BU School of Social Work Receives $2 Million Gift to Support Its Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health 

BU School of Social Work (BUSSW) is excited to announce it has received a $2 million gift from an anonymous donor designated to support its Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health (CISWH) and their work to establish the Building the Economic Case for Social Work Fund.  

“This generous gift is a powerful investment in the future of social work and will be leveraged to emphasize the leadership role social workers play in driving equitable health and well-being,” said Barbara Jones, BUSSW dean. “CISWH is at the forefront of this work, exemplifying a forward-thinking approach to addressing critical issues such as health equity, justice, and population health.”  

“As we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of health and social work, it is essential to document the economic contributions of social work within health and public health systems,” added Tami Gouveia, CISWH director and Paul Farmer professor of the practice. “This funding will help us understand how to create new programs and payment models to ensure access to health and behavioral health for all.” 

Building the Economic Case for Social Work is a multi-year research project at CISWH that will measure the health and economic contributions social workers make as leaders and key members of interdisciplinary healthcare and public health teams. This project is the centerpiece of CISWH’s newly created Power Building and Leadership Lab.  

The lab will create dynamic opportunities for social work professionals, students, and emerging leaders to cultivate leadership skills in health and public health social work, advocacy, program development, and systemic social change. Signature initiatives like the Beyond 2025 Action Hub and the Leadership Identification Project drive transformative, systemic change to strengthen social work leadership and practice in addressing social inequalities. Together, these efforts advance CISWH’s mission to build collective power that expands social work’s influence on health equity and creates lasting societal impact. 

CISWH was established in 2015 after a generous gift from an anonymous donor. The center serves as a bridge between social work, public health, and health care, as it fosters partnerships between researchers, practitioners, educators, policymakers, and communities. CISWH drives transformative solutions, amplifies the profound impact of social work, and boldly reimagines traditional approaches to advance equitable health, mental well-being, and quality of life worldwide.