Kathryn S. Collins

Evidence-based practice at a crossroads: The timely emergence of common elements and common factors

Social work is increasingly embracing evidence-based practice (EBP) as a decision-making process that incorporates the best available evidence about effective treatments given client values and preferences, in addition to social worker expertise. Yet, social work practitioners have typically encountered challenges with the application of manualized evidence-supported treatments. For social work, the path to implementing the delivery of science-informed practice remains at a crossroads. This article describes two emergent strategies that offer a plausible means by which many social workers can integrate an EBP model into their service delivery—common factors and common elements. Each strategy will be presented, and related evidence provided. Tools to implement a common elements approach and to incorporate client feedback consistent with a common factors perspective will also be described. These strategies will be placed in the broader context of the EBP framework to suggest possible advances in social work practice and research.

Translating the Common Elements Approach: Social Work's Experiences in Education, Practice, and Research

The expansion of the use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in mental health services is well under way and social work seeks to further its appropriate implementation in both specialty and nonspecialty mental health settings. The common elements approach is now recognized as demonstrating promise for use in a range of settings. This article discusses the attractiveness of the common elements approach and describes several efforts to integrate its content into social work education and to disseminate this approach into the field. Then the article presents research initiatives regarding two areas of nonspecialty mental health practice with children and families: (a) engaging clients in mental health services and (b) preventing the need for out-of-home placement for youth. Finally, we consider the challenges of the common elements framework for social work education and practice and future directions for research.

Feminists in Social Work Where Have All the Leaders Gone

The purpose of this article is to reignite a discourse about feminist principles and their application to leadership in the social work profession that will extend beyond the theoretical to actions that are guided by these principles, leading overtime to concrete change. Mainstream theories of leadership are reviewed, as are developments in feminist approaches to leadership. Specifying principles and suggesting practices in relation to leadership result in an integrated feminist perspective of leadership. The intent is to encourage a dialogue about the challenges of social change in both processes and outcomes across multiple contexts by diverse women and men.

Evidence-Based Practice at a Crossroads: The Emergence of Common Elements and Factors

Social work is increasingly embracing evidence-based practice (EBP) as a decision-making process that incorporates the best available evidence about effective treatments given client values and preferences, in addition to social worker expertise. Yet, social work practitioners have typically encountered challenges with the application of manualized evidence-supported treatments. For social work, the path to implementing the delivery of science-informed practice remains at a crossroads. This article describes two emergent strategies that offer a plausible means by which many social workers can integrate an EBP model into their service delivery—common factors and common elements. Each strategy will be presented, and related evidence provided. Tools to implement a common elements approach and to incorporate client feedback consistent with a common factors perspective will also be described. These strategies will be placed in the broader context of the EBP framework to suggest possible advances in social work practice and research.

WHAT ABOUT WOMEN? HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE CSWE COUNCIL ON THE ROLE AND STATUS OF WOMEN IN SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION (WOMEN'S COUNCIL)

The Council on the Role and Status of Women in Social Work Education (WC), a volunteer committee of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), has a 37-year history. This article presents an overview of the WC from the late 1960s to September 2006 and acknowledges the needs, status, and contributions of women in social work education. Drawing on primary and secondary data sources, the authors articulate two central themes: (1) organizational development of the WC, and (2) contributions of the WC to social work education and practice. The mission and work of the WC remain relevant today, because there is still a need to monitor and advocate for equity for women in social work education.

Children's Perceptions of Safety and Exposure to Violence

ABSTRACT The present study used combined qualitative and quantitative design to examine the association of childrens perceptions of safety and levels of community violence exposure. The Childrens Report of Exposure to Violence (CREV) was completed by 139 children ages 9 to 11 years old. From the CREV, the 25% of the subjects with the highest exposure to violence and the 25% of those with the lowest exposure to violence were identified to participate in in-depth semi- structured interviews. This article presents the childrens meaning of the term safety and five primary themes of childrens perceptions of safety from the high and low exposure groups using the childrens words. Implications for further research and clinical practice are discussed.

Tending the Soul: A Teaching Module for Increasing Student Sensitivity to the Spiritual Needs of Older Adults

Social work educators and practitioners have long recognized the influence of the realm of the soul and spirituality on an individuals health and well-being. This paper presents a four part teaching module used with students who are learning knowledge, values, and skills when working with diverse populations. The teaching module, “Tending the Soul,” is a new approcah of delivering curriculum content on aging and spirituality so that students may fully understand the importance of spirituality when working with this vulnerable population.

Culturally Sensitive Practices and Crisis Management: Social Constructionism as an Integrative Model

ABSTRACT This article explores the value of social constructionism as a theoretical orientation to guide cultural sensitive crisis intervention. It does so in three primary ways. First, general principles of culturally sensitive practice are discussed. Second, principles of social constructionism are explicated. Third, case studies illuminate the uses of the theory in crisis situations.

Guidelines for Responding to Clients Spontaneously Presenting Their Poetry in Therapy

Poetry therapy has become a valuable adjunctive tool in social work practice, as well as an important discipline in its own right. What has not been previously presented in the literature are intervention strategies designed for when clients spontaneously present their poems in treatment without prompting from the clinician. This article provides just such practice guidelines for clinicians, especially clinicians who do not normally use poetry in therapy. First, the article explores the uses of poetry in social work practice. Second, it presents general guidelines for how to handle the introduction of poetry by clients through the lens of essential social work values and principles. Third, a case study is presented to amplify these guidelines.

A Pilot Study Examining the Reduction of Trauma Symptomatology in Families to Prevent Child Abuse And Neglect: Trauma Adapted Family Connections

This article presents the preliminary outcomes of a 6-month, in-home trauma-adapted neglect prevention program intended to reduce trauma-related risk factors in families and increase caregiver, child, and family well-being. Standardized measures were administered via a computer assisted self-interview (CASI) at intake and case closure. At the time of the analyses 72 caregivers and 105 children completed both an intake and closing CASI. Significant differences were found over time in the reduction of caregiver and child related post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptomatology. Outcomes in overall caregiver, child, and family well-being and safety significantly improved over time. Evidence suggests that trauma adaptation of the empirically supported neglect prevention program shows great promise in filling a service gap and in helping families who are chronically traumatized and struggling to meet their childrens basic needs.