Accessing Information About Evidence-Based Practices

The first steps toward narrowing the gap between research and practice are recognizing that one exists and educating oneself and others. Social workers must realize the benefits and eliminate the misconceptions surrounding evidence-based practice. In the Bradley episode featured in the resources, the social worker combines her assessment of Tiffani Bradley’s individual situation with her knowledge of research to evaluate her supervisor’s recommended intervention. Now that the social worker has recognized a gap, she/he/they need to access potentially relevant information for a specific case and critically analyze for its applicability to that case. This week’s Assignment allows you to practice these critical next steps in the Bradley family case.

To prepare for this Assignment, review Episode 4 of the Bradley family case study. Develop a list with 2–3 researchable questions that you could use to find evidence about the efficacy of 12-step programs or other treatments for substance abuse in adolescents. Then, using the resources provided, search for two evidence-based interventions that would be appropriate for Tiffani Bradley. Be sure to consider quality of research, readiness for dissemination, replications, and costs.

By Day 7

Submit a 2- to 3-page paper that includes the following:

• Summaries of the two interventions and their respective research regarding effectiveness
• Recommendations for Tiffani’s social worker that address the following:
  • Factors to consider when choosing between the two interventions
  • The social work skills that the staff would require to implement the intervention
  • The training required to implement each intervention
• An evaluation of evidenced-based practice based on your reaction to the experience, in which you address the following questions:
  • Would you, as a beginning researcher, have enough knowledge to benefit from researching evidence-based practices? Why or why not?
  • How might the research that you conducted increase your confidence in the intervention with Tiffani?
  • Is the information provided enough to make a decision regarding interventions? Why or why not?