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JANUARY 2026
The McSilver Brief is a comprehensive newsletter released bi-monthly, providing updates about the wide-ranging and impactful research, policy, and technical assistance work we are engaged in at the NYU McSilver Institute. We appreciate your continued support.
For additional information regarding the NYU McSilver Institute, please visit mcsilver.nyu.edu.
Updates & Upcoming Events
MONDAY, JANUARY 26TH, 12:30 PM EST
McSilver Speaker Series: A Systems Approach for Expanding Improved Behavioral Health Care
Dr. Andrew Cleek and Meaghan Baier
Join us this Monday for a virtual McSilver Speaker Series event spotlighting TTAC, the New York City Perinatal and Early Childhood Mental Health Training and Technical Assistance Center. Dr. Andrew F. Cleek, Deputy Executive Director, and Meaghan Baier, Director of Healthcare Innovation, will discuss how TTAC is expanding training and technical assistance to support clinicians and organizations serving young children, the perinatal population, and child welfare-involved families across New York City.
MONDAY, JANUARY 26TH, 12:00 PM EST
Livestream McSilver Fellow Cathy Nonas’ Brenner Memorial Lecture
Cathy Nonas
Cathy Nonas, Executive Director of Meals for Good, Inc. and an NYU McSilver Fellow, will present on food insecurity in New York City as part of the annual Barbara Brenner Memorial Lecture. Drawing on her extensive experience in public health, nutrition policy, and community-based food access, Nonas will examine the structural drivers of food insecurity and strategies to improve access to healthy food in high-poverty communities. The livestream begins at 12:00 noon: join via Zoom using code 202764.
Team McSilver at the SSWR 2026 Annual Conference
Researchers at McSilver were well represented at the 2026 Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) Annual Conference in Washington, DC, presenting across multiple convenings.
Our Faculty Director, Dr. Fred M. Ssewamala, together with Dr. Ozge Sensoy Bahar and Dr. Samuel Kizito, shared work spanning adolescent HIV, mental health, school-based outcomes, and global health equity. Daniel B. Tanh, McSilver Assistant Director of Learning Innovation, led a Special Interest Group focused on advancing Asian American mental health research in response to the rise in anti-Asian racism and violence, with an emphasis on breaking intergenerational cycles of oppression and strengthening links between research and practice. Together, these presentations underscored McSilver’s commitment to equity-driven, policy-relevant, and community-engaged scholarship.
Daniel Tanh at SSWR 2026
Behavioral Health News: Addressing the Needs of the Perinatal Behavioral Health Workforce
Left-to-right: Dr. Damali Wilson, Rose Pierre-Louis, and Dr. Natasha Williams
Behavioral Health News, a trusted source of education, information, and advocacy on mental health and substance use disorder services, recently published an article examining the growing crisis facing the perinatal behavioral health workforce. The piece was authored by Dr. Natasha J. Williams, Associate Professor at the Department of Population Health and the Institute for Excellence in Health Equity (IEHE) at NYU Langone Health, alongside Rose Pierre-Louis, Executive Director of NYU McSilver, and Dr. Damali Wilson, McSilver/IEHE Health Equity Fellow.
The article explores how workforce shortages, student debt, and structural inequities intersect with rising rates of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Drawing on policy analysis, workforce development strategies, and emerging innovations such as community health workers, telehealth, and AI, the authors make a compelling case for sustained investment to improve outcomes for mothers, birthing people, and families.
OMH-Funded Evidence Based Treatment Dissemination Center Joining the McSilver Institute
In December 2025, the Evidence Based Treatment Dissemination Center (EBTDC) officially joined the NYU McSilver Technical Assistance Centers, strengthening statewide access to evidence-based clinical training for mental health professionals serving children and families.
Funded by the New York State Office of Mental Health, the transition ensures continuity of EBTDC’s specialized training and consultation, including the Managing and Adapting Practice program. Under McSilver’s Technical Assistance umbrella, EBTDC will continue to support a high-quality, data-informed clinical workforce across OMH-licensed programs.
Partnership with Ugandan Ministry of Health
McSilver Faculty Director Dr. Fred Ssewamala led the formal partnership between the McSilver Institute and the Ugandan Ministry of Health to advance evidence-based research, inform national policy on child survival and health, and support implementation of Uganda’s National Child Policy 2020.
The memorandum of understanding was signed on December 5, 2025, following a series of productive meetings convened by Dr. Ssewamala, building on his long-standing leadership in advancing child well-being in Uganda through the International Center for Child Health and Development (ICHAD). This partnership reflects McSilver’s continued commitment to strengthening global child and family health through research, policy, and cross-national collaboration.
Dr. Fred Ssewamala’s Grand Rounds Lecture
Dr. Fred M. Ssewamala
In December 2025, the NYU Langone Department of Population Health hosted Grand Rounds featuring Dr. Fred Ssewamala, who presented “Multidimensional Poverty and Global Health Equity: Lessons from 20 Years of Global-Focused Research on Children, Adolescents, and Families.” His talk drew on extensive NIH-funded research and global partnerships to highlight strategies for improving outcomes for people impacted by poverty and health disparities.
Dr. Ozge Sensoy Bahar Shares Works in Progress Talk with NYU Silver School
Dr. Ozge Sensoy Bahar
In December 2025, Dr. Ozge Sensoy Bahar presented “Child Labor at the Intersection of Poverty, Migration, and Gender” as part of Silver’s Works in Progress (WIP) series. Drawing on research from northern Ghana, her presentation examined strategies to prevent unaccompanied migration among adolescent girls at risk of child labor.
Dr. Samuel Kizito Awarded NYU RAISE Seed Funding
Dr. Samuel Kizito
Dr. Samuel Kizito was awarded a $10,000 Research and Innovation Seed (RAISE) Grant from the NYU Office of Research and Development to support his project, “Treatment Failure, Mortality, and One-Year Relapse Among Children with Comorbid Cancer and HIV in Uganda.” This funding supports early-stage research activities aimed at generating preliminary data and strengthening a future extramural grant application.
Listen to Power Play: Soft Power Unpacked, McSilver’s Latest Podcast
Penny Abeywardena
Power Play: Soft Power Unpacked explores the subtle yet powerful ways nations, organizations, and individuals shape opinions, drive change, and wield influence — without coercion. McSilver Fellow-in-Residence Penny Abeywardena dives into the strategies that define soft power both locally and globally, from cultural diplomacy and media narratives to corporate branding and grassroots activism.
Diane von Furstenberg, fashion icon, feminist, and philanthropist, is the first guest to unpack how she has wielded soft power across a storied career. Stay tuned — the next episode will feature Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH, 12:00 PM EST
McSilver Speaker Series: Intersecting Inequities: HIV in Vulnerable Communities
Join us on Tuesday, February 17th, for a hybrid panel discussion examining the intersection of HIV, poverty, and social vulnerability. The panel will explore how structural determinants shape HIV risk and outcomes, highlighting current research, practice innovations, and evidence-based strategies to reduce inequities. The session features Dr. Marya Gwadz, Dr. Farzana Kapadia, and Dr. Ronald S. Braithwaite.
Training & Technical Assistance
Introducing the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Resource Library
McSilver, in partnership with the Alliance for Rights and Recovery, Center for Practice Innovations, and InUnity Alliance, launched the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Resource Library (PRRL), a statewide initiative funded by the New York State Office of Mental Health. Designed to strengthen New York’s behavioral health workforce, PRRL expands access to evidence-based psychiatric rehabilitation curricula, training, and technical assistance for PROS programs and other OMH-licensed providers. The initiative will culminate in a centralized online library and training opportunities that support recovery-oriented, person-centered services for adults with serious mental illness across the state.
YTAC Hosts Largest-Yet December Retreat
In December 2025, Youth ACT teams from across New York State came together for the Youth ACT Community Retreat, a virtual convening focused on connection, reflection, and collective problem-solving with youth and families at the center.
Hosted by the Youth ACT Technical Assistance Center (YTAC), the retreat created shared space for teams to address challenges, strengthen skills, and renew energy for their work supporting youth with serious emotional challenges and their families. Participants engaged in interactive activities, received program updates from the New York State Office of Mental Health, and contributed to a Youth ACT evaluation session with the Office of Population Health and Evaluation. The retreat underscored YTAC’s critical role in strengthening the Youth ACT model by fostering collaboration, learning, and continuous improvement across teams statewide.
Opportunities for Researchers
Applications Now Open for the Researcher Resilience Training Program
Led by McSilver Faculty Director Dr. Fred Ssewamala, the Researcher Resilience Training (RRT) Program is designed to equip advanced doctoral students and early career investigators of underrepresented backgrounds who are interested in child and adolescent behavioral health with the necessary research skills to address the significant challenges that exist within resource-poor settings.
The year-long mentored training begins in June 2026 with a ten-week summer session that includes didactic training, career development, and networking. The program extends throughout the year as trainees work on mentored research projects under the guidance of our distinguished Training Program Directors and their research centers: Dr. Fred Ssewamala (McSilver), Dr. Mary McKay (SMART Africa), and Dr. Sean Joe (Race and Opportunity Lab).
Nominate a Student for NYU Tulsa Internship and Scholarship
NYU Tulsa offers students a unique study away and internship experience with generous scholarship support, high-impact placements, and expanding course options. With priority deadlines approaching for Summer and Fall 2025, faculty and advisors are encouraged to nominate or recommend strong students, especially from the New York campus. Students consistently report meaningful professional experiences, close mentorship, and opportunities to complete coursework toward majors and minors while building lasting connections in Tulsa.
Recent Scholarly Publications
Witte, Susan S., Ssewamala, F. M., Kiyingi, J., Bellamy, S. L., Yang, L. S., Nabunya, P., Sensoy Bahar, O. et al. (2025). “A cluster‐randomized controlled trial of a combination HIV risk reduction and economic empowerment intervention for women engaged in sex work in Uganda,” in Journal of the International AIDS Society.
Sensoy Bahar, O., Ssewamala, F., Namuwonge, F., Namuli, F. et al. (2025). “Caregivers’ perspectives on factors influencing adolescent girls’ engagement in sexual risk-taking in Uganda: A qualitative study,” in PLOS One.
Andom, F., Sensoy Bahar, O., Namatovu, P., McKay, M. M., Hoagwood, K., Ssewamala, F. M. (2025). “Head teachers' perspectives on the acceptability of an evidence-based mental health intervention in Ugandan schools: A qualitative study,” in Global Social Welfare.
Kizito, S., Namatovu, P., Namuwonge, F., Nabayinda, J., Nattabi, J., Mukasa, M. M., Nakigozi, G., Mwebembezi, A., Nabunya, P., Ssewamala, F. M. (2025). “Identifying latent profiles of adolescent ART adherence and the factors influencing membership,” in Global Social Welfare.
Nabayinda, J., Ssewamala, F. M., Kizito, S., Nabunya, P., Namatovu, P., Neilands, T. B., McKay, M. M. (2026). “The direct and indirect pathways through which gender norms influence decision-making autonomy among young women and men in Southern Uganda: A mediation analysis,” in Children and Youth Services Review.
Brathwaite, R., Kizito, S., Neilands, T. B., Ssentumbwe, V., Namuwonge, F., Namatovu, P., Nabunya, P., Ssewamala, F. M. (2026). “Exploring mediators of an economic empowerment intervention (Suubi4Her) on hopelessness and depressive symptoms among adolescent girls in Uganda,” in Journal of Adolescent Health.
Nabayinda, J., Nabunya, P., Sensoy Bahar, O., Kizito, S., Stark, L., Namatovu, P., Neilands, T., McKay, M. M., Ssewamala, F. M. (2025). “‘He is a guest in my house’: Exploring the barriers to asset development and decision-making autonomy among adolescent girls transitioning into young women in Southern Uganda,” in The Journal of International Development.
Sensoy Bahar, O., Laker, P. A., Nassanga, S., Ntambi, K., Ssentumbwe, V., Namatovu, P., ... & Ssewamala, F. M. (2026). “Preliminary impact of the say no to stigma intervention on attitudes toward mental illness: A pilot randomized clinical trial among primary school students in Uganda,” in Children and Youth Services Review.
Kabarambi, A., Kizito, S., Girma, A., Nartey, P., Hunleth, J., Silver, M. I., Niyonzima, N., Nabunya, P., Ssewamala, F. M. (2025). “Preliminary impact of public health messaging on HPV vaccine uptake among adolescent girls and young women living with HIV in central Uganda,” in AIDS and Behavior.
Najjuuko, C., Brathwaite, R., Mutumba, M., Childress, S., Nannono, S., Namatovu, P., ... & Ssewamala, F. M. (2025). “Identifying Predictors of Problematic Substance Use Among Youth Living with HIV in Uganda: A Machine Learning Approach,” in AIDS and Behavior.
Mutumba, M., Ssewamala, F. M., Nabunya, P., Nattabi, J., Namirembe, R., Matovu, F., et al. (2025). “HIV-related stigma and academic outcomes: the mediating role of mental health among adolescents living with HIV in Uganda,” in AIDS Care.
