Social Work Research and Evaluation Skills: a Case-based, User-friendly Approach (Foundations of Social Work Knowledge Series) Book

The role of research and evaluation in the field of social is changing significantly. Social workers must now be able to evaluate a client´s progress, document a program´s effectiveness, assess community needs, and show how policies affect people. Moreover, groundbreaking research is no longer the exclusive preserve of professional researchers; practicing social workers must themselves develop, evaluate, and disseminate new practice methods and information. Unlike many other social work research texts, this book shows how research and evaluation issues come about and are resolved in the course of daily practice based on a generalist perspective. Using a single extended example, the fictional Mt. Washington Family Service Agency, the book draws on the many issues dealt with by the agency related to clinical services, community organizing, administrative challenges, and social policy. Reamer demonstrates how case-workers, program directors, and administrators evaluate the effectiveness of interventions, conduct needs assessments, draw on empirically-based literature and findings to inform their practice, and, finally, create and disseminate information for use by other professionals. Clearly written, and including humorous anecdotes and cartoon drawings to engage students, this book also provides a compelling picture of the relevance of research and evaluation to any social work practice.