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International Inter-Center Network for

Evaluation of Social Work Practice

5th Annual conference:

Evidence-Based Social Work

Practice and Policy

 

October 3-4, 2002

Faculty House

Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, New York, USA

(400 West 117th Street in Manhattan)

Hosts

The Musher Program, Columbia University  & the Center for the Study of Social Work Practice (A joint program of Columbia University School of Social Work and the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services)

To view a list of Network members select this link.


This report was prepared by William Bannon, Doctoral Candidate, Columbia University School of Social Work and Edward Mullen, Professor, Columbia University with assistance from Todd Trice, Doctoral Candidate, Columbia University School of Social Work and Gretchen Borges, former Assistant Director, Center for the Study of Social Work Practice and the Musher Program, Columbia University


Part I: National reports on 2001-2002 Research Developments

The workshop began with a representative from each country presenting the latest developments in the social work arena in their homeland (e.g., in terms of governmental funding, the development of empirical research within social work programs, professional social work education, and other areas of interest) . Brief summarizations are presented below for each of the country reports. Hyperlinks are provided to each of the country centers.

 Denmark

The Centre for Research of Social Work Practice, Danish University of Education, Copenhagen

Inge M. Bryderup
Bente Jensen

The representative from Denmark described that among the biggest advancements in social research is the creation of a new center at the Danish University of Education where 10 social scientists are currently conducting research.  The evaluation of the research being conducted at this site is a goal that has yet to come to fruition.

England

SCIE, London; University of Scheffield; SPRU, University of York

Mike Fisher
Peter Marsh
Hazel Qureshi

The representative from England discussed the new development in the UK of the SCIE website that was created with the intention of being a resource for the United Kingdom. It is designed:

·        To fill gaps in social care research and to develop full bodies of knowledge.

·        To investigate and serve as a guide to “best practices” guidelines in clinical practice.

·         As a place to house reviews and make them available to practitioners and researchers.

·        To house Campbell type systematic reviews. 

Finland

FinSoc, Helsinki; Jyvaskyla University

Riitta Haverinen
Mikko Mäntysaari

The representative from Finland informed the conference of an announcement made by the country’s Ministry of Social Affairs of an initiative to advance social welfare.  The representative herself (Riitta Haverinen) has been involved in a social work task force commissioned to investigate the implications a recession in the 1990’s had on social and health care using several national guidelines as tools.  Subsequently, recommendations for case management plans for the elderly and building networks to improve child welfare have been formulated.  One drawback to the plan is that there is a lack of quality assurance and policy tools and guidelines supporting these new developments and the effects of new programs.  The system may benefit from methods to perform appropriate “checks” of the effectiveness of these new programs.  Thus, there are currently three different research plans being considered to guide the future of social work in Finland.

 Netherlands

Verwey-Jonker Instituut, Utrecht

Williem Melief

The representative from the Netherlands noted that a new minister of health and social services has come into office who has instituted several policies including a trend to concentrate services with no overlap.  Additionally, social welfare has been decentralized to local governments, who are now responsible for commissioning social welfare research.  These two developments have made it necessary for local governments to form a “local government commission” to create an infrastructure for social welfare research and development. There has also been a move to institute outcome measures for social services to the point that local governments require total accountability from each project they fund.  In response, there is a critical need to develop outcome measures to quantify the success of outreach programs and treatments.  However, there are few evidence-based practice guidelines because the lack of infrastructure in the social work research arena makes it difficult to adopt in depth these types of approaches.  In response to this dilemma, large developmental organizations outside the field of social work (e.g., NIW) are developing guidelines that may guide social work’s intake procedures and evidence-based practice in future research.

 Scotland

Social Work Research Centre, University of Sterling

Gill McIvor
Mora Walker

The representative from Scotland described that in the past, principal public offices had a centralized overview over different areas of the social work profession.  However, recently due to a lack of quality assurance measures these social work offices have been decentralized into policy departments.  Subsequently, social work researchers have lost independence and have become parts of larger more powerful departments that may direct social work research at their discretion.  This development seems to reflect a growing disintegration of the social work profession and fragmentation of social work into non-social work related departments in Scotland.  For example, the Director of Education may begin to oversee educational social work, criminal social work, and other social work functions.   Additionally, non-social work ethics committees (e.g., medical ethics committees) review social work research proposals that are not sensitive to the needs of the profession and may impinge on it. However, there are new developments in social work training such as an honors level social work degree to be instituted in 2004.  This advanced degree is expected to strengthen the social work knowledge base and promote professional cohesion and identity. 

Sweden

Centre for Evaluation of Social Services, National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, Sweden

Karin Tengvald
Haluk Soydan

The representative from Sweden commented that expanding the knowledge base in social work has become a driving force in federal agencies.  Efforts to identify the most effective programs in social work began in the late nineteen-eighties, when the ministry of social affairs began to compile a “best-practices” synthesis to increase competence in social work practice and help identify what should be taught in schools of social work.  Today there is a heavy focus on evidence-based practice social work research.  The primary goals set forth include:

·        To produce scientific knowledge describing the value and effectiveness of social work and social work interventions.

·        To compile a synthesis of systematic reviews describing the value, effects, and tools of social services and social work interventions. 

·        To support follow-up on the outcomes of professionals who utilize the gathered information and reviews described above.

Switzerland

School for Social Work- Research and Development Department, Fachhochschule Solothurn Nordwestschweiz, Hochschule fur Soziales Solothurn

Peter Sommerfeld

The representative from Switzerland expressed that political offices are interested in social work research because its helps them understand and help their constituency.  In Switzerland, the professional emergence of social work occurred recently.  A huge step was take in the development of social work about five years ago when a university of applied sciences was created and about 100 social work projects were begun.  Subsequently, there were several national research programs developed with themes such as effectiveness of social security, social integration/exclusion and generation studies.  This research again enjoys strong federal political support because these political offices desire a synthesized national analysis of the social needs of their country so they may better serve their constituency.                

United States

The Musher Program, Columbia University

Center for the Study of Social Work Practice

Ed Mullen
Ronald Feldman

The representative from the United States (Ed Mullen) described the Institute for the Advancement of Social Work Research (IASWR) established in 1993 by five national social work organizations to address recommendations from a 1991 report adopted by National Institute of Mental Health’s advisory council. As stated in the IASWR web site this organization "works to improve the lives of vulnerable populations by advocating for the importance of research to strengthen the social work profession’s capacity to address complex social needs, and to contribute to improved prevention and treatment interventions, services, and policies." The representative noted that a second important development at the national level is the ongoing attempt to pass the National Center for Social Work Research Act. This Act would authorizes creation of a national-level social work research center focused on the prevention and treatment of  health and social problems. The representative noted that the Center for the Study of Social Work Practice has a new director, Ronald Feldman who was not able to attend this workshop. He noted that with the members permission he (Ed Mullen) would represent the Musher Program rather than the Center for the Study of Social Work Practice in Network activities.

Wales

Research Support Unit for Health and Social Care, Cardiff University School of Social Sciences, Cardiff

Ian Shaw

The representative from Whales commented that the political state of the social work profession is structured in the same manner as in Scotland as described in it's presentation today.  The profession has begun a devolution as its functions are being supervised and directed by larger non-social work departments.  Additionally, the practice of social work research is made even more difficult because research grants are regularly agency led as opposed to being university led.



Part II: Presentation of Research Papers

At least one paper was presented from each of the representative countries. These are listed below in order of presentation. Hyperlinks are provided to papers and PowerPoint presentations where available.

England

SCIE, London

Mike Fisher

Paper Presented: “The Social Care Institute For Excellence (SCIE): The Role of a National Institute in Developing Knowledge and Practice in Social Care”

University of Scheffield, Scheffield

Peter Marsh

Paper Presented: “Improve the Quality of Citizenship In European Social Work: IMQIUSO” (European Union Project)”

 SPRU, University of York, York

Hazel Qureshi

Paper Presented: Outline of presentation and reference material: Performance Management- An area for international collaboration

PowerPoint Presentation: Performance Management- An area for international collaboration”

 Switzerland

School for Social Work- Research and Development Department, Fachhochschule Solothurn Nordwestschweiz, Hochschule fur Soziales Solothurn

Peter Sommerfeld

Paper Presentation: Problem Solution or Legitimacy – What is the Purpose of the Concept of Knowledge based Social Work?

 PowerPoint Presentation: Knowledge Based Social Work: Underlying Paradigms and the Goal of a Utopian Realist way

Netherlands

Verwey-Jonker Instituut, Utrecht

Williem Melief

Paper Presentation 1: Dilemma’s around evidence based practice in Dutch Social Work”

Paper Presentation 2: Sater pilot project

Paper Presentation 3: Towards Measuring Learning Experiences as Outcomes of Psychosocial Intervention in Social Work”

PowerPoint Presentation: Towards measuring learning experiences as outcomes of psychosocial Intervention in Social Work”

Scotland

Social Work Research Centre, University of Sterling, Sterling

Moira Walker

Paper Presentation: Why Evaluate? The (Contested) Role of Evaluative Research in Social Work”

Sweden

Centre for Evaluation of Social Services, National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm

Haluk Soydan

Paper Presentation: Social Work and Evaluation: An Overview of Special Issue of Socialvetenskaplig tidskrift, and Comments on a Planned book”

Finland

Jyvaskyla University

Mikko Mantysaari

Paper Presentation: Rating Therapists Who Treat Substance Abusers”

PowerPoint Presentation: “Rating Therapists Who Treat Substance Abusers”

 United States

Center for the Study of Social Work Practice, Columbia University & Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services, New York

Steven J. Onken

Paper Presentation: “Mental Health Recovery: What Helps and What Hinders? A National Research Project for the Development of Recovery Facilitating System Performance Indicators”

PowerPoint Presentation: “Mental Health Recovery: What Helps and What Hinders? A National Research Project for the Development of Recovery Facilitating System Performance Indicators”

 Wales

Research Support Unit for Health and Social Care, Cardiff University School of Social Sciences, Cardiff

Ian Shaw

Paper Presentation 1: “Practitioner Research as Evidence and Critique”

Paper Presentation 2: Cardiff University: Health and Social Care Research Support Unit 2001-2002”

PowerPoint Presentation: “Practitioner Research as Evidence and Critique”

Denmark

Centre for Research of Social Work Practice, Danish University of Education, Copenhagen

Inge M. Bryderup

Paper Presentation: “Educational Thinking in Social and Special Education Concerning Children and Youngsters in Day Care”

Bente Jensen

Paper Presentation: Day Care Centres and Social Reproduction: A Survey of the Effects of Day Care on Children from Socially Deprived Backgrounds”

PowerPoint Presentation: Barriers and contribution factors for Social Work in day Care Centers”