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Merle Drake, Executive Director
Merle Drake (LCSW) has a Masters degree in Social Work from Bryn Mawr College. She founded and has been the Executive Director of the Supportive Older Women’s Network since 1982.
She recognized the tremendous needs and challenges faced by older women and, in response, developed services specifically to address these needs. SOWN provides invaluable supportive services to older women most of whom are age 75 — 90, are living alone, and are underserved. Throughout SOWN’s vital and creative history, the organization has empowered older women to recognize their spirit, abilities, and skills to provide support to others coping with similar problems and concerns.
Under her leadership SOWN continues to develop creative programs that reach the most vulnerable older women living in the Philadelphia area. For example, when SOWN realized that many women could not get out to support groups in the community, it developed the Telegroup which offers telephone support groups to disabled, homebound women. She has presented at numerous conferences and media events.
Marypat Tracy, Director of Programs
Marypat Tracy (LCSW) earned a Masters in Social Work degree at Rutgers University. Marypat has worked at SOWN since 1998 as the Direct Service Supervisor. At SOWN, Marypat is responsible for supervision of direct services and providing linkage between outside funders and organizations to provide quality services to women.
Prior to working at SOWN Marypat held numerous positions in the field of aging. This includes college instructor, geriatric mental health clinician, and EAP consultant. Marypat is a member of the National Association of Social Workers.
Patty Davis, Senior Social Worker
Patty Davis has a Masters degree in Social Work from Rutgers University and has over 20 years of experience. She has been with SOWN since 1999 and is responsible for:
- providing weekly therapeutic and group facilitation services for SOWN’s community based and telephone groups,
- documenting these services for Medicare and other third party reimbursement contracts,
- assessing client referrals,
- establishing a treatment plan and providing appropriate services to meet treatment goals.
She has also worked in the Program Development Department for the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania and served in volunteer recruitment. She was a Coordinator for the Coalition of Advocates for the Rights of the Infirm Elderly (CARIE) having responsibilities in program development, grantwriting, education, and training.
Richelle Phillips, GrandFamily Resource Center Coordinator
Richelle Phillips (MSS) has over 10 years experience directing/coordinating programs for children, youth, and families in Chester, Norristown, and Philadelphia. As the GrandFamily Coordinator, she is responsible for on site coordination of the GrandFamily Resource Center and the direct service implementation including initiating and developing working relationships with community-based agencies/programs, outreach and marketing, agency collaboration and referral, assessment and screening of clients, care management and counseling services, documentation and reporting/outcome requirements.
