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WHAT ARE THE STEPS OF EVIDENCE-BASED SOCIAL WORK?

Evidence-based practice in social work refers to the use of research-verified methods by a social worker to create or enhance a treatment plan. Just like legal and medical professionals, social workers have access to a growing knowledge base of research findings that they can draw from to enhance their treatments. Simply having access to research databases, however, doesn't guarantee effectiveness important process must come first.So, what are the steps of evidence-baser social work? Here is a simplified breakdown:

Identify the problem - It may sound like "common sense," but experienced social workers will understand the importance of digging beneath the surface to identify the root cause of problem behavior. Treating a client with an evidence-based protocol for alcohol abuse, for example, won't necessarily help if the abuse is a side-effect of anxiety, or a self-esteem issue, or another cause that should be directly addressed.

 
Access the evidence - Once a social worker has identified the cause of the problem behavior, they need to find the appropriate evidence. It may seem easy at first, but accessing research databases is much more involved process than the search engines most of us are used to.  Research is a discipline on its own, and social workers need to understand how to structure their queries, find and review summaries, and weigh the effectiveness of similar studies against each other.

Compare the context - This is arguably the most important step in the evidence-based social work domain because it can make or break the intervention's effectiveness. The concept is simple: compare your client's situation to that of the research participants in the study you're using and adjust accordingly. If research participants were found to respond positively to a certain intervention, for example, but they were given the intervention multiple times a day in an inpatient facility, that can affect. results for your outpatient client. The circumstances don't have to match perfectly, but the social worker must be conscious of each circumstantial difference and adjust them to model the study whenever appropriate.

Apply the intervention - Finally, when the evidence has been pored over and analyzed, and the social worker has adapted the evidence-based strategy to fit their client's particular context, it's time to apply the intervention. 

Social workers evidence-based practice consider themselves (EBP) should as researchers expanding the original finding. The more thoroughly they report their results, the more insight they can add to the knowledge base. Furthermore, keeping a clear record of the results will help that social worker to create their own evidence-based resource pool. (Note: review boards and publishers require certain standards to be met in order for records to be considered EBP).

We have an average of over 20 years of experience working with families in social services. If you need our services, we are ready and available to serve your needs.

WHAT ARE IN-HOME SERVICES? 

Child welfare in-home services are a continuum of prevention-related supports and programs designed to enhance the protective capacity of caregivers and improve the conditions that may contribute to safety and risk concerns for children (e.g., mental health concerns, substance use, parenting practices). They can be primary prevention services geared toward the general population; secondary prevention services for families with one or more risk factors for child maltreatment; or tertiary prevention services aimed at preventing out-of home placement for families in which maltreatment has already occurred, provided children can remain in their homes safely. Tertiary in-home services allow children to stay connected with their siblings, extended family, friends, school connections, and other support  systems and provide resources that can help parents focus on addressing the issues that led to abuse or neglect or that could lead to future maltreatment. 

In-home services may be voluntary or court ordered and can encompass an array of supports, interventions, and programs, ranging from transportation and housing assistance to intensive family preservation services. The term "in-home" refers to the location where the child and family are residing and not necessarily to the place where services are delivered. The services may be provided in the community or other places, such as at a counseling center or child welfare agency. However, services offered in the home have several added benefits. They give providers opportunities to identify family strengths, offer support around family routines, and manage stressful everyday situations. The location where services are delivered will depend on the protocols of the local service providers and the availability of services. 

In defining in-home services, there is a common misconception between those described above and home visiting programs, which match at-risk families
with professionals or paraprofessionals who provide support, education, training, and resources during visits to the home. Home visiting programs are often used as a preventive approach with high-risk populations, such as teen parents and families with infants and young children. However, some home visiting programs address the needs of families receiving in- home services and can be used or adapted for a child welfare population, often through their inclusion as part of an in-home services case or treatment plan (see Child Welfare Information Gateway's Home Visiting web section for more information.) 

WHAT TYPES OF SERVICES ARE INCLUDED? 

There is no standard set of required in-home services; the goal is to find the right combination of services and supports to meet the specific needs of each family. In-home services are geared toward meeting the following goals: 

• Ensuring children's safety
• Strengthening parental protective capacity
• Improving overall adult, child, and family functioning
• Building caregiving and coping skills
• Supporting healthy and nurturing relationships
• Fostering physical, emotional, behavioral, and educational well-being and mental health 
• Enhancing the potential for permanency 

Services to address family challenges could include general prevention-related or knowledge-building information or referrals for tangible and intangible. support, such as—but not limited to—the following:
 

• Age-specific parenting support, including teen or adult parent training, coaching, or skill building to help with complex parent- child interactions
• Individual and/or family therapy (TELETHERAPHY)
• Referral for substance use treatment and skill building to enhance coping and encourage behaviors that replace substance use 
• Referral for mental or behavioral health treatment followed by support in applying what was learned in treatment to improve family management and child safety
• Information and referrals for resume-building services as well as interview and job training to help with economic and financial stability and self-sufficiency 
• Assistance with childcare and transportation 
• Concrete assistance, such as food, clothing, furniture, or housing to contribute to positive health and well-being outcomes