Bios

Julie tennille, Phd, lsw

Dr. Julie Tennille is a Professor at West Chester University (WCU) in the Graduate Department of Social Work. She is also a member of the international Motivational Interviewing (MI) Network of Trainers (MINT) and developed an immensely popular 5-day elective course on MI currently offered in fall and spring semesters. In 2021, Dr. Tennille was awarded the Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award at WCU.

Throughout her time at WCU, Dr. Tennille has treasured interprofessional education and collaboration with other disciplines (theater, nursing, public health, medicine, among others), co-chairing the WCU Interprofessional Education (IPE) Task Force. Six years ago, Dr. Tennille collaborated with Theater Professor, Charles DelMarcelle, to craft Observed Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) as a capstone assignment for graduate social work students in their generalist year. Theater students are trained to perform as standardized patients in recorded interviews with MSW students. Students have found OSCEs to be, while anxiety producing, one of the most memorable and rewarding experiences of their graduate career. Dr. Tennille also has a lengthy record of social work practice and administration in community mental health settings (working as a case manager, therapist, administrator) and can draw from experience with communities and persons living with substance use disorders, mental health conditions, and HIV/AIDS to inform her research and teaching. Dr. Tennille served as Co-Principal Investigator on the 2018 HRSA BHWET supplemental grant focused on Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). 

Upon the retirement of Dr. Nadine Bean, Dr. Tennille agreed to serve as Program Director and Principal Investigator for the 4th and final year of the 2017 HRSA BHWET grant, branded Education and Programming in Integrated Care (EPIC). Part of her responsibility included applying for additional funding should a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) present itself. Dr. Tennille worked with the EPIC team (including MEd School Counseling and the newly added PsyD program) to coordinate application efforts for the January 2021 submission and in June 2021 received the fantastic news of a new grant award of over $1.9 million dollars for another 4 years! The new grant will continue Dr. Tennille’s leadership of the EPIC program, this time, enriching West Chester University (WCU) student awardees with stipends to focus their talents on children, adolescents, and transitional aged youth.

Cheryl neale-mcfall, PhD, LPC 

Dr. Cheryl Neale-McFall currently serves as the Associate Provost for Research and Creative Activities at West Chester University. Over the past five years, she has served in a variety of leadership roles and has been afforded the opportunity to collaborate with a vast number of colleagues across disciplines, departments, colleges, and the community. She has served as Co-PI and Program Evaluator for the HRSA BHWET grant since its inception in 2017 and has authored/co-authored more than 25 peer-reviewed journal articles, books, and book chapters, and secured over $5M in grant funding. As a part of the EPIC Team, data from the HRSA BHWET grant has been shared and presented locally, regionally, and nationally.

Prior to the HRSA BHWET grant, Dr. Neale-McFall facilitated multiple program evaluations in her postdoctoral training, at community service board agencies, at WCU and for private entities. She also had the opportunity to work in an Integrated Care setting during her time as a doctoral student at Eastern Virginia Medical School, where she worked with medical doctors, behavioral specialists, social workers, and psychiatrists to advocate for patients to receive the care they needed.

Wendy myers, lsw 

Wendy has been working with the WCU HRSA Grant Program since she assisted in writing the first HRSA Grant application in 2017 as a Graduate Assistant. She has served as the Program Coordinator since 2018. Wendy works collaboratively with the Directors of Field Experience from the MSW, MEd School Counseling, and PsyD departments in maintaining continuous contact with EPIC Awardees, field sites, and acts as the liaison between EPIC, WCU, and the community. She brings her experience as Interim Director of Field Education for the Graduate Social Work department, having developed a relationship with a majority of MSW field sites. Prior to moving from Chester County, she helped establish the Chester County ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Coalition and interned as a hospice social worker.

In addition to her role with EPIC, Wendy currently works full-time as a Palliative Care Social Worker on an integrated care team at a Level 1 Trauma Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA. The team supports patients and families as they navigate goals and decision-making while being treated for chronic or life-threatening illnesses.

Wendy has an MSW and a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology from West Chester University and a BA in Management Science and Economics from Lycoming College. She lives in Pittsburgh with her family and their beautiful rescued hound, Frida.

sarah franciotti, mEd

Sarah has been working with the West Chester University of PA EPIC Program since 2018, starting as a Graduate Assistant and now working as Research Assistant. She works closely with Dr. Neale-McFall to evaluate the effectiveness of our Interprofessional Education course and trainings throughout each year, and also works closely with the rest of the team, planning and implementing each year of the EPIC Program. 

Sarah's experience as an undergraduate research assistant allows her to be an effective member of the EPIC Team. Researching, hypothesizing, conducting, analyzing and reporting research has always been her passion. Throughout her years on the grant, she has discovered that problem solving and effective communication have been her biggest strengths. 

While working in a special education school, Sarah discovered a passion for working with children and adolescents and interest in integrated care settings. She currently works in an elementary school as a school counselor. Sarah often collaborates with various professions to best meet the needs of her students.