Located on East Lehigh Avenue, the center treats patients suffering from a broad spectrum of mental health issues, ranging from drug and alcohol abuse to schizophrenia and many other ailments, said director of social work Jay Finestone.

And it is where Sachanese Thomas, a second-year student in the Master of Social Work Program, is spending the fall semester. She assists Episcopal social workers in finding patients housing and outpatient providers who assist them in coping with mental health or substance abuse issues. There is no such thing as an average day, Thomas said. She likes the experience and says it is helping to prepare her for a career in service to others.

“I can see myself working with outpatients, working with people in society and helping them find resources,” she said.

The internship program, which has won School of Social Administration awards, gives Master of Social Work students the chance to work in a hospital setting, Finestone said. Seven students are part of this semester’s class.


At the same time, the internship program provides a ready pool of talent for the entire Temple University Health system. Over the past nine years, Finestone has hired nine former interns at Episcopal and has recommended several others for positions at other hospitals in the system.

Former intern LJ Rasi is an example. He began his relationship with Temple in 2001 as a second year intern at Neumann Medical Center. In 2002, he was hired as a full-time social worker and worked on an inpatient psychiatric unit for four years. He later was promoted to director of utilization management. According to Finestone, Rasi’s progression through the system demonstrates how beneficial the relationship is: six out of the 14 employees in the social work department began as Temple interns.

But beyond the chance it gives for students to work with patients, the internship provides an opportunity to learn just how important social workers are to those who really need an advocate, Finestone said.


After an orientation, students contribute to the day-to-day care of Episcopal patients. They attend treatment team sessions, discharge planning meetings and group therapy sessions and have regular contact with families and case managers. They are also encouraged to attend weekly psychiatry grand rounds held at the Episcopal Campus.

Finestone said that the relationship he has developed with the School of Social Administration is invaluable. He organizes lunch and learn seminars and a full-day School of Social Administration conference each year.


Although internships at a mental health facility can be difficult, Finestone said Temple students rise to the challenge.

“I hope that the internship experience really brings their classroom work to life,” said Finestone. “As the Chinese proverb says, ‘I read and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.’”