Evidence-based social work : a critical stance / Mel Gray, Debbie Plath, Stephen A. Webb.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gray, Mel, 1951-

Contributor:

Plath, Debbie.

Webb, Stephen A., 1956-

Ellis D. Williams, College 1865, Endowment Fund.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Evidence-based social work.

Social service--Practice.

Social service.

Physical Description:

xix, 216 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Routledge, 2009.

Summary:

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is now a core element of many governments' approaches to policy-making and social intervention. It has become a powerful movement that promises to change the content and structure of social work and its allied professions. Its emergence has generated much debate and raised challenging questions, however, particularly at the intereface of research, policy and practice.

This book provides a critical analysis of evidence-based practice in social work. It introduces readers to the fast-changing research, policy, legislative and practice contexts. It discusses what constitutes knowledge in social work, the values and beliefs that lie behind evidence-based practice, and the problems of implementation, formalization and resouces management. Reflecting on the challenges of transferring evidence based practice to frontline social work practice, Gray, Plath and Webb argue that social work practice is not easily measured and systematized into best practice guidelines that disseminate proven diagnostic and effective intervention knowledge.

Using actor network theory for the first time in the social work literature, Evidence-based Social Work illuminates how adopting the methodology and language of evidence-based practice fundamentally alters the conditions under which social work takes place. This book is vital reading for academics, practioners and students with an interest in contemporary social work practice and research.

Contents:

New horizons in evidence

The 'gold standard' of evidence

Framing social work knowledge

Globalizing the evidence

Forming the evidence network

Making evidence a reality?

The practitioner perspective.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [190]-212) and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Ellis D. Williams, College 1865, Endowment Fund.

ISBN:

0415468221

041546823X

0203876628

9780415468220

9780415468237

9780203876626

OCLC:

244057348