EBP Exchange - UMB School of Social Work

Papers from the Austin conference have now been published in a special issue.  You can view abstracts for each paper at the links provided.  To read the full papers, you will have to go through your library portal or pay the Sage fee. See below:

 Research on Social Work Practice — Table of Contents Alert

URL: http://rsw.sagepub.com/content/vol17/issue5/?etoc

Improving the Teaching of Evidence-Based Practice: Introduction to the
Special Issue
     Allen Rubin
     Research on Social Work Practice 2007;17 541-547
     http://rsw.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/17/5/541?etoc

From the Scientific Revolution to Evidence-Based Practice: Teaching the
Short History With a Long Past
     Kevin Corcoran
     Research on Social Work Practice 2007;17 548-552
     http://rsw.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/17/5/548?etoc

Transparency as the Route to Evidence-Informed Professional Education
     Eileen Gambrill
     Research on Social Work Practice 2007;17 553-560
     http://rsw.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/17/5/553?etoc

Teaching Evidence-Based Practice: Strategic and Pedagogical Recommendations
for Schools of Social Work
     Matthew Owen Howard, Paula Allen-Meares, and Mary C. Ruffolo
     Research on Social Work Practice 2007;17 561-568
     http://rsw.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/17/5/561?etoc

Evidence-Based Practice and the Reform of Social Work Education: A Response
to Gambrill and Howard and Allen-Meares
     Jeffrey M. Jenson
     Research on Social Work Practice 2007;17 569-573
     http://rsw.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/17/5/569?etoc

Teaching Evidence-Based Practice
     Edward J. Mullen, Jennifer L. Bellamy, Sarah E. Bledsoe, and Julia
     Jean Francois
     Research on Social Work Practice 2007;17 574-582
     http://rsw.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/17/5/574?etoc

Implementing Evidence-Based Practice in Social Work Education: Principles,
Strategies, and Partnerships
     Enola K. Proctor
     Research on Social Work Practice 2007;17 583-591
     http://rsw.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/17/5/583?etoc

Teaching Evidence-Based Practices: Strategies for Implementation: A
Response to Mullen et al. and Proctor
     Cynthia Franklin
     Research on Social Work Practice 2007;17 592-602
     http://rsw.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/17/5/592?etoc

Reflections on the Teaching of Evidence-Based Practice
     Aron Shlonsky and Susan B. Stern

     Research on Social Work Practice 2007;17 603-611
     http://rsw.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/17/5/603?etoc

Improving the Teaching of Evidence-Based Practice: Challenges and
Priorities
     Haluk Soydan
     Research on Social Work Practice 2007;17 612-618
     http://rsw.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/17/5/612?etoc

The Teaching of Evidence-Based Practice in Social Work Higher Education
Living by the Charlie Parker Dictum: A Response to Papers by Shlonsky and
Stern, and Soydan
     David W. Springer
     Research on Social Work Practice 2007;17 619-624
     http://rsw.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/17/5/619?etoc

Evidence-Based Practice and Social Work Education: A View From Washington
     Joan Levy Zlotnik
     Research on Social Work Practice 2007;17 625-629
     http://rsw.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/17/5/625?etoc

Epilogue: The Austin Initiative
     Allen Rubin
     Research on Social Work Practice 2007;17 630-631
     http://rsw.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/17/5/630?etoc

I just read a brief synopsis about the OJJDP gang reduction program (GRP) currently being implemented and evaluated in 4 communities in the U.S. - LA, Richmond, VA, Milwaukee, & North Miami Beach.  The GRP model is a framework for coordinating a wide range of activites that have demonstrated “effectiveness” in reducing gang activity and delinquency - starting with primary prevention through suppression activities focusing on gang leaders.  Since 2003 when LA implemented the GRP model in Boyle Heights, this neighborhood experienced a 44-percent reduction in gang crime.  LA reports having the most established gang population in the country with over 400 separate gangs and an estimated 39,000 gang members.  The principles of implementing comprehensive strategies appears to be based on the same approaches I heard about at the World Health Conference (WHO) on violence prevention over the summer.  Take a look at the key concepts below (does this sound like social work?)

Four Key Concepts of the GRP Model

1. Identify the needs at the individual, family, and community level and address those needs with a coordinated, comprehensive response.
2. Conduct an inventory of human and financial resources in the community and create plans to fill in gaps in services and leverage existing resources to support effective gang reduction strategies.
3. Apply research-based programs across appropriate age ranges, risk factor categories, and agency boundaries.
4. Encourage coordination and integration of resources at the local, State, and Federal levels.

 The true test will be whether the promising efforts being reported will be sustained over time in multiple neighborhoods.  If you are interested in reading more, go to: http://www.ncjrs.gov/html/ojjdp/news_at_glance/219271/topstory.html

That’s not the title of this RAND report, but it should be. The report compares model programs to standard programs and finds that on most outcomes there is no difference–12/60 have statistically significant differences (you would expect only 3 out of 60 by chance, alone) and these 12 are split with half favoring the model programs and half favoring the standard programs. The RAND analysis concludes that there are too many intervening factors to be able to intepret the outcomes–and sites differences in case mix and community supports, and the like.  They then proceed to suggest that we should use quality of care indicators.  What they don’t say is why case mix challenges to interpretable findings can’t be managed using methods like propensity score matching but they also don’t indicate how you would find quality of care indicators if you don’t know whether the model programs have any overall benefit.  I can surmise that there are some effective programs in the study and that they might have common (quality) program indicators, but its a long stretch for me to conclude that we have enough science to select quality indicators–in the absence of much evidence from this study, or any other, to indicate what works in teen substance abuse treatment.  Any one else see the logic in their conclusion or a way to get from the starting point of little or no program benefit to determining what indicates a quality service? See the report at:

http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/2007/RAND_RB9269.pdf

A 12-session manual has just been announced for use in teaching anger management. Interestingly enough, SAMHSA, which is making a big push toward evidence based practices published this manual without any information about what kind of pilot work was done, with no citations to supportive research, and with no ranking of the level of evidence behind this intervention.  Nontheless, the ideas may be useful. You can find it at, http://kap.samhsa.gov/products/manuals/pdfs/anger2.pdf