The Center for Innovation in Social Work and Health (CISWH) at BU School of Social Work (BUSSW) is excited to share that Dr. Alyalla Nandakumar and his team of researchers have joined the CISWH team. Dr. Nandakumar and the research team add their deep expertise in global health, health economics,…

Part of the Beyond 2025 Action Hub, the Beyond 2025 Action Toolkit offers practical exercises, tools, and resources to empower social workers and other professionals to take action on the issues that matter most.

Grounded in the principles of community organizing, civic education, transpartisan dialogue, and systems change, this initiative supports students in designing hubs that bring together residents, community organizations, and public systems to address pressing social challenges. Through hands-on training, mentorship, and access to tools and frameworks, students will explore how to:…

The team includes physicians, dentists, nurses, social workers, and psychologists who collaborate to deliver integrated care in underserved communities. During the two-week service trip, the medical brigade provides essential physical and mental health services while training local professionals—nurses, community health workers, and lawyers—on trauma-informed approaches. This collaboration strengthens the capacity…

Social workers are advancing justice, driving innovation, and shaping change across every sector that influences health and well-being—from housing and education to climate, public health, and beyond. Yet their leadership often goes unrecognized in national dialogues, policy spaces, and strategic decision-making. The Social Work Leadership Identification Project (LIP) is changing…

The U.S. healthcare system faces a critical challenge: how to improve outcomes, contain costs, and address long-standing inequities. Social workers are uniquely positioned to meet this moment. Trained to integrate the social, psychological, and structural dimensions of care, they are often embedded across healthcare settings—providing essential services to individuals navigating…

Comprehensive research by the Analytics Hub and KFF shows that PEPFAR’s impact extends well beyond its core mission of fighting HIV/AIDS, influencing a range of health and socio-economic outcomes in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Using rigorous methods, we analyzed data from 157 LMICs—including 90 PEPFAR-supported countries—spanning 1990 to 2018.

The Beyond 2025 Action Hub is a growing movement space for social workers, public health practitioners, and community advocates determined to protect our collective well-being, human rights, and shared humanity in the face of persistent policy threats. Anchored in values of equity, dignity, and care, the Hub provides the knowledge,…

Achievements PREPARE – Partners In Pediatric Readiness, Emergency Preparedness, and Response Education Toolkit and Training This virtual training brings together families and pediatric emergency care coordinators to learn from each other, build trust, and practice real-life skills during an emergency. The PREPaRE Training and Companion Toolkit were co-developed with cross-sector…

BU-ALPS is one-year HRSA-funded project dedicated to strengthening public health social work education at Boston University and nationally. Public health social work is a sub-discipline within social work that draws on both social work and public health theories, frameworks, research and practice to promote health equity and mitigate human health…