Day 1, Segment 3, Activity 3B
Evidence-Based Practice: Keeping up-to-date on the latest
and most effective practices
Research findings enhance our ability to build evidence about what works. Child welfare professionals, like practitioners in the fields of science or technology, must consider research and evidence as they practice. Just as a doctor uses a number of tests that have demonstrated effectiveness in the detection and treatment of diseases, so will a social worker use tools and practices that have been shown to be effective when working with families.
Establishing an evidence-based practice system is one of the missions for child welfare improvements in California at the state and county levels. This means that when there is evidence indicating that a particular practice is effective, the worker will consider using that practice, in conjunction with his/her critical thinking skills, for performing assessments and other case planning activities.
Eileen Gambrill at the University of California, Berkeley, has written extensively on evidence-based practice: “Evidence-based social work practice can be simply defined as a set of tools and resources for finding and applying current best evidence from research to service delivery with children and families. It also involves the integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and client values. Exhaustive, rigorous reviews are not available regarding many practice questions. This does not negate the ethical requirement to search carefully for research findings related to important practice decisions, to critically appraise what is found, and to share what is found (including nothing) with clients (Gambrill, 1999 in CWS Redesign, the Future of Child Welfare Services).”[1]
A note on research and evidence-based practice
Much of the research in child welfare—particularly related to risk factors associated with abuse and neglect—is deficit-based; it reviews family characteristics or behaviors and measures whether these characteristics or behaviors (usually negative) are significantly associated with the incidence of abuse or neglect. Since evidence-based practice involves critical thinking about research and using it to inform practice, remember the following:
· Even highly correlated behaviors or characteristics are not absolute. The worker must evaluate the information specific to each family on a case-by-case basis.
· Research does not dictate decisions in child welfare assessment -- it structures thinking and informs practice. Research is applied within a context of clinical expertise and client values.
Keeping up with the latest practices through training
As practitioners, it is critical that we use methods that have been demonstrated to be effective for working with children and families by continually updating our knowledge and skills. For this reason, every practitioner needs ongoing and advanced training to ensure state-of-the art and ethical practice.
Cycle of evidence-based child welfare practice development
As envisioned, child welfare practice will continue to be informed by the Cycle of Evidence Based Practice. Please see the diagram below.
Common Core | Framework for Child Welfare Practice: Trainee's Guide | Version 1.2, May 2008
[1]Gambrill, E. (1999) in California Department of Social Services, CWS Stakeholders Group. (2003). CWS Redesign: The Future of Child Welfare Services, Final Report. Sacramento, CA. Retrieved October 6, 2003, from http://www.cwsredesign.ca.gov/res/pdf/CWSExecutiveSummary.pdf