This is my archive
CISWH Experts Highlight Increased Psychosocial Referrals Among Children in Emergency Care During COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped how children and families accessed health care, placing intense, new demands on emergency departments (EDs). In a recent article published in Social Work in Health Care, researchers from the Center for Innovation in Social Work and Health (CISWH) at BU School of Social Work (BUSSW), the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, and Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) examined how…
CISWH Researchers Share New Tool for Identifying Medicaid Caregiver Exemption Eligibility
Under the current One Big Beautiful Bill Act, each state is required to implement new work requirements for certain Medicaid enrollees. Many family caregivers are unable to work while providing needed care for their children’s medical needs. As Medicaid eligibility requirements continue to evolve, many family caregivers have serious questions and concerns about how they might be impacted by these new work…
Medicaid Work Requirements and Caregiver Exemptions
This flowchart is designed to support Title V children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHN) programs and family leadership organizations that work collaboratively with their state’s Medicaid program in understanding who the new work requirements apply to and who may be eligible for a caregiver exemption.
Quality of life surveys developed or validated in children or youth with special healthcare needs: a scoping review
Current survey measures of quality of life (QoL) may not be sufficient to describe domains that are important to children and youth with special healthcare needs (CYSHCN) and their families. A better understanding of current QoL surveys for CYSHCN is needed.
CISWH Senior Project Director Bethlyn Houlihan Shares New Framework for Humanistic Systems Change
At the 2026 Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) Annual Conference, Bethlyn Houlihan, senior project director at the Center for Innovation in Social Work and Health (CISWH) at BUSSW, shared a model initiative and actionable framework co-designed with national clinician and family experts to advance humanistic systems…
Rooted in Humanity: Urgent action framework for care that matters to CMC, families & clinicians
“Rooted in Humanity” is an urgent action framework and guide that uses a “living tree” visual to help care teams and systems rethink how care for children with medical complexity is designed and improved. It centers care around real people and everyday practice while providing clear, practical guidance that supports…
How the Expanded Child Tax Credit Supports Families Raising Children with Disabilities
While prior research shows that the expanded credit reduced child poverty nationwide, little was known about how families raising children with disabilities specifically used these funds or how the credit shaped their financial stability. In an article published in the Journal of Disability Policy Studies, researchers at the…
CISWH: Celebrating Another Year of Social Work Leadership in Health
The Beyond 2025 Action HubWe began 2025 with the launch of the Beyond 2025 Action Hub. The Hub provides tools, policy guidance, and accessible analysis to support practitioners, educators, and advocates responding to federal policy activity. It now serves as a resource for those seeking clarity and…
Families of Children with Medical Complexity Share What Well-Being Means to Them
Meg Comeau, CISWH senior project director and manager of the Powerbuilding and Leadership Lab, and Bethlyn Vergo Houlihan, CISWH senior project director and manager of the Social Work Innovation Lab, describe family perspectives and introduce a new framework for understanding and improving family well-being at the systems level.
Pediatrics Supplement: The Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network for Children With Medical Complexity
In this seven-paper journal supplement published in Pediatrics, a group of CMC CoIIN leaders lay out lessons learned over the duration of the project (2017 – 2022), its impact, and the future of its work to improve child quality of life, family well-being and cost-effectiveness of care.