Evidence-based Social Work Practice Research Articles

Ethical Considerations of Evidence-Based Practice

During past decade evidence-based practice has become increasingly influential in social work practice and education (Gilgun, 2005). The increasing influence is evidenced by proliferation of articles and books about subject (Chwalisz, 2003). Evidence-based practice has largely been accepted as a positive advancement in profession (Fook, 2004; Gilgun, 2005). Its proponents contend that basing social work practice on research evidence is an important ethical mandate (Gibbs & Grambrill, 2002). Indeed, incorporating state-of-the-art knowledge and research has long been considered essential to good social work practice (Goldstein, 1990; NASW, 2000). It is perhaps because of this recognition that potential ethical consequences of evidence-based practice movement have too infrequently been explored. Science, and, by extension, evidence-based practice, hold elevated and privileged positions within modern societies and are commonly viewed as value free and accepted on face value. Yet, within any epistemology lies implicit values that silently guide those who adopt its approaches and methods. This is also true for social work movements, theories and perspectives; values are embedded deeply within each and have implications for what problems profession pays attention to and how it responds to them. Embedded within structure and core elements of evidence-based practice are implied organizing principles that can lead to privileging of certain sets of values, knowledge, and actions over others. Webb (2001) has asserted that the emerging panacea of evidence-based practice in social work has thus far developed without critical (p.15). The purpose of this commentary is to briefly illuminate these tendencies as a means of stimulating dialogue and debate within profession. The aim of this article is not to disparage evidence-based practice movement but to highlight some of dilemmas that call for more careful exploration. PRIVILEGING KNOWLEDGE OVER VALUES Although evidence-based practice movement does not ignore professional values, importance of validated scientific evidence is central aspect of approach and may overshadow social work values. Although science has provided many valuable insights for social work, there is a risk of overreliance on knowledge. Gordon (1965) articulated this concern over 40 years ago when she asserted following: knowledge is called on when a value is needed as a guide to action, resulting action may be unpurposeful (p. 365) That is, social workers may achieve their stated aims, but their stated aims may not be most important and necessary to achieve. Social work practice may indeed lose its depth or conscience. At its core, social work is a profession predicated on ideology and values (Perlman, 1986). For instance, one of ways in which elevation of knowledge over values can affect social work is through privileging of efficiency over autonomy. If outcome research becomes most important factor guiding social work services provision, a focus on client empowerment and autonomy may become at risk. For instance, research may show a specific medication or treatment approach to be most effective, yet clients may wish to handle these problems in a manner that is more consonant with their personal values or strengths. For example, a Puerto Rican client living in Philadelphia may wish to seek services of a healer before considering an evidence-based cognitive behavioral or pharmacological intervention for depression. Although evidence-based practice does not call for practitioners to ignore wishes of clients, it is feared that focus on outcomes research would lead practitioners to overzealously pushing certain approaches. How this may affect work with vulnerable and oppressed populations over time is still unknown. Evidence-based studies have not ascertained degree to which use of its practices affects client empowerment, freedom, or emancipation, longitudinally (Fook, Ryan, & Hawkins, 1997). …

Evidence-Based Practice and Information Literacy in Social Work: An Assessment of Students' Reference Lists

ABSTRACT To date, only a small number of articles have been written about the information literacy needs of social work students. This is a topic that needs to be addressed more among librarians because of the emergence of the evidence-based practice paradigm within the social work profession. Now more than ever, social work students need to know sophisticated techniques for searching and identifying high-quality research. The authors of this paper have attempted to start to address this need by conducting a small citation study in order to assess the information literacy needs of graduate level social work students at Boston College. The results of our study indicated that the students need instruction that emphasizes evidence-based searching skills. These skills include retrieving peer-reviewed articles and identifying research-based sources. We outline recommendations for incorporating evidence-based searching skills in instruction sessions.

Evidence-based social work practice with children and families: a cross national perspective

This paper summarizes, from a cross-national perspective, some commonly used models of evidence-based practice and relates them to social work practice with children and families. We first identify concepts and dimensions central to an analysis of the outcomes of social work practice. We then present and discuss key components of social work practice that any evidence-based model must take into account. Finally, we provide some examples of strategies that may be useful to practitioners and policy makers across nations and cultures in order to build a solid knowledge-base for effective social work practice.

Teaching Evidence-Based Practice

A complete and mindfully developed blueprint for implementing evidence-based practice (EBP) in social work should include a full complement of coordinated goals and strategies for all stakeholders, including future social workers. To this end, schools of social work should teach students to be lifelong learners; teach students what is currently known and not known about the efficacy and effectiveness of social work practices and programs; teach students to be knowledgeable and skillful with the empirically supported practices in their area of specialty; teach current practitioners new knowledge and skills through evidence-based continuing education programs. This article describes these strategies and draws on examples from the classroom and a pilot training project designed to support EBP in social work agencies.

Evidence-Based Practice in Social Work: Lessons from Judgment and Decision-Making Theory

This paper introduces a critique of the experimentalist strand of the evidence-based practice movement in social work. It does so by drawing on the available body of knowledge that is found within the field of judgment and decision making. The nexus between experimentalist evidence-based practice and rational choice approaches to social work decision making is demonstrated. Subsequently, it argues that the properties of social work decision tasks are more likely to facilitate naturalistic than analytical decision making strategies. Recognition-primed decision making is introduced as a possible alternative to practice guidelines and decision aids. Finally, the consequences of embracing the principles of recognition-primed decision making are considered regarding social work practice, education and research.

Administering Research and Demonstration Projects Aimed at Promoting Evidence-Based Practice in Child Welfare

SUMMARY The Southern Regional Quality Improvement Center for Child Protection, funded by the Children's Bureau is administering research and demonstration projects in public child welfare agencies in four states to test models of structured clinical supervision in achieving organizational, social worker and client outcomes. These projects represent an attempt to promote evidence-based practice in the public agency. These projects are discussed within the context of the status of evidence-based practice in social work. The university has experienced number of challenges in provided technical assistance and conducting the cross-site evaluation of these projects which may be of interest to others attempting to foster evidence-based practice in this type of environment. These challenges, as well as promising solutions, are detailed in this article.

Teaching Parenting Skills in a Methadone Treatment Setting

Family factors significantly affect children's risk of substance abuse, delinquency, and other problem behaviors (Arthur, Hawkins, Pollard, Catalano, & Baglioni, 2002). Children of substance abusers represent a particularly high-risk population. Prenatal exposure to addictive substances and the medical complications that may arise are important factors that, from conception, place this population at high risk of drug abuse and other problem behaviors (Griffith, Azuma, & Chasnoff, 1994). As children of substance abusers mature, their lives are characterized by exposure to continued drug and alcohol abuse by family members, recurrent or chronic illnesses, frequent moves, financial troubles, legal conflicts, family disorganization, and family conflict (Keller, Catalano, Haggerty, & Fleming, 2002; Kolar, Brown, Haertzen, & Michaelson, 1994). Furthermore, substance-abusing parents tend to have poorer family management practices than nonabusers (Kolar et al.). Substance-abusing parents in treatment are dealing not only with their addiction, the possibility of relapse, and struggles with employment and living arrangements, but also with their role as parents and the influence of their addiction on their children (Greif, 2005). Parenting skills training is increasingly used as a preventive intervention (see reviews by Cedar & Levant, 1990; Howard & Shepard, 2005; Polster, Dangel, & Rasp, 1987). Several programs have been developed to help substance-abusing parents reduce their children's risk of substance abuse (Camp & Finkelstein, 1997; Catalano, Haggerty, Fleming, Brewer, & Gainey, 2002; Dawe, Harnett, Rendalls, & Staiger, 2003; DeMarsh & Kumpfer, 1985; Gross & McCaul, 1992).Theoretical and empirical work suggests that methadone maintenance programs may be a strategic setting for parenting skills training programs because methadone has been shown to reduce illicit heroin use and criminal activity and to provide greater stability in the lives of users (Ward, Mattick, & Hall, 1998). Methadone treatment by itself, however, is unlikely to ameliorate dysfunctional family relationships. To date, only a few programs for this population have been evaluated for their effect on improving parenting skills (Dawe et al.; DeMarsh & Kumpfer). Data reported here come from the Focus on Families (FOF) field experiment (see Catalano et al., 2002 for a full description of the program). The intervention combined relapse prevention (Marlatt & Gordon, 1985) and parenting skills training (33 sessions) with home-based case management services that lasted approximately nine months. Case managers worked with families in their homes, helping parents generalize the skills learned in the training to the home environment and taking advantage of naturally occurring situations to practice and reinforce skills. Parents were taught positive family management practices (including monitoring, limit setting, and using positive and negative consequences for socially appropriate and antisocial behavior), how to communicate more effectively with their children, how to hold family meetings to increase children's involvement in family tasks and activities, how to teach children problem-solving and drug-refusal skills, and strategies to help their children succeed in school. The intervention was successful in increasing parents' relapse-prevention skills and self-efficacy while reducing parental substance use, domestic conflict, and deviant peer networks (Catalano, Gainey, Fleming, Haggerty, & Johnson, 1999; Catalano et al., 2002; Gainey, Catalano, Haggerty, & Hoppe, 1995).To date the project has not published data specifically on the success or failure of the intervention in increasing parenting skills. Given the importance of evidence-based practice in social work (Jenson, 2005; Whittaker et al., 2006), this article describes an instrument specifically designed to measure parenting skills among substance-abusing parents and reports results from a field experiment using this instrument to assess the efficacy of a family-based program for the parents receiving methadone treatment. …

Implementing Evidence-Based Practice in Social Work Education: Principles, Strategies, and Partnerships

This article views social work education as fundamentally a knowledge implementation enterprise. It proposes principles, partnerships, and strategies through which schools can advance evidence-based practice in social work. Such strategies should meet five criteria: They must be deliberate and strategic, they should be knowledge based, they should reflect the complexity of social work practice, they should capitalize on school and agency core activities and resources, and they should build on natural partnerships inherent in professional education. Their savvy and ingenuity in leveraging existing resources may be the key to schools' success in preparing social work professionals for evidence-based practice.

Implementing Evidence-Based Social Work Practice

Recently, social work has been influenced by new forms of practice that hold promise for bringing practice and research together to strengthen the scientific knowledge base supporting social work intervention. The most recent new practice framework is evidence-based practice. However, although evidence-based practice has many qualities that might attract social workers to adopt it, use in practice is limited. Accordingly, attention is being given to determine effective strategies for the dissemination, adoption, and implementation of evidence-based practice. This article examines the implementation literature, describes alternative strategies for implementation of evidence-based practice in social work, describes an implementation study to illustrate concepts discussed, and specifies needed research.

Developing a culture of evidence-based practice in social work agencies in Northern Ireland

Developing evidence-based practice has become a major policy objective in social work agencies throughout the United Kingdom. There has, however, been little empirical study of the perceptions of social work staff concerning the value of evidence-based practice in their work or about its practical development within organisations. This article contributes to the debate on evidence-based practice by reporting on an exploratory workshop for social work staff in the Southern Health and Social Services Board in Northern Ireland. The workshop aimed to identify the professional and organisational barriers to developing evidence-based practice. While highlighting the challenges staff in this social work organisation faced the findings also suggested ways in which these may be overcome. The paper explores the type of policies, structures and resources which may be required in the Southern Health and Social Services Board and by similar agencies in order to develop a culture in which evidence-based social work practice can flourish.

PROTOCOL: Personal assistance for non‐demented older adults (65+) with impairments

PROTOCOL: Personal assistance for non‐demented older adults (65+) with impairments

PROTOCOL: Personal assistance for adults (19‐64) with physical impairments

PROTOCOL: Personal assistance for adults (19‐64) with physical impairments

The Current State of Evidence-Based Practice in Social Work

While there is recent movement toward Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in social work, criticisms subsist regarding the profession's translation of research into viable practices. Evidence describing effective interventions exists, but research that addresses dissemination and implementation is generally lacking. This paper highlights existing literature on dissemination and explores the barriers, themes, and trends in EBP through eight expert interviews. The interviews reflect the issues described in the literature and provid additional insight to the process of implementation and dissemination of EBP. Findings from the literature and interviews are synthesized into research and practice recommendations. While there is a call for Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in social work and mental health services, there have also been a number of criticisms about the implementation of research findings into viable methods of practice. These barriers range from the egregious lag-time between research development to dissemination of evidence to practice settings to a veritable lack of support and training for community practitioners. There is a growing body of evidence describing effective interventions, but there is not a substantial body of work addressing the dissemination of these programs and other research findings for use in the field. This paper highlights some of the work around dissemination of EBPs in the field of social work with an emphasis on mental health services including an overview of the barriers to the use of evidence in practice and proposed models of conceptualization and implementation of EBP. To further highlight the current barriers, themes, and trends in EBP eight experts in the field of EBP were interviewed. The goal of the interviews was to survey the opinions of expert researchers in the area of EBP to supplement knowledge described in the literature. The experts' responses reflected many of the same issues described in the literature as well as additional information regarding their efforts toward determining the most viable options to address the barriers to implementing and disseminating EBP. Findings from the literature review and interviews are synthesized into recommendations for future research and practice efforts.

Evidence-Based Practice: Current Issues and Future Directions

Evidence-based practice approaches continue to increase in popularity in health and human service contexts in Australia and internationally. As social workers face pressures to evidence practice and justify outcomes, the limitations in applying an evidence-based practice approach to social work are confronted. The present paper identifies the features of evidence-based practice and notes the potential benefits and limitations of this approach in social work. Debates surrounding the nature of social work interventions, effectiveness and evidence are reviewed. The current context and climate influencing the use of research and other evidence in social work are discussed. The paper also considers the position of qualitative, interpretive and critical reflective approaches in relation to evidence-based practice. Issues for the future of evidence-based practice in social work are identified, including the need for the profession to examine more closely the relationship between critical reflective and evidence-based approaches to practice.

Connecting Science to Intervention: Advances, Challenges, and the Promise of Evidence-Based Practice

The popularity of evidence-based practice (EBP) in social work is contributing to renewed interest in developing, testing, and selecting efficacious interventions for diverse client groups and problems. This activity affords a unique opportunity for social work practitioners, educators, and investigators to make significant strides in connecting science to social intervention. The integration of science and intervention is an important, yet elusive, goal in social work practice and research. ADVANCES IN CONNECTING SCIENCE AND PRACTICE Early Efforts Discussion of the connection between science and practice is not new. In an oft-cited paper dating to the early 20th century, Flexner (1915) grappled with the question of whether social work was a legitimate profession. He also noted the relatively weak integration between research and practice that characterized early social intervention. Social work pioneers such as Jane Addams (1911) suggested that systematic data collection and information processing were critical aspects of effective individual-level interventions and community practice strategies. The persistence of early advocates and subsequent interest in the growing number of empirically based treatments for mental health and other problems in the mid-20th century set the stage for later efforts to link research and practice. The effects of social work interventions on client outcomes became a focal point in the discussion of science and intervention during the 1970s. Several reviews of the treatment outcome literature in social work revealed few effective interventions for clients (Fischer, 1976, 1978). These findings, accompanied by similar results in criminal justice and other fields (for example, Martinson, 1974), called attention to the inadequate methodology used in outcome studies and, in general, highlighted the fragile link between science and practice. The disappointing results from treatment outcome reviews contributed to the endorsement of the scientist-practitioner model, a framework first adopted by psychology at a 1949 conference in Boulder, Colorado (Raimy, 1950). The scientist--practitioner framework encouraged social workers to rigorously evaluate the effects of intervention with clients by using research strategies associated with single-subject design (Barlow, Hayes, & Nelson, 1984; Jayaratne & Levy, 1979). In the 1980s most schools of social work offered or required graduate-level research courses in single-subject design. Many readers will likely recall their classroom or instructional experiences in the study and application of this methodology. The fact that nearly all social work graduate programs allocated instructional time to convey the scientist--practitioner model to students was a testament to the importance relegated to the framework. Unfortunately, the combined effects of past efforts to connect science and practice were largely unsuccessful. Evaluations of the scientist--practitioner model revealed that relatively few practitioners engaged in systematic practice evaluation (Kirk & Reid, 2002). Many practitioners suggested that the principles associated with single-subject design inhibited their ability to engage in effective and sensitive practice with clients. Investigators also found that most practitioners did not consider empirical evidence when selecting interventions for clients (Rosen, Proctor, Morrow-Howell, & Staudt, 1995). Recent Developments Proactive and concrete steps to integrate science and intervention in the past 20 years have produced greater advances in connecting science and practice. In 1988 the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) appointed the Task Force on Social Work Research to lead an investigation of the status of social work research. The task force examined virtually all aspects of social work research, including the productivity of social work faculty, the apparent lack of federally funded social work researchers, and the nature of advanced research training in social work doctoral programs (Task Force on Social Work Research, 1991). …

Home Health Social Work: Obstacles to Evidence-Based Practice

This article briefly describes the mandate for evidence-based practice in social work, the basic principles of evidence-based social work practice, systemic obstacles to evidence-based social work practice in home care, and suggestions for removing these obstacles.

The Future of Evidence-Based Social Work: An Optimistic View?

The abbreviated article contains a brief overview of the contemporary state of evidence-based social work (EBSW) and projections of its likely future. The forecast is based upon a review and analysis of the current trends and themes reflected in books, journal articles, dissertations, conferences, university programs, centers and resources available through the World Wide Web. The analysis suggests that the future of evidence-based practice (EBP) in social work is likely to be characterized by further evolution, clarification, and explication of the EBP perspective; continued growth and popularity and a commensurate increase in the number of publications about EBP; modest increase in the number of practice-relevant research studies conducted by social workers; slight decrease in the gap between research-based knowledge and actual practice; and continued polarization within the profession about the relative value and utility of evidence-based social work.

The Four Cornerstones of Evidence-Based Practice in Social Work

The purpose of this article is to place evidence-based practice within its wider scholarly contexts and draw lessons from the experiences of other professions that are engaged in implementing it. The analysis is based primarily on evidence-based medicine, the parent discipline of evidence-based practice, but the author also draws on evidence-based nursing and evidence-based social work in the United Kingdom. It was found that the experiences of other practice professions have a great deal to offer social work practice. Similar to medicine, nursing, and our British colleagues, U.S. social work practice will benefit from increased research activity, more widespread availability of reviews of research, on-line resources, and many more training opportunities. Similar to nursing administrators, social work administrators have the responsibility to allow social work practitioners the time and training to become familiar with research relevant to their practice.

From concept to implementation: challenges facing evidence-based social work

English Evidence-based practice and policy is an innovative concept born out of medicine and surrounded by a great deal of debate. Although researchers have begun to define and build frameworks for the process of evidence-based social work (EBSW), few practitioners appear to employ evidence-based approaches and relatively little is known about how to facilitate this form of knowledge transfer. Arguments in favour of evidence-based practice include its potential to enhance the quality of decisions about the care of individual clients, manage constantly evolving research knowledge, incorporate clients’ values and expectations into the practice process and choices, provide a framework for education and self-directed life-long learning and encouraging high-quality practice-relevant research. Although EBSW appears promising and complementary to social work values, there have been many arguments made in opposition to its use. This article outlines the origins of EBSW, current thoughts about its definition and application, as well as a discussion of eight key challenges to the application of evidence-based practice and policy in social work. These challenges include: (1) evidence of effectiveness; (2) authority; (3) conflicting hierarchy; (4) definition of evidence; (5) shortage of evidence; (6) application of group effects to individual events or clients; (7) efficacy versus effectiveness, and (8) adoption and implementation. Historically, other promising innovations within social work have materialised and disintegrated without gaining widespread acceptance. Social work's response to these challenges will dictate the shape EBSW takes, and whether or not it is implemented widely across the field.

Cognitive Pretesting and the Developmental Validity of Child Self-Report Instruments: Theory and Applications.

OBJECTIVE: In the context of the importance of valid self-report measures to research and evidence-based practice in social work, an argument-based approach to validity is presented and the concept of developmental validity introduced. Cognitive development theories are applied to the self-report process of children and cognitive pretesting is reviewed as a methodology to advance the validity of self-report instruments for children. An application of cognitive pretesting is presented in the development of the Elementary School Success Profile. METHOD: Two phases of cognitive pretesting were completed to gather data about how children read, interpret and answer self-report items. RESULTS: Cognitive pretesting procedures identified validity problems with numerous items leading to modifications. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive pretesting framed by an argument-based approach to validity holds significant potential to improve the developmental validity of child self-report instruments.