Infusion of EvidencedBased Practice
into Social Work
Education
Sally Mathiesen, Ph.D.
Melinda Hohman, Ph.D.
San Diego State University
School of Social Work
Evidence-Based Social Work Practice Education:
What is it?
“Educating social workers to:
•Be consumers of the research literature
•Use systematic approaches to increase
their practice effectiveness and
•Continuously evaluate their own practice
outcomes.”
Pollio, 2006
2
Curriculum Issues

Students need to understand issues in each box and
how they all integrate with each other:






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Scientific methods (Research)
Critical thinking (Research, Practice, Policy, HBSE, Field)
EBP process (Research, Practice, Policy, HBSE, Field)
Knowledge of clients, cultural issues, and contexts (Practice,
HBSE, Field)
Consumer of evidence (Research, Practice, Policy)
Skills to implement (Practice: Micro and Macro, Field)
Skills to evaluate (Research)
3
Partnerships Needed for EBP:
Schools of Social Work




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Course work
Library resources
Training in systematic
decision making
EBP linked to
professional norms and
values
School culture supportive
of EBP






School-based research
projects
Faculty as resources
Knowledge of
interventions
Feedback loops
established with practice
Training in evaluation
Training for field
instructors (FI)
Proctor, 2006
4
Partnerships: Community Agencies



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Identified service
challenges
Identified outcomes
Practices that providers
can deliver
Administration support for
EBPs
Agency culture supportive
of EBP



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FI commitment,
knowledge and support
Training resources
Training manuals
Customization of EBP is
normalized
Demand for evaluation
Technical support for
evaluation
Incorporation of
evaluation into
subsequent decisions
Proctor, 2006
5
EBP Infusion at SDSU
School of Social Work



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Faculty voted to infuse EBP Spring 2006
Already being done by individual faculty
Administrative support
EBP Committee formed to oversee process
Release time for 2 faculty to implement process
Project to occur over next 4 semesters
Evaluation designed
6
Tasks for Infusion

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EBP workshops with
faculty/lecturers
EBP workshops with FI
Monthly meetings with
task groups
Semester meetings with
visiting committee
Consult with EBP
Committee as needed

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Individual consultation
with faculty on syllabi,
assignments, course
materials and content
Work with librarian to
create resources
Provide resources to
faculty and FI
Consult with community
agencies re: EBP when
requested
Community training/
Diffusion of knowledge
7
Research Questions
How do BSW and MSW students regard
EBP?
 How do FI regard EBP and social work
education?
 What are some barriers to EBP for
students and FI?

8
Methods


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Web-based survey to students and FI
Knowledge, Attitude and Behavior Questionnaire
(Johnston, Leung, Fielding, Tin & Ho, 2003)
modified for social work education
Open-ended questions on survey
Response rate: 22.3% students, 31.3% FI
9
Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior
Questionnaire (KAB)

Future:

Compared to one year ago, how much do you support the principles of
EBSWP?
 EBSWP should be a part of graduate curriculum.
 How much do you consider EBSWP to be a routine part of your
learning?

Attitudes:
EBSW is “cook book” social work that disregards clinical experience.
 EBSWP ignores the “art” of social work.
 Previous work experience is more important than research in choosing
the best treatment available for a client.

10
KAB

Knowledge:

EBSWP requires the use of critical appraisal skills to ensure the quality
of all research studies.
 Effective research skills/access to databases and evidence sources are
essential to practicing EBSWP.
 Practicing EBSWP increases the certainty that the proposed treatment
is effective.

Personal Use:


How frequently do you access evidence from research papers?
What is your estimate of current social work practice that is based on
evidence?
 What is the estimate of your need for evidence in your social work
practice?
11
Results: Demographics
Race
White
Latino/Hispanic
African American
Asian
Other
Field Instructors (n=50)
n
%
37
64
10
20
2
4
1
2
1
2
Students (n=134)
n
%
86
64
23
17
3
2
15
11
5
4
Gender
Female
Male
Missing
39
8
3
78
16
6
106
15
Highest Degree
MSW
BA or BS
47
3
94
6
Age
M
44.94 (12.53)
`
88
12
M
31.28 (7.7)
12
Results: KAB
Students
(n=128)
FI
(n=50)
Alpha
Future
4.72
4.68
.91
Attitudes
4.57
4.58
.83
Knowledge
5.09
4.80**
.84
Personal Use
3.67
3.14***
.83
Total
4.59
4.26***
.90
** p < .01; ***p < .000
13
Open-Ended Questions

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What do you see are your agency’s strengths in
implementing EBP?
What do you see as your agency’s current
challenges in implementing EBP?
What do you see as your personal strengths in
implementing EBP at your agency?
What do you see as your personal barriers to
implementing EBP at your agency?
14
Results of Open-Ended Questions:
Students’ Views of EBP Infusion
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“It will increase critical thinking about techniques used in social
work. It questions the status quo, validates our field, offers critical
thinking skills.”
“It holds agencies/practitioners somewhat accountable, hopefully
helping in more effective ways. Teaching EBP helps us not only to
do more effective work, it helps us to be more ethical in our
treatment of clients.”
“It needs to be taught in the classroom setting. From my experience
now and in the field they expect you to know what EBP is and how
to research and find literature that supports it.”
“EBP lines up with social work principles of serving our clients to the
best of our ability. It also aids the professionalization of social work.”
“My belief is that it is a very important element of the practice of
social work, but should be continually and critically appraised, and
should be used in conjunction with experience, judgment,
compassion.”
15
Results of Open-Ended Questions:
Field Instructors’ Views of EBP Infusion
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“I believe that EBP can help social workers become more effective
practitioners, thereby improving client outcomes and satisfaction.”
“It reduces the possible harm that the social worker can cause the client,
family, or organization. It gives the social worker the ‘landmarks’ that she is
heading in the right way. In other words, it gives a sense of direction and
reduces the feeling of floundering through case work. It reduces the
possibility of prejudice in social work practice.”
“Social work (like most fields) has gone through various ‘fads’ so some
people may feel that EBP social work is just another fad. One way to
address that would be to point out how over time social workers have been
influenced by evidence and research, that it isn’t a recent phenomenon.”
“My agency is integrating EBP into its training and emphasizing its
importance. Different regions of the county have developed monthly
practice trainings for quality control.”
“I am not sure how motivated I am to teach the EBP paradigm. I definitely
will need some support; perhaps on-going discussion group with my peers
(facilitated by the school?) to discuss the topic.”
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Discussion
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Low response rate; respondents may be more open to
EBP than non-respondents
Only surveyed students and FI from one school
Students and FI equally supportive of future of EBP and
have open attitudes towards it
Both FI and faculty are worried about the time element
regarding this process of infusion
Students have more knowledge of EBP than FI and use
EBP to a greater degree
Use of EBSWP is still low according to scores from both
groups
17
Discussion
Students are getting some EBP in
coursework and are more likely to be
accessing research
 Infusing EBP into the curriculum will
require training with FI
 Resources may be an important barrier for
FI to access research

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Infusing EBP into the Curriculum

Sample assignment for Child Welfare
course
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