The Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) is set to hold its 30th Annual Conference from January 14 to 18 in Washington, DC. The premier convening for social work researchers, the SSWR 2026 Conference promises to explore the theme “Leading for Transformative Change: Aligning Social Work Science with Policy and Practice” with hundreds of poster presentations and discussions.
NYU Silver School of Social Work faculty are deeply involved in SSWR as presenters, honorees, and attendees, and the Silver School will host a reception on January 16. Among the delegation, several McSilver Institute researchers will deliver presentations: Dr. Fred M. Ssewamala, McSilver’s Faculty Director; Dr. Samuel Kizito, Research Assistant Professor; and Dr. Ozge Sensoy Bahar, Research Associate Professor and Senior Research Scientist. Additionally, Daniel Tanh, LCSW will facilitate “Social Workers Advancing Asian American Mental Health,” a Special Intrest Group session addressing anti-Asian racism with mental health reseearch and practice.
Below is a full list of presentations of work supported by McSilver scholars:
- “Using Machine Learning to Predict Depression Among Adolescents Living with HIV (ALWHIV) in Uganda”
JAN 15 Vicent Ssentumbwe, Claire Najjuuko, Samuel Kizito, Josephine Nabayinda, Portia Nartey, Flavia Namuwonge, Phionah Namatovu, Proscovia Nabunya and Massy Mutumba - “The Impact of Child Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties on Caregiver’s Mental Health: Insights from Families Impacted by HIV in Southern Uganda”
JAN 15 Melody Rachel Konadu Frempong, Vicent Ssentumbwe, Flavia Namuwonge, Josephine Nabayinda, Samuel Kizito, Proscovia Nabunya, and Fred M. Ssewamala - “Identifying the Latent Classes of Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence Among Adolescents Living with HIV”
JAN 16 Samuel Kizito, Josephine Nabayinda, Phionah Namatovu, Flavia Namuwonge and Proscovia Nabunya - Special Interest Group Session: “Social Workers Advancing Asian American Mental Health”
JAN 17 Convener: Daniel B. Tanh, LCSW - “Correlates Between Risk Factors and School Life Satisfaction Among Adolescents Living with HIV (ALWHIV) in Low Resource Settings: The Case of the M-Suubi Study in Uganda”
JAN 17 Jennifer Nattabi, Josephine Nabayinda, Samuel Kizito, Francis Matovu, Phionah Namatovu, Proscovia Nabunya, Ozge Sensoy Bahar and Massy Mutumba - “Attitudes Toward Mental Illness Among Primary School Students in Uganda: A Cross-sectional Study”
JAN 18 Ozge Sensoy Bahar, Sumayiya Nassanga, Kennedy Ntambi, Patricia Acayo Laker, Noeline Nakasujja and Proscovia Nabunya - “The Role of Self-Concept and Gender in Shaping HIV Prevention Attitudes Among Adolescents Orphaned By HIV/AIDS in Uganda”
JAN 18 Portia Nartey, Abel Zemedkun Girma, Anita Kabarambi, Claire Najjuuko, Proscovia Nabunya and Fred M. Ssewamala - “Acceptability of Group-Based HIV Stigma Reduction Interventions for Adolescents Living with HIV and Their Caregivers in Uganda”
JAN 18 Proscovia Nabunya, James Mugisha, Anita Kabarambi, Herbert Migadde, Mitra Naseh and Fred M. Ssewamala - “‘People Who Access It Will Read about People Who Went through Challenging Situations and How They Overcame and Lived Happy Lives’: Feedback on a Digital Health Intervention from Healthcare Providers and Adolescents Living with HIV and Depression in Uganda”
JAN 18 Lucy Meigs, Erin Kasson, Layna Paraboschi, Olive Imelda Namuyaba, Samir Jamiru, Anita Kabarambi, Edward Nsubuga, Claire Najjuuko, James Mugisha, Proscovia Nabunya, Fred M. Ssewamala and Patricia Cavazos-Rehg - “Making Risks Associated with Child Labor Visible in Schools and Communities in Northern Ghana: Preliminary Findings from a Participatory Research”
JAN 18 Ozge Sensoy Bahar, Penina Laker, Alice Boateng, Abdallah Ibrahim and Frederick Amissah




