Research on Social Work Practice current issue

The Notion of Causal Impact in Evidence-Based Social Work: An Introduction to the Special Issue on What Works?

Otto, H.-U., Ziegler, H. — 2008-06-05

Thoughts on the Use of Knowledge in Social Work Practice

Cnaan, R. A., Dichter, M. E. — 2008-06-05

The quest for making social work a discipline based entirely on empirical research findings is not new. In this article, the authors briefly review the field of social work in the United States during the past 100 years and discuss how the quest for the status of a profession forced the emphasis on empirical research. However, the authors claim that now and in the past, social work is a most complex field and that many of its basic ingredients are inherently difficult to study. They conclude this article, with a call for social work to continue stressing the "science" side by enhancing careful evidence-based practice, does not hamper the field from evolving and from practitioners using the "art" side of social care.

From Knowledge Production to Implementation: Research Challenges and Imperatives

Proctor, E. K., Rosen, A. — 2008-06-05

As evidence-based practice is increasingly accepted in social work, the challenges associated with its actual implementation become more apparent and pressing. This article identifies implementation as a critical issue for research; implementation itself must be better understood if evidence-based practices are to be used and resultant improvements to practice are to be realized. Social work needs to engage more fully in (a) service system research and (b) implementation research, each of which complements and has potential to extend the benefits of efficacy and effectiveness research. Service system research can enhance the fit of empirically supported treatments to the needs of real-world practice and thus facilitate their implementation. Implementation studies examine the acceptability of evidence-based interventions, the feasibility and likelihood of their sustained use, and the decision-support procedures that can help practitioners apply probabilistically based, empirically supported treatments to the individual case in real-world practice.

New Proposals for Generating and Exploiting Solution-Oriented Knowledge

Gredig, D., Sommerfeld, P. — 2008-06-05

The claim that professional social work should be based on scientific knowledge is many decades old with knowledge transfer usually moving in the direction from science to practice. The authors critique this model of knowledge transfer and support a hybrid one that places more of an emphasis on professional knowledge and action occurring in the real world. The authors particularly focus on the organizational contexts in which social work practice occurs in presenting a model of cooperative knowledge formation.

Practitioner Expertise in Evidence-Based Practice Decision Making

McCracken, S. G., Marsh, J. C. — 2008-06-05

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is an orientation to practice that values evidence as a resource for clinical decision making while recognizing that evidence alone is never sufficient to make a clinical decision. Critics of EBP typically ignore, negate, or misrepresent the role of practitioner thinking processes and expertise in clinical settings. The authors believe that, far from being a mechanistic process that ignores practitioner expertise, reflection and critical thinking are essential to implementing EBP in real-world clinical practice. The purpose of this article is to provide guidance for how practitioners bring their expertise to bear when engaging in the process of EBP. The authors use a social work practice scenario to illustrate the application of practitioner expertise in each of the five steps of EBP.

Applying Randomized Controlled Trials and Systematic Reviews in Social Work Research

Soydan, H. — 2008-06-05

This article elaborates on the centrality of interventions for social work practice and the importance of understanding the effects of interventions for a more efficient, harmless, transparent, and ethical social work practice. Low-bias research designs and meta-analyses are important means of generating the best possible evidence on what works in social work practice. An evidence-based practice model is promising in terms of translating and implementing scientific evidence that is uncertain, volatile, and incomplete and might be difficult to access.

Developing Evidence-Based Child Protection Practice: A View From Germany

Kindler, H. — 2008-06-05

The child welfare system in Germany has been described as family service-oriented because families in need are entitled to request family support services. If there is any form of child maltreatment, there may be some kind of mandatory state intervention to protect the child. Using trends in the number of children affected by maltreatment, the rate of maltreated children noted by the child protection system, and safety, permanency, and well-being of children after a maltreatment report as outcome indicators, there are hardly any data on the effectiveness of the German child protection system. Moreover, there are no studies examining the validity of risk assessment procedures or the effects of different interventions in child protection cases. However the situation is changing, with international research becoming more accessible, and with the publication of more relevant studies.

Implementing Evidence-Based Social Work Practice

Mullen, E. J., Bledsoe, S. E., Bellamy, J. L. — 2008-06-05

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.

The Quest for Evidence-Based Practice?: We Are All Positivists!

Thyer, B. A. — 2008-06-05

Throughout the history of professional social work in the United States, the field has embraced a positivistic view of science, a view continuing to be held by the mainstream of the profession. All social workers, to some extent, embrace the fundamental tenets of positivism. However, the rhetoric espousing positivistic science has not been matched by corresponding actions on the part of our professional associations. The rise of the evidence-based practice movement provides the field with a wonderful opportunity to dramatically increase the extent to which professional activities in the realms of policy and practice can be more solidly grounded in scientific research. Several specific suggestions are provided to enhance the linkages between science and social work, so that we can move forward in the quest of evidence-based practice.

Evaluating the Use of Reflective Counseling Group Supervision for Military Counselors in Taiwan

Jen der Pan, P., Deng, L.-Y. F., Tsai, S.-L. — 2008-06-05

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of reflective counseling group supervision (RCGS) for military counselors. A convenience sampling method is adopted. Twenty-two military counselors participate in this study. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods are used for collecting and analyzing data. The results support our hypothesis that participants who received the RCGS would show a significant increase in their counseling competences. Four primary categories related to supervisory style, supervisory alliance, self-assessment, and supervising outcomes emerge as prominent and consistent from participants' learning experiences. RCGS can be an effective supervision model for participants. Implications of the findings for group supervision and further research are discussed.

Book Review: Forte, J. A. (2007). Human Behavior and the Social Environment: Models, Metaphors, and Maps for Applying Theoretical Perspectives to Practice. Belmont, CA: Thomson. (512 pp., $64.99 paperback, ISBN 0-495-00659-9)

Taylor, S. — 2008-06-05

Practitioners' Guides to the Social Work Research Literature: Announcing a New Series and a Call for Papers

Thyer, B. A. — 2008-06-05

An Invitation to Join the Research on Social Work Practice Editorial Board

2008-06-05

Research on Social Work Practice Editorial Policy

2008-06-05