CISWH Project Resources

This toolkit contains an overview of public health social work (PHSW) history, definitions, and examples of contemporary practice. It includes a model PHSW syllabus and a resource guide that links educators and practitioners to additional curriculum-building materials. It also contains a collection of slide decks by practitioners and scholars on PHSW-related issues for use in social work or public health courses, or in continuing education settings. 

If using slide deck content in your own presentation, please use the following citation: Author, (2019). Title of Presentation (PowerPoint slides). Retrieved from ciswh.org

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number G05HP31425, Leadership in Public Health Social Work Education Grant Program, in the amount of $300,000 awarded to Trustees of Boston University. No percentage of this project was financed with nongovernmental sources. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

Six recommendations for the field of public health social work (PHSW) focused on leadership development, framing PHSW, communications and marketing, professional organizations, and education and research.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number G05HP31425, Leadership in Public Health Social Work Education Grant Program, in the amount of $300,000 awarded to Trustees of Boston University. No percentage of this project was financed with nongovernmental sources. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

This handbook provides current and prospective Master of Social Work/Master of Public Health (MSW/MPH) program administrators and educators with useful information on how to build and strengthen these valuable dual-degree programs. It is part of a larger effort to advance leadership in public health social work education, the Boston University Advancing Leadership in Public Health Social Work (BU-ALPS) project, funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The handbook is designed to help schools with their efforts to establish, promote, improve, and evaluate MSW/MPH programs. It includes an overview of the history, current strengths, and existing challenges associated with MSW/MPH program education, as well as practical resources such as program guidelines, an advising guide, an integrative seminar syllabus, and examples of alumni profiles.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number G05HP31425, Leadership in Public Health Social Work Education Grant Program, in the amount of $300,000 awarded to Trustees of Boston University. No percentage of this project was financed with nongovernmental sources. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.

The school-to-prison pipeline refers to a trend in which punitive school disciplinary policies and practices increase the likelihood that children will become involved with the criminal justice system. This event, which took place on April 12, 2018, 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. The panelists highlighted 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.

This student-led conference took place on April 21, 2018. It provided training for students and those working in health-oriented professions, including social work, public health, medicine, community health work, nursing, and dentistry to provide better care and eliminate health inequities. The day-long event 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.