Mbita Mbao

Mbita Mbao, Ph.D., LICSW is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work. Dr. Mbao teaches in the MSW program and has taught HBSE, Social Work Practice and Health Care policy. Dr. Mbao’s teaching philosophy is grounded in andragogy principles of experiential learning. Dr. Mbao values the experiences students bring in the classroom, and is interested in understanding what motivates students to learn and how students learn best. Dr. Mbao’s scholarly agenda centers around behavioral health, aging, workforce development and issues affecting immigrants. Dr. Mbao is interested in increasing the aging workforce and part of her agenda is developing aging related curriculum in the MSW program.

Dr. Mbao received her BSW from Bowling Green State University, her MSW from Rhode Island College and her PHD from Simmons University. Dr. Mbao is a Licensed Clinical Independent Social Worker and has a clinical practice providing in-home therapy to older adults in the community.

Dr. Mbao is a 2025 North Star Collective fellow, A 2019 Association for Gerontology Education in Social Work (AGESW) Pre-Dissertation fellow and a GSA 2021 Mentoring and Career Development Technical Assistance Workshop Early Career Diversity Fellow (MCDTAW). In addition to her role at Salem State University, Dr. Mbao also serves on the “Older Adults Behavioral Health Network” steering committee.

Dr. Mbao is a member of Older Adult Behavioral Health Network and Salem for all ages. Both organizations are focused on increasing services for older adults.

1. Mbao, M. & Slayter, E. (2024). Moving from a focus on disability access and inclusion to a disability-affirming practice framework. Social Work Today.  https://www.socialworktoday.com/issues/2024/summer/#23
2. Nnaji, C., Anyango, L., Bova, C., Kiggundu, F., Mbao, M., Oloyede, D., & Omotola, A. (2024). The Tulumbe! Partnership: A case study in developing a community-led research agenda to address HIV among African immigrants in the United States. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, Article 1406397. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1406397
3. Mbao, M., Hamilton-Mason, J., Almeida, J., & Keefe, B. (2024). We Became "Therapists Without a License”- A Phenomenological Study of Care Managers Working with Older Adults during a Pandemic. Journal of Advanced Research in Social Sciences, 7(3): 42-52.
4. Mbao, M., Erbetta, K., & Mouanoutoua, S. (2024). Using guest speakers to influence graduate social work students to work with older adults. Educational Gerontology, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1080/03601277.2024.2378569
5. Ricciardelli, L., McGarity, S. V., Mbao, M., Erbetta, K., Herzog, J., & Knierem, M. (2023). Racial Disparity in Social Work Professional Licensure Exam Pass Rates: Examining Institutional Characteristics and State Licensure Policy as Predictors. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 1-15.
6. Mbao, M., Keefe, B., Almeida, J., & Hamilton-Mason, J. (2023). Care Managers in the Aging Network: Increasing Self-Efficacy in Human Service Providers. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/07334648231156134
7. Myers A, Mbao M, Kadakia A, Collings S, Fortuna K. (2022), Experiences of Community Members Engaged in eCPR (Emotional Connecting, Empowering, Revitalizing) Training: Qualitative Focus Group Study. JMIR Form Res. (2022);6(6):e32219https://formative.jmir.org/2022/6/e32219, DOI: 10.2196/32219
8. Mbao, M., Zisman Ilani, Y., Gold, A., Myers, A., Walker, R., Fortuna, K. L. (2021), Co-production development of a decision support tool for peers and service users to choose technologies to support recovery, Patient Experience Journal, Volume 8, Issue 3 – 2021, pp. 45-63. https://pxjournal.org/journal/vol8/iss3/7
9. Mbao, M., Collins-Pisano, C., & Fortuna, K. (2021). Older Adult Peer Support Specialists' Age-Related Contributions to an Integrated Medical and Psychiatric Self-Management Intervention: Qualitative Study of Text Message Exchanges. JMIR formative research, 5(3), e22950. https://doi.org/10.2196/22950
10. Mbao, M. and Hamilton-Mason, J. (2021), "On the go – parents are working 24/7", International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, Vol. 17 No. 3, pp. 259-273. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMHSC-06-2020-0067
11. Fortuna, K. L., Myers, A. L., Bianco, C., Mois, G., Mbao, M., Morales, M. J., Brinen, A. P., Bartels, S. J., & Hamilton, J. (2021). Advancing the Science of Recovery: The Utility of the Recovery Assessment Scale in the Prediction of Self-Directed Health and Wellness Outcomes in Adults with a Diagnosis of a Serious Mental Illness. The Psychiatric quarterly, 10.1007/s11126-021-09963-2. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11126-021-09963-2
12. Fortuna, K.L., Mbao, M., Walker, R., & Rivera, J. (2021) Peer and Non-Peer Academic Scientists and Peer Support Specialist Community of Practice: Stakeholder Engagement to Advance the Science of Peer Support. IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference

1. Mbao, M & Erbetta, K. (October 2024). Using Professional Mentors to Influence Social Work Students to Work with Older Adults. Council on Social Work Education Conference. Kansas, MO
2. Mbao, M. (November 2024). Understanding and Addressing Behavioral Health Issues in Immigrant Families. National Association of Social workers Conference.
3. Mbao, M., Hamilton-Mason, J. Almeida, J., & Keefe. (2024, May). A phenomenological study of lived experiences of Aging Network Care Managers working with older adults during a pandemic. Global conference of Aging and Gerontology. https://www.dpublication.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/AG-116.pdf
4. Mbao, M., Krinsky. L., & Willams. W. (2024, May). Growing the Pipeline: Addressing Barries to Leadership in Aging Services. [Panel Presentation]. Older adult behavioral health network Annual Conference, Worcester, MA
5. Mbao, M (February,2023). Sub-Saharan African Immigrants’ work culture and remittance: Do social workers know enough to care for this population? Salem State School of Social Work Monthly Professional Development Seminar.
6. Mbao, M., & Keefe, B. (2022). WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT: AGING NETWORK CARE MANAGERS AS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROVIDERS FOR OLDER ADULTS IN COMMUNITIES. Innovation in Aging, 6(Suppl 1), 477. https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igac059.1846
7. Mbao, M. (May 2022). The intersectionality of Spirituality and Mental Health among sub-Saharan African countries. Immigrants Lives Matter: Racism, Intersectionality, Spirituality and Equity in Under resourced Populations (RISE UP).
8. Mbao, M, Hamilton-Mason, J. (September 2021). On the Go: Parents Working 24/7. African Immigrant Health 2021. Removing Systemic Barriers (and) Improving Health Outcomes in African Immigrant Communities.
9. Hamilton-Mason, J., Kamya, H., Mbao, M., & Defillipo-Bolduc, J. (November 2020). The great divide: brain drain among foreign born and people of color in human services: The lived experiences of underemployed direct care workers. Council on Social Work Education-Annual Conference.
10. Mbao, M. & Fortuna, K. L. (October 2020). Older adult peer specialists’ role in offsetting the impact of social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gerontological Association of America Pre-conference webinar.
11. Mbao, M., Anyango, L., & Oloyede, D. (2019, March). Engaging African Immigrants in Addressing HIV Disparities within the Population. Community Engagement and Research Symposium. Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Worcester, MA.