Who We Are
Boston University Schools of Social Work & Public Health
As an early advocate for trans-disciplinary public health and social work collaboration, Boston University is one of the oldest graduate programs offering a dual degree in social work and public health. With more than 275 alumni and 35 current students, the MSW/MPH program at Boston University is a vibrant and exciting place to study. In 2006, the Schools of Social Work and Public Health, along with the Group for Public Health Social Work Initiatives, celebrated the 25th anniversary of the program by hosting “Public Health Social Work in the 21st Century, ” a national conference on public health social work. More than 200 public health, social work, and other professionals participated in the day-long working conference to share best practices in PHSW and to create an action plan for promoting public health social work within and across disciplines. Learn more
Boston University School of Public Health
Boston University School of Social Work
The Group for Public Health Social Work Initiatives (GPSI)
The Group for Public Health Social Work Initiatives (GPSI), formed in 2003 by an independent group of public health social work practitioners, is an ad hoc working group affiliated with Boston University. GPSI promotes public health social work through education, research, professional development, and trans-disciplinary activities.
Recent GPSI research includes:
Wyatt Marshall, J, Ruth, BJ, Sisco, S, Cohen, M, Bachman, S. Social work interest in prevention: A content analysis of the professional literature. (Under review; submitted February, 2009) Social Work.
Ruth, BJ & Sisco S. Public health social work. In: Mizrahi, T., & Davis, L. (Eds). Encyclopedia of social work (20th ed). New York: National Association of Social Workers, Oxford University Press, 2008.
Ruth BJ, Sisco S, Wyatt J, Bethke C, Bachman S, Markham Piper, T. Public health and social work: Training dual professionals for the contemporary workplace. Public Health Reports, 2008 (2) 123.
Ruth BJ, Wyatt J, Chiasson E, Geron S, Bachman S. Social work and public health: Comparing graduates from a dual-degree program. Journal of Social Work Education. 2006; 42, (2).
GPSI Members:
Betty J. Ruth, LCSW, MSW, MPH
Associate Clinical Professor
Director, MSW/MPH Program
Director, Certificate in Behavioral Medicine
Director, Professional Education Programs
Boston University School of Social Work
264 Bay State Road
Boston, MA 02215
bjruth[at]bu[dot]edu
Sarah Sisco, MPH, MSSW
Director of Evaluation
Bureau of Emergency Management
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
ssisco[at]health[dot]nyc[dot]gov
Jamie Wyatt Marshall, LCSW, MSW, MPH
Program Associate
Missouri Foundation for Health
jmarshall[at]mffh[dot]org
Christina Bethke, MSW
Project Coordinator, Global Health Delivery Project
Harvard School of Public Health
1639 Tremont St.
Boston, MA 02120
christina_bethke[at]hms[dot]harvard[dot]edu
Tinka Markham Piper, CSW, MPH
Program Research Associate
Institute for Health and Social Policy
McGill University
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
tinkampiper[at]gmail[dot]com
Sara S. Bachman, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Research
Boston University School of Social Work
264 Bay State Road
Boston, Massachusetts, 02215
sbachman[at]bu[dot]edu
