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Author: Maya Gutman

5/29: CISWH Presents Webinar: Humanism In Clinical Care To Meet Whole Child/Family Needs

A Virtual Event

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

4:00 – 5:00 PM ET

Zoom

Register Here

 

Join the Center for Innovation in Social Work and Health (CISWH) at Boston University School of Social Work (BUSSW) for a conversation on what matters most to families of children with medical complexity (CMC), alongside strategies to improve their care delivery and mitigate systems-level bias.

Led by Dr. Dennis Kuo, MD, MHS; Bethlyn Houlihan, MSW, MPH; and Cara Coleman, JD, MPH, this second session in the CoIIN Virtual Cafe Series examines how we can reinvigorate human-driven approaches to meet whole child and family needs in systems of care for CMC. 

Bethlyn Houlihan, CISWH project director, and Meg Comeau, CISWH senior project director, will weave in key learnings from the 2022 Future of Care for Children with Medical Complexity National Convening and the recently published Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network to Advance Care for CMC (CMC CoIIN) supplement in Pediatrics.

The CoIIN project is funded by the HRSA Maternal and Child Health Bureau to test and spread promising care delivery strategies and payment models for CMC to improve their quality of life, the well-being of their families, and the cost-effectiveness of their care. 

 

Discussion Materials:


Discussants:

Dennis Kuo, MD

Associate Professor, University at Buffalo and Chief, Division of General Pediatrics, UBMD

Dennis Z. Kuo, MD, MHS, FAAP is the Purcell Family Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics and Chief of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center/Golisano Children’s Hospital. Dr. Kuo has a longstanding interest in the care of children with disabilities and medical complexity, including systems of care, early childhood, and health equity. His work has focused on defining family-identified needs of children with medical complexity and neurodevelopmental disabilities, and designing the systems of care needed to address the life course needs of children and families. 

 

Meg Comeau, MHA

Senior Project Director, Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health, Boston University

Meg Comeau, MHA is a senior project director at the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health (CISWH). She is a nationally recognized expert on the impact of Medicaid and federal health care reform for children with special health care needs, medically complex conditions, and disabilities. She brings more than 15 years of health care delivery and financing experience to her role as principal investigator for the Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network (CoIIN) to Advance Care for Children with Medical Complexity (CMC) and as principal investigator of the Catalyst Center, a project focused on improving insurance coverage and financing of care for children and youth with special health care needs

 

Bethlyn Houlihan MSW, MPH

ProjectDirector and Co-PI, Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health, Boston University

Bethlyn Vergo Houlihan, MSW, MPH, brings a unique blend of skills in her dedication to social justice and health equity, partnering with youth/adults with complex health and social needs, their families, and communities to address systemic inequalities to improve health and well-being. Bethlyn’s projects span across intervention design, implementation, and evaluation, as well as workforce development, interprofessional education, and strategic partnerships to drive sustainable innovation in health and social services delivery.  Currently, Bethlyn serves as a Project Director at the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health at the Boston University School of Social Work, notably as Co-Principal Investigator of The Future of Care for CMC Virtual Café Series.  Bethlyn co-edited the recent supplement in Pediatrics (Jan 2024), sharing insights and best practices from the Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network to Advance Care for Children with Medical Complexity (CMC CoIIN).


CISWH and BUSSW Faculty Share Expertise on Trauma-Informed Care for Migrant Mothers and Children at International Social Work Conference in Panamá

CISWH and Boston University School of Social Work (BUSSW) faculty Prof. Luz Marilis López and Maria Emilia Bianco presented at the recent International Social Work and Social Development conference in Panamá. Sharing their expertise on cultural considerations when working with Latino/Latinx migrant mothers and their families, the profs. highlighted the challenges and strengths of these communities, drawing from their own research on the experiences of Latino/Latinx migrant mothers and their families. 

Their workshop, conducted in Spanish, presented narrative and visual testimonies from 20 Central American immigrant women in Reynosa, Mexico; Texas; and Boston to over 100 attendees sparking interest from local government and news outlets. The testimonies included stories of trauma and strength, which the professors then used to facilitate interactive and critical analysis activities with the audience. 

The team’s participation in the conference underscores CISWH’s commitment to advancing social work practices that respect diversity and promote joint social action. Prof. Lopez and Dr. Bianco’s insights and experiences contribute to the ongoing dialogue on how to best protect the rights of immigrant mothers facing dire human experiences with a focus on mental health.

The conference, with the theme “Buen Vivir, Respecting Diversity through Joint Social Action,” was a collaborative effort between the International Association of Schools of Social Work, the International Council of Social Welfare, and the International Federation of Social Workers. The event brought together social work educators, researchers, practitioners and policymakers from around the world.

Pediatrics: Measuring What Matters to Children With Medical Complexity and Their Families

Although children and families lie at the nucleus of a well-functioning system, the priorities and leadership of families of CMC have not consistently been central to driving system-based improvement initiatives. The Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network to Advance Care for Children with Medical Complexity (CMC CoIIN) partnered with families of children with medical complexity (CMC) to design and meaningfully improve systems of care for CMC and their families. In a paper in Pediatrics, the CoIIN team shares how including families in developing quality improvement measures allowed the network to measure what truly matters to families of CMC, and how this partnership has the potential to improve systems of care and lead to better outcomes for CMC.

A Measurement Work Group formed in the first months of the project to identify and define a shared set of quantitative quality improvement measures around the CMC CoIIN’s goals and objectives to improve care and support for CMC and their families, including quality of life, well-being, and flourishing; unmet health needs; and support systems such as medical home, patient and family engagement, and shared plans of care. The Measurement Workgroup first conducted a literature review to identify existing validated measures specifically relevant to CMC which could comprise a family experience survey.

Through this process, the key challenge that family leaders in the Measurement Workgroup identified related to measuring child quality of life and family well-being. Existing measures tended to focus mainly on physical functioning, health care utilization, and the associated care burdens for families. Family leaders emphasized that these measures are deficit-based and, furthermore, do not recognize that CMC can and do live meaningful lives regardless of functional disabilities.

To better capture the lived experiences of families, the CMC CoIIN Measurement Workgroup adapted its approach to drive meaningful improvements, by adding qualitative family focus groups to capture a more holistic and nuanced view of child quality of life and family well-being, and co-developing new child quality of life measures. Qualitative findings from focus groups subsequently highlighted a high level of unmet need not being captured by the quantitative unmet health care needs measure, prompting a key redesign and pilot test of those items in the family experience survey.

The CMC CoIIN found that when families were full participants and leaders in designing a quality improvement measurement strategy, the team developed a measurement approach with a more meaningful, complex view of what health and wellbeing looks like to CMC and their families. Codesigning measurement strategies alongside family leaders, the CMC CoIIN was able to focus more broadly on health, wellness, and the social determinants of health, rather than a more deficit view of care for CMC that zeroes in on just one aspect of a person’s wellbeing.

“We believe the CMC CoIIN demonstrates the pressing need for funders to support more opportunities to develop family-driven measures that can drive systems improvement, including validating and assessing their reliability,” the authors note.

The CMC CoIIN recommends that future CMC initiatives adopt this family-partnered approach to measurement from the start. In doing so, these initiatives are more likely to lead to improved health and wellness for CMC.

Read the full article here.

5/1: Driving Democracy: How Social Workers Harness the Power of Ranked Choice Voting

5/1: Driving Democracy: How Social Workers Harness the Power of Ranked Choice Voting

A Virtual Event 

Wednesday, May 1 2024

7:00 – 8:15 PM ET

Zoom

View the Recording 

Join the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health (CISWH) at BU School of Social Work (BUSSW) and BUSSW Votes for the final session in the From Ballots to Better Health virtual series, Driving Democracy: How Social Workers Harness the Power of Ranked Choice Voting. Dr. Tami Gouveia, CISWH director and Paul Farmer professor of practice; Rebekah Gewirtz, MPH, executive director of the Massachusetts and Rhode Island chapters of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW); and Ayesha M. Wilson, MSW, Cambridge city councilor will cover topics including how social workers are uniquely positioned to run and serve in elected office, how ranked choice voting can lead to more fair elections, and how social workers can advocate for this option.

Program:
7:00 pm: Opening remarks and introduction by Diane Crowley, BUSSW Fall River campus director, 
7:05 pm: Dr. Tami Gouveia moderates discussion with Councilor Wilson and Rebekah Gewirtz
7:50 pm: Q&A with Dr. Gouveia, Councilor Wilson, Rebekah Gewirtz, and audience
8:10 pm: Closing remarks by Diane Crowley

Content Level: Intermediate 

Learning Objectives:

  1. Participants will be able to describe the steps involved in running for office, from making the decision to run through election night. 
  2. Participants will be able to describe how social workers are uniquely positioned to serve in elected office.
  3. Participants will be able to describe how ranked choice voting provides every voter in every election with real choices, fair outcomes, and the power to elect preferred candidates.
  4. Participants will be able to describe three ways to take action for ranked choice voting elections.

Continuing Education Credit Info:
This continuing education program is appropriate for LICSW, LCSW, LSW, LSWA,  and other healthcare professionals and offers 1.0 national continuing education credit to social workers licensed in the U.S. who attend the program and complete a brief post-event quiz and evaluation.

About Dr. Tami Gouveia
Appointed director of the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health and Paul Farmer professor of practice in 2023, Dr. Tami Gouveia has extensive experience as a leader in social work and public health, policymaking, and change management. Throughout her 25-year career, she has used her expertise to drive meaningful change, improve community health outcomes, and promote economic and racial equity. Before joining CISWH, she served in key leadership positions in nonprofit, philanthropic, and governmental organizations, including as director at the Massachusetts State Auditor’s Office, The Rippel Foundation, Tobacco Free Mass, and the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center. Believing in the power of people working together for our shared humanity, Dr. Gouveia founded and led several efforts, including the Lowell Roundtable on Substance Abuse Prevention and the Massachusetts Chapter of the Women’s March.

Dr. Gouveia was elected to two terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, where she passed legislation to combat the opioid crisis, defend reproductive justice and LGBTQ+ rights, advance housing and climate justice, reform education funding and the criminal legal system, and invest in programs to prevent and treat childhood trauma.

Dr. Gouveia holds a Doctor of Public Health in management, leadership, and policy and a Master of Public Health from the BU School of Public Health, and a Master of Social Work from the BU School of Social Work.

About Ayesha M. Wilson
Ayesha M. Wilson (she/her) serves on the Cambridge City Council. A mom and a product of Cambridge public schools and public housing, she is committed to serving Cambridge youth. Her experiences led her to become a social worker and to serve two terms on the Cambridge School Committee.

Wilson advocates for the needs of the Black and Brown community, including affordable housing and childcare for individuals and families, mental health resources, youth mentorship, and childhood literacy.

She is a member of the Greater Boston Association of Black Social Workers, the Board of Directors for the YWCA Cambridge, and the secretary of the Cambridge branch of the NAACP.

About Rebekah Gewirtz 
Rebekah Gewirtz (she/her) directs the Massachusetts and Rhode Island chapters of the NASW. Previously, she served for more than eight years as the director of government relations and political action at NASW and served as the executive director of the Massachusetts Public Health Association.

Her work with NASW-MA includes successful efforts to advance social work practice through policy, including legislation protecting social workers from frivolous lawsuits and restrictive covenants; passing legislation granting social workers section 12 authority and improved safety in the workplace; and led the Chapter’s political action arm NASW- MA PACE, working with members to endorse and support candidates throughout Massachusetts who share social work values and priorities.

Gewirtz has long championed critical social justice issues and was a leader in the campaign to raise the minimum wage. She was co-chair of the Campaign for Our Communities, working with the support of nearly 100 organizations for a state revenue package that would be adequate and fair. She was a founding member of the Welfare Coalition where she fought to secure and preserve state safety net programs for the most vulnerable.  

Accessibility Statement:
Boston University strives to be accessible, inclusive, and diverse in its facilities, programming, and academic offerings. Your experience in this event is important to us. If you have a disability (including but not limited to learning or attention, mental health, concussion, vision, mobility, hearing, physical, or other health-related issues), requiring communication access services for the deaf or hard of hearing, or believe that you require a reasonable accommodation for another reason, please contact the event organizer at [email protected] to discuss your needs.




CISWH Director Tami Gouveia Speaks at Boston Addiction Conference

Massachusetts’ Section 35 law allows for the involuntary commitment of men with substance use disorders into jail settings for addiction treatment. This important topic was the focus of a recent panel discussion at the inaugural Boston Addiction Conference, featuring Dr. Tami Gouveia, CISWH director. Massachusetts is the only state that still court-orders men to prisons and jails for treatment, even if they have not committed a crime. Dr. Gouveia joined other experts who discussed needed reforms to the law and called for an end to sending men to prison for addiction treatment. 

Research suggests that involuntary treatment of substance use disorders is a risk factor for overdose. Public health experts and policymakers are advocating for reforms to the law that would prohibit addiction treatment in correctional institutions. 

“The field of substance use treatment has evolved over the last 25 years, but lawmakers haven’t kept up with those changes,” Dr. Gouveia said. “One of the biggest challenges with getting legislation passed is that lawmakers are not experts in our field. Unless they have personal experience with substance use disorder or mental health, then they are not living the day-to-day like so many of us are.”

Dr. Gouveia described how efforts to reform Section 35 have been stalled in the legislature – currently, the reforms have been filed in the last three legislative sessions. She noted that men with substance use disorders should not be forced into the prison system if they have not committed a crime. If we are to reduce stigma and harm in substance use treatment, it cannot be tied to the carceral system. 

“As a field, we do not fully agree whether or not forced treatment is effective, but we can all agree that sending men to a jail setting for treatment is inhumane, inappropriate, and ineffective,” Dr. Gouveia said.

Deloitte Health Forward: CISWH Director Tami Gouveia on the Vital Role of Social Workers in Health Equity

In a recent interview with Deloitte Health Forward, Dr. Tami Gouveia, CISWH director, emphasized the diverse roles of social workers in addressing health disparities and advocating for health equity. Social workers are not solely clinical providers, but also serve across diverse settings including schools, emergency departments and in law enforcement agencies. 

Contrary to the misconception that social workers only intervene in crisis situations, Dr. Gouveia explains the extent to which social workers provide services in government, military, religious and corporate environments. She advocates for social workers to be integrated at the policymaking tables, getting them into state legislatures as well as the halls of congress to make systems-level changes and changes in how services are financed. 

Excerpt from “Celebrating Social Work Month: Social workers can play a key role in making health more equitable” originally published in Deloitte Health Forward. 

“Social workers can play a role in building collective power and community power. I served in the Massachusetts legislature for four years and I continue to reach out to my former colleagues, particularly in the Black and Latino caucuses, to make sure that we support social work efforts that address health equity. When I ran for office, I didn’t think anyone would want to vote for a social worker. But I found that people got really excited when they found out I am a social worker. They believe social workers understand what a lot of people are going through and the challenges that people are facing.

Social workers tend to have their fingers on the pulse of the communities they serve. Integrating social work and social care into health care can be a pivotal step toward fostering health equity and improving accessibility.”

Read the full article here.




4/23: Agents of Change: Social Workers Leading the Fight Against Dark Money in Politics

4/23: Agents of Change: Social Workers Leading the Fight Against Dark Money in Politics

A Virtual Event 
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
7:00 – 8:15 PM ET
Zoom

View the Recording

 

Join the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health at BU School of Social Work (BUSSW) and BUSSW Votes for the second session in the From Ballots to Better Health virtual series, Agents of Change: Social Workers Leading the Fight Against Dark Money in Politics. Dr. Charles E. Lewis Jr., director of the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy (CRISP) and Dr. Jessia Hare, vice president of outreach at American Promise, will explain how dark money impacts U.S. elections and demonstrate ways social workers can combat dark money influence to build a stronger democracy. 

Program:

7:00 pm: Opening remarks and introduction by Tami Gouveia, director and Paul Farmer Professor or Practice, Center for Innovation in Social Work and Health, BU School of Social Work

7:05 pm: Dr. Charles Lewis, Jr. presents
7:25 pm: Introduction by Dr. Tami Gouveia, CISWH
7:30 pm: Dr. Jessica Hare presents
7:50 pm: Q&A with Dr. Lewis, Dr. Hare, Dr. Gouveia, and audience
8:10 pm: Closing remarks by Diane Crowley

Content Level: Intermediate 

Continuing Education Credit Info:
The target audience for this lecture and discussion is LICSW, LCSW, LSW, LSWA,  and other health care professionals. Agents of Change: Social Workers Leading the Fight Against Dark Money in Politics is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by the Center for Innovation in Social Work and Health as an individual course. Individual courses, not providers, are approved at the course level.  State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: 4/23/2024 – 4/23/2026. Social workers completing this course receive 1.25 continuing education credits. 

1.25 national continuing education credits are available to social workers licensed in the U.S. after the completion of a brief post-event quiz. The event will provide intermediate-level content and must be attended live in order to receive CE credits. If you would like to receive credits, please provide your license number during registration. The post-event quiz will be sent out at the end of the event. Applicants will need to earn a score of 70% or higher to receive the CE certificate, which will be sent via email. Questions? Contact [email protected]. 

Learning Objectives: 

  1. Participants will be able to identify three efforts social workers can get involved in to mitigate the current threats to democracy.
  2. Participants will be able to describe what dark money is and how dark money in politics impacts our elections and policymaking processes.
  3. Participants will be able to describe how the For Our Freedom Amendment protects America against foreign interference in our electoral process.
  4. Participants will be able to describe three ways to take action For Our Freedom.

About Dr. Charles E. Lewis, Jr.
Dr. Charles Lewis (he/him) is the director and founder of the Congressional Research Institute for Social Work and Policy (CRISP). During his time in the U.S. capitol,  Dr. Lewis created the Congressional Social Work Caucus,a platform that gives social workers a greater voice in Congress. As the staff coordinator for the Social Work Caucus, Dr. Lewis organized briefings for the National Association of Social Work (NASW), the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), and the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR).

In 2012, he founded CRISP to complement the mission of the Social Work Caucus.  Under Dr. Lewis’s leadership, CRISP continues to support and encourage social workers to engage with their Congressional representatives.

Dr. Lewis was inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Social Work and Welfare in recognition of his contribution to the emerging field of political social work. Since March of 2016, Dr. Lewis has coordinated a Social Work Day on the Hill where social workers from all walks of life gather to celebrate the many contributions social work has made to Congress and the federal government. Each year CRISP brings hundreds of social work students together for its Student Advocacy Day on the Hill where emerging social workers learn to engage with congressional staff and advocate for legislation relevant to social work and the populations they serve.

About Dr. Jessica Hare 
Dr. Jessica Hare (she/her) serves as the vice president of outreach at American Promise. Dr. Hare received her Doctor of Social Work degree from the University of Southern California. She is also an Alumna of the University of South Carolina where she received her Master of Social Work degree and Winthrop University where she received her Bachelor of Social Work degree.

Dr. Hare has over 15 years of professional social work experience that includes child welfare, military, medical, and school social work. She is an active member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women and prides herself on upholding the organization’s mission and vision. She is committed to the empowerment of black women and girls and advocating on their behalf by promoting leadership development and gender equity in the areas of health, education, and economic empowerment. She also volunteers as a designated speaker for the Domestic Violence Speaker’s Bureau and has been chosen as the keynote speaker for many domestic violence events. Dr. Hare is also an active member of the National Association of Social Workers serving the Georgia Chapter and is a member of the Political Action for Candidate Election (PACE) committee.

Accessibility Statement:
Boston University strives to be accessible, inclusive, and diverse in its facilities, programming, and academic offerings. Your experience in this event is important to us. If you have a disability (including but not limited to learning or attention, mental health, concussion, vision, mobility, hearing, physical, or other health-related issues), requiring communication access services for the deaf or hard of hearing, or believe that you require a reasonable accommodation for another reason, please contact the event organizer at [email protected] to discuss your needs.

Non-Partisanship Statement:
The From Ballots to Better Health virtual series is dedicated to fostering dialogue, sharing knowledge, and promoting civic engagement. We would like to remind all participants that this event is founded on principles of non-partisanship and inclusivity.

Our mission is to create a safe and respectful learning environment where individuals from various backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives can come together to discuss, learn, and engage without bias or political partisanship. We believe that by transcending political polarization, we can find common ground and advance our collective understanding and progress.

We kindly ask all speakers, participants, and affiliates to refrain from promoting, endorsing, or disparaging any political party, candidate, or partisan political agenda, and treat all participants with respect, regardless of differing opinions, and engage in constructive and courteous discourse.

By participating in this event, you agree to uphold these principles and contribute to an environment that encourages open, unbiased, and respectful exchange of ideas. 

Thank you for your commitment to maintaining the non-partisan spirit of From Ballots to Better Health. We look forward to a productive and enlightening conversation.




Social Work Today: CISWH Director Tami Gouveia Calls for More Social Workers in Elected Office

With the 2024 election year quickly approaching, Dr. Tami Gouveia, CISWH director, advocates for increased representation of social workers in elected office. With their ability to effectively collaborate with a diverse range of civic sectors, social workers are well-equipped to navigate the complex world of politics. 

Dr. Gouveia urges social workers to consider running for office or supporting their colleagues who do. The ability to empathize, navigate complex systems, and advocate for equitable policies that benefit all communities is a skill that should not go unnoticed.

Excerpt from “Why More Social Workers Should Run for Office” originally published on Social Work Today:

“Here’s why social workers make good legislators at all levels of government. We listen. We empathize with people’s lived experiences, their financial struggles, and the stress they’re facing. We understand how systems interact and affect people’s health and well-being. We’re pragmatic, and we care about our communities.

As social workers, we seldom end up in fields where we’re surrounded by other social workers. Whether it’s housing or job policy, we’re effective at partnering with other civic sectors because we have plenty of practice. We’re able to sit down with teachers, first responders, or faith leaders and bridge those gaps.”

Read the full article here.

4/2: Lee Pelton to Present 2024 Hubie Jones Lecture in Urban Health

Join BU School of Social Work and CISWH for the 2024 Hubie Jones Lecture in Urban Health featuring  Lee Pelton, PhD, president and CEO of the Boston Foundation.  Pelton will discuss why where we live has a larger impact on our health than genetics, and how historical racial discrimination and land agreements in the United States have led to the current health inequities we face.

Date & Location
Tuesday, April 2, 2024
5:00 – 6:30 PM ET
BU Kilachand Center, Rm. 101 – 610 Commonwealth Ave, Boston and Virtual (Zoom)

A reception with light refreshments will follow the lecture.

 

Details & Registration:

Learn More and Register Here

 

The Hubie Jones Lecture in Urban Health is an annual symposium hosted by Boston University School of Social Work. Established to honor the legacy of Dean Emeritus Hubie Jones, the series addresses the most pressing health issues of our time with lectures by national and international leaders working at the intersection of health and social justice.

Learn more about the Hubie Jones Lecture in Urban Health.




3/28: Combatting Disinformation and Voting for Social Determinants of Health

3/28: Combatting Disinformation and Voting for Social Determinants of Health

A Virtual Event
Thursday, March 28, 2024

7:00 – 8:15 PM ET

View the Recording

Join the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health at BU School of Social Work (BUSSW) and BUSSW Votes for the first conversation in the From Ballots to Better Health virtual series, Combatting Disinformation and Voting for Social Determinants of Health. In this timely discussion, Dr. Timothy Clancy, assistant research scientist at the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism at the University of Maryland; and Vanessa Navarro (MSW’24), democracy fellow at the Campus Voter Project at BUSSW and Vot-ER fellow will share how social workers can leverage their understanding of systemic injustices to vote discerningly and advocate for policies that uphold social work values – especially in an age of rampant disinformation.

Program:
7:00 pm: Opening remarks and introduction by Diane Crowley, Fall River Campus Director, BU School of Social Work

7:05 pm: Vanessa Navarro (MSW’24) presents

7:25 pm: Remarks and introduction by Dr. Tami Gouveia

7:30 pm: Dr. Timothy Clancy presents

7:50 pm: Q&A with Vanessa Navarro, Dr. Timothy Clancy, Diane Crowley, and audience

8:10 pm: Closing remarks by Diane Crowley and Dr. Tami Gouveia 

Content Level: Intermediate 

Continuing Education Credit Info:
The target audience of this lecture and discussion is LICSW, LCSW, LSW, LSWA,  and other health care professionals. Combatting Disinformation and Voting for Social Determinants of Health is approved by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program to be offered by the Center for Innovation in Social Work and Health as an individual course. Individual courses, not providers, are approved at the course level.  State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. ACE course approval period: 3/28/2024 – 3/28/2026. Social workers completing this course receive 1.25 continuing education credits. 

1.25 national continuing education credits (free) are available to social workers licensed in the United States after the completion of a brief post-event quiz. The event will provide intermediate-level content and must be attended live in order to receive CE credits. If you would like to receive credits, please provide your license number during registration. The post-event quiz will be sent out at the end of the event. Applicants will need to earn a score of 70% or higher to receive the CE certificate, which will be sent via email. Questions? Contact [email protected]. 

Learning Objectives

  • Participants will be able to describe how voting is a political and social determinant of health.
  • Participants will be able to identify three things they can do to become a discerning and informed voter.
  • Participants will be able to identify the differences between misinformation and disinformation.
  • Participants will be able to identify steps they will take to engage in elections and help others to vote.

About Timothy Clancy
Timothy Clancy (he/him) is an assistant research scientist at START, the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism at the University of Maryland. Dr. Clancy specializes in studying “wicked mess” problems, including violence and instability, as complex systems. For over 30 years Clancy has helped stakeholders in all manner of organizations understand their wicked mess problems and work towards resolving them. This includes prior work at IBM where he was the chief methodologist of Lean, Six Sigma, and Agile supporting Fortune 50, government, and military clients to navigate their own “wicked messes” in strategy, business models, and enterprise transformation. Clancy completed his MSc in Simulation Science & Insurgency Dynamics and then a PhD in the System Dynamics of the Lifecycle of Violence and Instability of Non-State actors, both at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. His current research topics include understanding violent radicalization as a system, the terror contagion hypothesis for public mass killings, and advancing methods for modeling social complexity through computer simulations integrated with AI. Clancy is the founder of Dialectic Simulations Consulting, LLC. He is also a writer and video commentator, providing systems thinking and analysis on complex current events through his blog and YouTube channel, InfoMullet. He also volunteers his time and research efforts to help a range of community-based groups, often consisting of volunteers and hobbyists, to understand and confront harassment, toxicity, and sexual assault as a system of interactions rather than isolated incidents.

About Vanessa Navarro
Vanessa Navarro (she/her) graduated with her BSW from Saint Leo University in May 2023. She is completing her MSW at BUSSW with an anticipated graduation date of August 2024. In addition to her work with The Campus Voter Project at BUSSW as a Democracy Fellow, Navarro brings a passion for civic engagement to her field placement at Vot-ER, a non-profit organization that helps integrate civic engagement into healthcare. These opportunities provide her with relevant leadership experience and exposure to policy and advocacy information regarding voting initiatives. Navarro is interested in expanding civic engagement in communities and ensuring that voting rights are protected for all citizens. Prior to pursuing her MSW degree at BUSSW, Navarro completed her associate of science (AS) degree in Counseling and Human Services at Hillsborough Community College in May 2021. While completing her AS,  she volunteered with Hillsborough County’s Head Start Program, Tampa Housing Authority, and Tampa Crossroads BeWell Center. Through these internships, she gained real-world experience and furthered her knowledge of the social work field. Navarro is a member of the Phi Alpha National Honor Society,   the National Association of Social Work (NASW), and was elected the BSW Representative for the Florida Chapter for the 2022-2023 term. 

Accessibility:
Boston University strives to be accessible, inclusive, and diverse in its facilities, programming, and academic offerings. Your experience in this event is important to us. If you have a disability (including but not limited to learning or attention, mental health, concussion, vision, mobility, hearing, physical, or other health-related issues), requiring communication access services for the deaf or hard of hearing, or believe that you require a reasonable accommodation for another reason, please contact the event organizer at [email protected] to discuss your needs.

Non-Partisanship Statement
The From Ballots to Better Health virtual series is dedicated to fostering dialogue, sharing knowledge, and promoting civic engagement. We would like to remind all participants that this event is founded on principles of non-partisanship and inclusivity.

Our mission is to create a safe and respectful learning environment where individuals from various backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives can come together to discuss, learn, and engage without bias or political partisanship. We believe that by transcending political polarization, we can find common ground and advance our collective understanding and progress.

We kindly ask all speakers, participants, and affiliates to refrain from promoting, endorsing, or disparaging any political party, candidate, or partisan political agenda, and treat all participants with respect, regardless of differing opinions, and engage in constructive and courteous discourse.

By participating in this event, you agree to uphold these principles and contribute to an environment that encourages open, unbiased, and respectful exchange of ideas. 

Thank you for your commitment to maintaining the non-partisan spirit of From Ballots to Better Health. We look forward to a productive and enlightening conversation.