Social Work Research
School of Social Work faculty conduct research that addresses social issues, works to create equity and justice, and advances social work teaching and practice.
Our faculty engage students in research to advance their knowledge, develop their skills, and address social issues. At Simmons, our research is aimed at changing lives and creating lasting change.
Center for Innovation in Behavioral Health Education and Research
The Center for Innovation in Behavioral Health Education and Research (CIBER) builds on the national leadership of Simmons Social Work faculty in advancing research, practice, and teaching in behavioral health. The Center focuses on innovation in three main areas: substance use education and research, with a particular focus on vulnerable and underserved populations; technology, including patient simulation and telebehavioral health; and behavioral health workforce development in the emerging model of integrated primary care and behavioral health in urban and rural areas. CIBER aims to be the epicenter of innovation in the arena of emerging technologies and clinical social work practice.
Student Engagement in Research
Through the SSW’s ambitious Social Work Fellowship program, MSW and Ph.D students receive stipends to collaborate with Social Work faculty on their research projects. Students get hands on experience with all parts of the research process; indeed, several students have earned co-authorship on faculty publications. Recent Social Work Fellowship research topic areas include: community based participatory research with domestic violence agencies; substance use in the LGBTQ population; cancer screening with women of color and community services for immigrant populations.
Social Work Faculty Research in the News
Hope Floats: Hurricane Katrina 20 Years Later
Simmons School of Social Work Professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Development Johnnie Hamilton-Mason shared a retrospective conversation based on her research, titled “Hope Floats: African American Women's Survival Experiences after Katrina.”
Associate Professor’s Research Links Drinking and Depression
School of Social Work Associate Professor Christina Sellers was quoted in an article, "Retirement and drinking don't mix."
Professor Visits University of Johannesburg as Fulbright Specialist
Professor Johnnie Hamilton-Mason received a Fulbright Specialist Award this year. Recipients of the Fulbright Specialist awards are "selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, demonstrated leadership in their field, and their potential to foster long-term cooperation between institutions in the U.S. and abroad."
2024 Simmons Faculty Awards Celebrates Stellar Researchers and Educators
Simmons faculty from various disciplines received awards in undergraduate and graduate teaching, research, service, and a commitment to DEI at the 2024 Faculty Awards.
School of Social Work Professor Studies Impact of Inequity on Preterm Birth
Joanna Almeida, professor and Eva Whiting White Endowed Chair at Simmons School of Social Work, was quoted in a MedicalXpress article about her new study of factors impacting preterm birth in the Commonwealth.
Professor Hamilton-Mason Honored by Haymarket People’s Fund
The Haymarket People's Fund has described Professor Johnnie Hamilton-Mason as “an interdisciplinary researcher” and honored her for her work in support of the Fund.
Advancing Harm Reduction: The Case for Overdose Prevention Centers
A conversation with Jeffrey Steen, Assistant Professor in the Simmons University School of Social Work.
Exploring Immigrant Stories: Being, Longing, Surviving and Thriving
A conversation with Hugo Kamya, Professor in the Simmons University School of Social Work and Associate Director of the Center for Innovation in Clinical Social Work.
Social Work Student and Alum Research in the News
Honors 3+1 Student Embraces Interdisciplinarity
Abigail Pearson ’26, ’27MSW is an honors student pursuing an accelerated degree in social work. We spoke with her about the vitality of an interdisciplinary education and the thriving community at Simmons.
Simmons Alumna Shares the Challenges and Rewards of Mental Health Therapy
Christa Perry ’23MSW is a mental health therapist for Embark Behavioral Health, a national company that provides mental health treatment to teens and young adults. Based in Vienna, Virginia, Perry counsels individuals and families in the eight-week Partial Hospitalization Program and the 15-week Intensive Outpatient Program.
A Mother Follows Her Child’s Footsteps to a Simmons Education
During high school, Devin Ryan ’21 toured Simmons, where they later majored in Biology. Meanwhile, someone close to Ryan was also inspired by that campus tour: their mother, Misty Neader ’25MSW.
Nathan Brewer ’10MSW ’18PhD on Protecting College Students
Nathan Brewer ’10MSW ’18PhD is Director of the Sexual Assault Response & Prevention Center (SARP) at Boston University (BU). After receiving his Master’s in Social Work from Simmons, he returned to the University to pursue his PhD in Social Work alongside his clinical practice. We spoke to Brewer about his experience in the program, and his current work at Boston University.