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Evidence-Based Practice

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In this article, Mel Gray and Catherine McDonald argue that while evidence-based practice (EBP) has a role in social work practice, it is most effective in a medical setting and it is not an entirely good fit for the profession of social work. Social work is unique and separate from the medical field, from the diverse range of client backgrounds, experiences, and needs to its Code of Ethics which include social justice and set it apart from the field of medicine. The authors review social work’s move towards being included in scientific fields as well as the political, positivist undercurrent of EBP. They offer ethical reasoning as an alternative or addition to EBP.
Implications of the research/conceptual model on human diversity & cultural …show more content…
The social work profession interacts with and assists a wide range of people who each have their own experiences, cultures, backgrounds, and needs. Using an approach that is narrow, rigid, and/or a basic prescription is not going to result in the best outcomes for all clients. Social work requires critical thinking, flexibility, and the ability to recognize and address complex issues. EBP may be helpful in some situations and in guiding some intervention approaches, but it does not necessarily account for diverse client needs or cultural concerns. Social work may find it most beneficial to use a blend of EBP with other types of knowledge, in order to bring flexibility, critical thinking, and an awareness of cultural competency to any situation in which they find …show more content…
EBP is defined by the authors as “basing intervention on proven effectiveness derived from empirical research.” EBP is likely to be most helpful in the medical field and in recent years, many in social work have increasingly used or called for increased use of EBP. An increased use of EBP is seen as important when assuring clients the best outcomes, since approaches are based on methods that have proven effective in studies. Additionally, funders and agencies tend to like EBP because there is a sort of paper trail or evidence of usefulness after EBP is utilized. However, it is important to consider that EBP methods may be too rigid or limited for the broad scope of social work. Although many in social work desire to be viewed as a research-based, scientific, medical profession, social work does not often fit into those boxes. This article reminded me of others we read last semester regarding social work’s search for identity and its drift toward clinical and medicalized

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