Championing Dignity: How Lamunu Is Transforming Housing and Mental Health Care for Older Adults in Boston
In Boston a city known for world-class hospitals, cutting-edge innovation, and stark disparitiesolder adults experiencing homelessness face some of the most urgent and overlooked mental health challenges. At this intersection of aging, housing instability, and behavioral health, one social worker has emerged as a powerful advocate and changemaker: Emily Lamunu, an Adult Community Clinical Services (ACCS) clinician whose work is reshaping how the city supports its most vulnerable seniors.
For Emily, the work is personal, transformative, and deeply human. “When an older adult who has been homeless for decades finally receives the keys to their own apartment,” she says, “it’s not just housing they gain. It’s healing. It’s identity. It’s dignity.”
From Uganda to Boston: A Global Perspective That Inspires Local Action
Emily’s approach is shaped by a career that spans continents. Before coming to the United States, this global experience, rich in complexity, crisis management, and community engagement, serves as the foundation for her work in Boston.
“What I learned in global health,” Emily explains, “is that people thrive when systems truly listen to them. Whether in a remote Ugandan village or a housing program in Boston, dignity must be at the center.”
A Clinician, Advocate, and Systems Navigator
At her current nonprofit, Emily provides clinical and case management support to older adults who are living on the streets, in shelters, or transitioning into permanent housing. Many of her clients have untreated or unrecognized mental health conditions, often compounded by trauma, chronic illness, or decades of instability. Some are under the Department of Mental Health, while others have no prior connection to mental health services.
Emily supports clients in navigating the complex layers of housing systems, medical care, disability services, and mental health supports an often-overwhelming landscape for individuals experiencing homelessness.
“I see myself as both a clinician and an advocate,” she says. “Therapy doesn’t end when the session ends. It continues through housing applications, community visits, and making sure people can live independently with dignity and support.”
Her trauma-informed, person-centered approach integrates motivational interviewing, psychosocial support, crisis intervention, and long-term recovery planning. She also collaborates with shelters, hospitals, case managers, geriatric programs, and community partners to ensure continuity of care.
Beyond clinical work, Emily trains community organizations and providers in cultural humility and aging-sensitive mental health care, helping shift the way systems respond to older adults.
Recognitions That Reflect Impact and Leadership
Emily’s leadership has earned both national and local recognition. She was named to Boston’s “40 Under 40 in Public Health” in 2024, honoring emerging leaders advancing equity, justice, and innovation in public health.
Her academic and professional excellence have been recognized as well:
A fully funded Master’s of Social Work.
A Vision for Aging with Dignity and Belonging
Emily is passionate about redesigning the way cities support older adults—especially those who have lived at the margins for years. She envisions a model of care that integrates housing with mental health services from the start, grounded in trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and age-friendly practices.
“By 2030,” she says, “I want to see a Boston where no older adult has to navigate homelessness or untreated mental health challenges alone. Everyone deserves stability, safety, and a community that values them.”
Her future goals include shaping local policy, advocating for increased investment in geriatric mental health services, and continuing her global and domestic efforts to improve care systems for vulnerable populations.
A Leader Whose Journey Crosses Borders and Builds Bridges
Emily’s life and career reflect an emerging global perspective in social work and public healthone that recognizes the shared humanity behind every statistic and every system. Whether supporting adolescents living with HIV in Uganda or helping older adults find housing in Boston, she carries the same guiding principle: health, housing, and hope are fundamental human rights.
About Emily Lamunu
Emily Lamunu, MSW is a clinician, researcher, and public health practitioner specializing in aging, housing, mental health, and global health systems. She currently works in Boston, supporting older adults who have experienced homelessness through integrated clinical and housing interventions. Her work has been recognized by the American Public Health Association, the Boston Public Health Congress, and international partners advancing equity and compassion in health care.
