Hugo Kamya Joins Saturday Bridges to Discuss the Value of Storytelling

On March 31, Hugo Kamya will lead a conversation about the role narrative plays in building understanding and in healing.

Dr. Kamya is a professor of social work at Simmons College School of Social Work. He teaches courses in clinical practice, trauma and narrative therapies at both the masters and doctoral levels. His professional identity weaves together several backgrounds and narratives. Originally from Uganda, he came to the United States over twenty years ago. He studied at Harvard University, Boston University, Boston College, and began a career in the interrelated practices and trainings of social work, psychology, and theology.

Dr. Kamya has integrated several realms of teaching, research, clinical, and social justice work. He has practiced in community mental health settings with a variety of populations. His teaching, research, clinical work and larger systems interventions greatly enrich each other. In 1995, he participated in a network assembly for the Children's AIDS Project at Boston Medical Center. This work helped him begin to combine social network and community work with consulting for organizations working with children affected by HIV. His commitment to providing collaborative family services to children living in HIV-affected families has been very rewarding, particularly in Uganda, where he brings students and colleagues to interact and work with people in HIV/AIDS clinics, and where he continues to do research on child and granny headed families, and children of war. His work in Uganda has culminated in serving on the Makula Fund for Children, an organization which provides tuition, medical attention and breakfast to children living with HIV. In 2004, Dr. Kamya received a U.S. State Department Grant to conduct service learning Citizens Exchange project between U.S. and Uganda citizens. As a member of CSWE, he serves on the Global Education Commission, and has chaired the track for International Issues.