Project ACCESS

This is the next in a series of posts by recipients of the Career Services Summer Funding Grant. We’ve asked funding recipients to reflect on their summer experiences and talk about the industries in which they’ve been spending their summer. You can read the entire series here.

This entry is by Victoria Kalbacher, COL ’19

This past summer, I have had the privilege to work in CHOP’s research division under PI Dr. Ricardo Eiraldi. Dr. Eiraldi’s study, Project ACCESS, concerns itself with child and adolescent mental health, and how programming can be implemented in Philadelphia public schools to positively intervene in the lives of at risk youths. As a research assistant, I had a number of responsibilities in the office and in our partner schools. I speak with children and their families to get a holistic picture of a participating child’s life. I also organize and enter data relevant to the study, and conduct structured interviews which assess mental health. I enjoy my position immensely because I believe effective behavioral health services in trauma informed communities will serve as a protective factor against the potential development of mental illnesses later in life. Overall, working for Project ACCESS this summer was fantastic, and I am excited to continue on with the endeavor as it enters its fifth and final year.

Author: Student Perspective

Views and opinions from current Penn students.