop a vision.
As she collaborated with the PMC and geriatric psychiatry clinics, Greenfield grew confidence in working as a therapist for patients and caregivers. She then partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association to run support groups for both caregivers and patients in early stages of dementia.
During this time, Greenfield collaborated with Dawn Mechanic-Hamilton, PhD, ABPP/CN, and others in PMC to design the first iteration of the Cognitive Fitness program and received her first grant award from the Barra Foundation to support the program.
“I was really learning the importance of human connection,” Greenfield said. “Even with limited resources, I could not sacrifice quality. I began to invest in training the next generation of professionals to make sure we were delivering quality care to all of our families.”
Greenfield’s commitment to human connection and quality care laid the foundation for a robust internship program, further solidifying her role as a mentor upon becoming a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) in 2012 and a field liaison at the School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) at Penn. Since that time, Greenfield has trained and supervised upwards of 50 MSW interns.
A significant contribution from the Julius H. Caplan Family Foundation in 2016 enabled the program’s expansion. At the time, Eli Caplan’s wife, Janet, was diagnosed with mild stages of dementia by Arnold and Dave Wolk, MD. Greenfield worked intimately with the family to provide support and educational tools while navigating Janet’s disease. Incredibly grateful for the support and care they received, Caplan’s family foundation redirected all of their charitable gifts to the PMC with the intent to expand and support PMC caregivers.
“She simply is the best of the best,” Eli said.
“Felicia was a blessing to our family and so many others,” Sloan Caplan said. “We are excited for her and feel a calm knowing she will continue to help others. We wish her well in her future endeavors.”
A full circle moment
This generous donation allowed Greenfield to hire Alison Lynn, MSW, LCSW, her first-time social worker who was a part of her intern program in 2016. Lynn has since been promoted to Director of Social Work.
“That gift proved that I built something meaningful and provided the financial resources to back it up and continue to grow it,” she said.
Following the donation, PMC Co-Directors Jason Karlawish, MD, and Wolk created a new position for Greenfield: executive director of the center.
In the subsequent years, Greenfield flourished.
She began the first Memory Cafe in the Philadelphia region, assumed a teaching role at SP2, and was able to hire Meg Kalafsky, MHCI, after receiving a three-year grant from the Pew Charitable Trust in order to build the Time Together program.
When COVID-19 hit, she remained steadfast in her program development. Greenfield led initiatives to pivot all offerings to virtual platforms, created open forums for support groups, and recorded version of PMC’s caregiver class for people to take remotely.
Outside of PMC, Greenfield joined the advisory board for the Bob’s Last Marathon podcast. Her episode, Final Loss, was the most listened-to episode to date.
Earning additional funding from the Institute on Aging to conduct research on Time Together, as well as securing grants from the Community Care Corps (C3) and the Sarah Ralston Foundation to support Time Together and grow the new Caring Collective program, Greenfield was interviewed by the New York Times to promote the project and presented Time Together findings at last year’s Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC).
Portrait of Greenfield
Valuing the role of mentor
Amongst the accolades, Greenfield remains grounded.
“I still run the support group I started about 10 years ago,” Greenfield said. “Many spouses have passed, so it’s now a group that focuses on the transition from caregiver to loss. It’s a testament to the long-standing trusting relationships built during my time here and is one of the most meaningful aspects of my work.”
Greenfield’s journey has been marked not only by her professional achievements but also by her dedication to mentorship. Colleagues and interns alike laud her guidance and support, underscoring her role as a woman of influence within PMC.
Alison Lynn is amongst many grateful for Greenfield.
“Throughout my time at PMC, Felicia has served not only as a mentor but also as a friend, championing both my career and my lifecycle moments, and acting as a source of unwavering support,” Lynn said. “I will miss her dearly, but I am so proud of her for fulfilling a professional dream, and I have no doubt that she’ll be successful for years to come. I have learned so much from her, from the nuanced clinical skills a social worker needs to work with our patient population, to how to assert yourself as a woman in the workplace, and how to build an entire program from scratch.”
Greenfield’s role hasn’t always been easy, but it’s one she views as a privilege.
“I will always advocate for change,” she said. “I’m not only a woman, I also carry staff (not faculty) status at Penn. In that way, I don’t fit into the traditional academia structure. I try to support not just women in the work place, but also others with staff status. You don’t have to be a scientist to contribute valuable work here.”
Next Ventures
After two decades, Greenfield felt poised to leverage her experience and passion for assisting others by establishing her own therapy and consultation practice. This new venture aims to offer specialized support for caregivers, individuals facing age-related challenges, and those navigating grief and loss, utilizing both in-person and telehealth modalities.
“My time at PMC has truly changed my life,” Greenfield said. “It’s given me a wealth of knowledge and a unique skillset that I think can be beneficial to anyone who needs therapeutic support.”
Greenfield has an office in the Rittenhouse neighborhood in Center City, Philadelphia, and will also provide telehealth services for those interested.
While letting go of her role as executive director of PMC, Greenfield looks forward to ongoing collaboration and her involvement in long-term caregiver support groups.
Although much has changed, Greenfield’s values remain the same.
“I remain committed to always try to be calm, clear, compassionate, and confident in all that I do,” she said.
Greenfield’s practice is currently accepting referrals and new patients. To learn more about her practice and services, please click here.
Greenfield’s farewell party