Family Support Program Development-Integrating Research, Practice and Policy

Abstract

ABSTRACT Recent interest from a variety of disciplines in supporting families for the purpose of enhancing resiliency and reducing adverse outcomes highlights the challenges and opportunities involved in using research to inform social work practice and policy. Over the past two decades a tremendous amount of research in prevention and early childhood intervention has been carried out, but it is often difficult to translate this research into practice and policy. There is a need to move beyond finding the ideal program model toward the application of important research findings through a systematic process of program development. In developing social work programs to support families it is important to consider not only the optimal program models to be applied, but the details of implementation and the role of quality management and program evaluation. The paper reports upon the development of the Integrated Team Case Management Approach which was developed in response to research findings and experience implementing large scale initiatives. This program approach is intended to integrate current knowledge and identify ways to implement that knowledge into social work programs which meet current policy needs.