From left: Kelsey Fleming, Megan Fucci, Deirdre MacFarlane, Lauren Tempesta
Megan Fucci, Kelsey Fleming, Deirdre MacFarlane, and Lauren Tempesta have successfully completed their internship in clinical social work at the Penn Memory Center, a final step towards earning their Masters in Social Work degrees from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice. The students had been Penn Aging Concentration Fellows in the program.
“I had the honor and privilege of supervising all four Advanced Year students at the PMC,” said Felicia Greenfield, director of clinical research operations and care programs. “They each brought so much to our center, and it is with mixed emotions that their internship is coming to an end.”
In addition to the day-to-day social work, each student had a special project:
- Fleming coordinated Memory Café, making improvements to increase attendance and developing outcome measures that demonstrate that goals of the café are being met. Memory Café will continue under the watch of Alison Lynn, assistant director of care programs.
- Tempesta helped oversee Cognitive Comedy alongside facilitator Leah Lawler. She and Fleming also had the opportunity to demonstrate their clinical skills by leading Caregiver Class this spring,
- MacFarlane — “a rockstar,” Greenfield says — was intricately involved in the Curtis at Home program, bringing the Curtis Institute of Music into the homes of PMC patients and families. She also led a music therapy group for patients and their caregivers. Sounds of tambourines, maracas, drums, guitar, and singing could be heard in the halls of Ralston House on Tuesday mornings.
- Fucci spent the year developing a volunteer partnership between the PMC and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Starting this week, members of the PMC community will spend afternoons reading to kids at CHOP. This intergenerational partnership will provide meaningful engagement for the PMC community while bringing joy and literacy to local children. Fucci will continue working with PMC through the summer.
“I will be forever grateful to Megan, Kelsey, Deirdre and Lauren for all they brought to our patients and families, faculty and staff,” Greenfield said.
