Celebrated Philadelphia group taps Alvernia grad to be its first full-time medical social worker

Celebrated Philadelphia group taps Alvernia grad to be its first full-time medical social worker

By Lini S. Kadaba
 

As Daria Podell ’24, MSW ’25 was wrapping up her internship at the Black Doctors Consortium during her accelerated master’s in social work, she sought out recommendations for her job search.

Podell, 25, was met with puzzlement from Dr. Ala Stanford, the celebrated organization’s founder. Why would she need a recommendation? the physician wondered. She wanted Podell to stay and work at the Dr. Ala Stanford for Health Equity in North Philadelphia, as the consortium also is known.

But the clinic, based at Deliverance Evangelistic Church, didn’t have a social work/therapist position, the type of job the Wynnewood resident was looking to land. Stanford was so impressed with the Alvernia University-honed social work and therapy skills the recent graduate brought to the table that a new position was created to continue those services for clients.

Podell is making her mark as the center’s first full-time medical social worker. In that role, she helps connect at-risk people of color with much-needed resources. At the same time, she’s preparing to take the licensed master social worker (LMSW) exam, after which she will log the 3,000 hours of practice she'll need to earn her licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) credential. Her ultimate goal is opening her own private practice.

“Even as an intern, we came to rely on Daria to assist patients with medication access, housing, clothing, and insurance enrollment when eligible,” Stanford said. “I remember thinking if she could do this effectively as a student in training, what might she be able to do if she were with us full time?”

Stanford has not been disappointed. Podell has been a boon to the organization.

“I love advocating for vulnerable populations,” she said during a break from her work. “They need a voice. They need someone who understands them. I’m patient. I’m motivated to find alternative options for my patients and help them the best I can. I don’t give up easily.”

Initially accepted into Alvernia's nursing program, Podell took a gap year after high school, during which she realized her passion had shifted. She changed her major to social work, with a minor in gerontology. She enrolled in the university’s online Advanced Standing Masters of Social Work — a way for BSW graduates to earn an accelerated master’s degree with just one additional year of study. In fall 2024, Podell began the internship at the consortium, thanks to an introduction from an Alvernia professor, as she worked on her master’s.

“I chose Alvernia for the values they have and their mission,” she said. “They’re very committed to social justice and advocating for ethical leadership. There was definitely a sense of community, being responsible for the well-being of others. It all resonated with me. This is how I was raised.”

As an undergraduate, Podell excelled, earning membership in the Phi Alpha Honor Society for social work students and joining Alvernia’s Social Work Association for service projects. She also won the Master of Social Work Outstanding Academic Achievement Award, which recognizes a student who demonstrates integrity, community service and academic excellence.

The online master’s offered many benefits, Podell said, including the ability to return to the Philadelphia area, getting a “head start in the community where I saw my future,” and to take on the internship. “It allowed me to also attend to other responsibilities in my life, my family, self-care,” she said. “It was very convenient.”

Podell attributed her undergraduate and graduate academic success to Alvernia’s small classes that foster connections with professors and the University’s many resources, including its Academic Success Center.

“Nothing was easy for me,” she said. “I had to work for it. But Alvernia had these resources. When you have resources, you are able to excel.”

That access continued through the master’s program, where she was able to connect with professors or counselors via video chats and even participate in Alvernia-sponsored events in the Philadelphia area.

Podell said her education also has helped her flourish on the job. Its client-centered courses that included many one-on-one scenarios and plenty of practice with documentation gave her Day One skills.

“Everything in my classes,” she said, “I’m able to apply here in my current job.”

Stanford noticed another, perhaps even more important, quality for a social worker.

“Her education at Alvernia clearly helped prepare her not just with skills and knowledge, but with a values-based approach to social work — one rooted in advocacy, humanity and resilience,” she said. “Those qualities are exactly what make her so effective at the Black Doctors Consortium.”

“Without that education and what it taught me," Podell said, "I honestly don’t think I’d be where I am today.”