Social Work and Health Equity Speaker Series

The Social Work And Health Equity Speaker Series highlights innovative public health social work practice and leadership in various sectors. The series encourages interaction between current social work students and alumni working in areas that impact health; discussions center on the role of social work practice in improving public health and addressing issues of health equity. Events featured to date have included the following

November 2022

• Strengthening Professional Health Education for Global Change: A conversation with Dr. Vanessa Kerry
  As a practicing critical care physician and CEO of Seed Global Health, Dr. Kerry shares a people-centered model for training health professionals in countries with limited resources to improve global health and promote economic and community development worldwide. 

 

June 2022

• Medicaid 101 Webinar
  The Catalyst Center at the Center for Innovation in Social Work and Health hosted a webinar on June 14, 2022, that presented foundational knowledge about Medicaid for Title V staff and their allies. Catalyst Center staff will explain the basics of Medicaid including the eligibility pathways to Medicaid coverage for kids and a benefit unique to Medicaid called EPSDT that is crucial for access to care for CYSHCN. 

 

May 2021

• Amplifying Voice, Equity, and Well-Being for Social Work, Health, and Social Service Professionals
  This panel explores the connection between workers’ voices and their well-being as individuals, and as a collective group. It also covers the benefits of labor unions and strategies for organizing workers in health and social services. Hosted by the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health at the Boston University School of Social Work.

 

April 2022

• Breaking the Mold: Innovative Models to Achieve Healthy Equity
  The Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health (CISWH) at BU School of Social Work presents a panel event on how innovations using social work-based community health models are making an impact on global economic and health disparities.

 

December 2021

• Social Work, Health Equity & Civic Health Engagement
  CISWH Health Equity Speaker Series Co-sponsored by Vot-ER

 

August 2021

• The Expanded Child Tax Credit: Implications for Families Raising CYSHCN
  On August 24 at 2pm ET, the Catalyst Center, the National Technical Assistance Center for Health Care Financing and Coverage for CYSHCN, hosted this webinar explaining the expanded CTC and the role that Title V and Family Leader organizations might play in assisting families in accessing this support. 

 

March 2021

• Sharing Patient Outcomes from the Dissemination of Evidence-Informed Interventions Initiative
  A webinar presenting the patient outcomes of four interventions, from the Dissemination of Evidence-Informed Interventions initiative. 

•  Initial Lessons Learned from the DEII Initiative
  A webinar on the initial lessons learned from four Dissemination of Evidence-Informed Interventions initiative interventions. 

•  DEII Initiative Sustainability and Replication Webinar
  A webinar on the sustainability and replication of four interventions from the Dissemination of Evidence-Informed Interventions initiative. 

• COVID-19, Black Communities, and Health Justice
  This panel explores the role that social work, health care, public health, community organizations, and policy can play in advancing health equity. Hosted by the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health at Boston University School of Social Work.

 

December 2020

•  Housing, Homelessness, and COVID-19 in Massachusetts
  This panel of housing and homelessness experts address the intersection of housing, racial justice, and health, and discuss ways to address inequities, including opportunities for health and human service organizations, policy, and activism. Hosted by the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health at Boston University’s School of Social Work.

 

November 2020

•  Taking Action for Health Equity: A Post-Election Analysis
  In this post-election discussion, Rebekah Gewirtz, Executive Director of the National Association of Social Workers – MA Chapter, and Carlene Pavlos, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Public Health Association, will discuss their organizations’ priorities, policy agendas, and strategies, and provide analysis on how practitioners and leaders in social work and public health can identify opportunities and work toward positive change during the next administration. Hosted by the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health at Boston University’s School of Social Work.

 

November 2019

• Sharing Outcomes from the Dissemination of Evidence Informed Interventions Initative
  This webinar, hosted on November 21st 2019, described outcomes and lessons learned to implementing and achieving the HIV Care Continuum from the HRSA SPNS Dissemination of Evidence Informed Interventions (DEII) initiative. In this webinar, you will learn about the background of each intervention, its implementation, and the initiative’s goal of creating replicable Care and Treatment Interventions (CATIs).

 

September 2019

•  Lessons from Implementing a CHW Program in HIV Care
  In this webinar, participants will hear the lessons learned and best practices for implementing a CHW program in HIV care, beginning with the roles and skills that CHWs need to be effective in their work.

 

May 2019

•  Improving Linkage and retention in HIV Care: Insights from Community Health Workers
  In this webinar, participants will learn about the role of CHWs and how they serve as an integral part of the HIV health care system from CHWs at two RWHAP in the United States. CHWs will share real-world examples of their work in RWHAP programs.

 

May 2018

• 2018-04-12 Preventing the School To Prison Pipeline
  This recorded panel presentation featured an innovative, interprofessional partnership between lawyers from Massachusetts Advocates for Children and Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI) team members from Dimock Community Service Agency/Justice Resource Institute. Panelists will highlight systems-level approaches to combat the school-to-prison pipeline, including a discussion of current MA laws related to school discipline, safe and supportive schools, and pending legislation related to the use of student arrests in schools.

 

April 2018

• Intersectionality and Health Conference: Breaking Down Barriers to Quality Care
  Multiple speakers participated in this student-led day-long conference focused on the challenges people with multiple marginalized, intersecting identities face at the individual and systems level when accessing medical, mental health, and social services.
  Intersectionality event description
•  Panel: Preventing the School-to-Prison Pipeline
  A panel of speakers from Dimock Community Service Agency at Justice Resource Institute and Massachusetts Advocates for Children, with moderation by Astraea Augsberger, BUSSW
  Pipeline event description and recording

 

October 2017

• Visiting: Public Health Social Work on Rosebud Sioux Tribe Reservation
  Madeline Ray (’18)

 

March 2017

• Integrating Social Justice into Practice: A Liberation Health Framework
  Serena Smith Patten (’14, SPH ‘15), Early Intervention Public Health Social Worker
  Dawn Belkin Martinez, BUSSW
  Chloe Frankel, Boston Liberation Health

 

February 2017

• Racial Justice, Health Equity, and the Role of Government: Lessons from the City of Boston
  Janine Anzalota (’04, SPH ‘06), Executive Director, Mayor’s Office of Housing & Equity
  Ilyitch Nahiely Tábora, Chief of Staff, Mayor’s Office of Health & Human Services
  Rita Nieves, Deputy Director. Boston Public Health Commission
  Panelists discuss racial health inequities in Boston on Daily Free Press website
• Changing What Counts as Health Care: Social Work’s Role
  Jennifer Valenzuela (’00, SPH’01), Principal of Program, Health Leads
  School of Social Work addresses health needs outside of medical care on Daily Free Press website

 

December 2016

•  Intersection of race, sexual and gender identity, and its impact on health in the LGBTQ community
  Tfawa Haynes, Psychotherapist, Fenway Health