Talia is an experienced medical social worker who works with patients and families diagnosed with chronic medical illnesses, specializing in end-stage organ failure and transplant. Talia has eleven years’ experience in individual, family, and group counseling, working with area resources on financial and health insurance issues, and coordinating client/patient care with multi-disciplinary health team members at area hospitals.

Since 2011, Talia has been the primary social worker and Caregiver Lifeline Program Manager at Gift of Life Family House, a lodging facility for patients and their families receiving solid-organ transplant related treatment at any of the (8) Philadelphia-area transplant centers. Talia provides individual, family, and group counseling to guests staying at the Family House and oversees ongoing guest eligibility and care-coordination with the hospital transplant teams. 

In addition, Talia manages the Caregiver Lifeline Program, which provides support and resources to caregivers of transplant patients. The Caregiver Lifeline Program offers external psycho-educational support groups throughout the Gift of Life Donor Program region, an online support group for transplant caregivers (currently with over 100 members from 26 states and 2 countries), and educational web-content specifically tailored to the psychological and social issues related to transplant caregiving.

Lastly, Talia oversees ongoing transplant, caregiver, and hospitality house research conducted at the Family House. Since 2011, Talia has assisted in the coordination and completion of two qualitative research studies at the Family House (2014, 2017), both studying the emotional and physical impact a hospitality house has on transplant patients and their caregivers. Talia has also studied the effect of an online support group on the emotional health of transplant caregivers. 

Talia received her Masters of Social Work Degree from the University of Pennsylvania, is licensed to practice social work in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and is a current member of the Society for Transplant Social Workers and National Healthcare Hospitality House Network. Talia has presented oral presentations to both the Society for Transplant Social Workers and National Healthcare Hospitality House Network annual conferences on ethical dilemmas in transplant and ongoing Family House research projects.