The Center For Health Administration Studies (CHAS) is an interdisciplinary health policy and services research center located at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration. Since its inception, CHAS has pursued the mission of conducting and promoting research and knowledge development to reduce health inequities and improve…

Objectives: This article reports the first science mapping analysis of the social work field, which shows its conceptual structure and scientific evolution. Methods: Science Mapping Analysis Software Tool, a bibliometric science mapping tool based on co-word analysis and h-index, is applied using a sample of 18,794 research articles published from…

Objectives: This article describes the Standard Interview for Evidence Use (SIEU), a measure to assess the level of engagement in acquiring, evaluating, and applying research evidence in health and social service settings. Method: Three scales measuring input, process, and output of research evidence and eight subscales were identified using…

Objective: This study examines whether the psychometric properties of the short version of the Evidence-Based Practice Process Assessment Scale (EBPPAS) remain satisfactory when translated and transferred to the context of Swedish welfare services. Method: The Swedish version of EBPPAS was tested on a sample of community-based professionals in…

Purpose: This randomized controlled trial compared the efficacy between the Social Enterprise Intervention (SEI) and Individual Placement and Support (IPS) with homeless youth with mental illness to assess their impact on nonvocational outcomes. Method: Seventy-two homeless youth were recruited from one agency and randomized to the SEI (n = 36) or…

Recent estimates indicate that 10% to 25% of women in the United States report clinically significant depressive symptoms and that Black women are less likely to obtain care for depression and to receive appropriate treatment when they do seek care. Current mental and social health services necessitate a search for strength-based treatment models…

Implementing innovations in social and health-related service programs is a dynamic stage-based process. This article discusses training, adoption, implementation, and practice as sequential elements of a conceptual framework for effective preparation and implementation of evidence-based innovations. However, systems need to be prepared for change…

The 2007 Aaron Rosen Lecture was presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Social Work and Research, January 12, 2007, in San Francisco, CA. The lecture begins by describing the gap between what is known about efficacious treatments and other evidence-based practices on the one hand and the services that are provided in actual…

Objective: This study investigated outcomes of social service contact during teenage years. Method: Secondary analysis was conducted of the Longitudinal Survey of Young People in England (N = 15,770), using data on reported contact with social services resulting from teenagers' behavior. Outcomes considered were educational achievement and…

Since 1983, the Washington State Institute for Public Policy has conducted applied research as a nonpartisan agency of the state legislature. Over the years, discussions in the state have turned toward emphasizing "evidence-based" programs and policies in decision making, and research requests of the legislature have evolved to reflect…

Objectives: Services to children and adolescents with a severe emotional disturbance (SED) have long been inadequate. The wraparound approach has emerged as a promising practice that could address the needs of children with SED and their families through a strength-based, individualized, family-focused team process that emphasizes flexible service…

This article describes the experiences of an agency administrator who developed a meaningful and effective collaboration with university researchers to address the needs of her client population. The initial agency-university collaboration process and its benefits are described as well as the efforts required and challenges faced when adopting and…

Objective: The purpose of this study was to review empirical evidence of the effects of placement in group care compared to other interventions. Method: Two-group empirical studies were identified and effect sizes for all reported outcomes were calculated. Results: Nineteen two-group studies were found that compared group care with family foster…

Objective: This study examines in-agency and out-of-agency service provision to a sample of 243 foster children and their families. Method: Data come from a longitudinal study of 243 foster children and families served by non-profit agencies that were operating under either a performance-based, managed care purchase-of-service contract or a…

Presents a content analysis of prevention definitions in prevention literature. Examines the pros and cons of the traditional trilogy (primary, secondary, and tertiary) of prevention definitions, along with a description of key concepts, such as end-states, timing, targets, and eligibility criteria. Proposes a conceptual alternative to the…