It is one thing to do social work research, but quite another to disseminate the results and ensure their effective utilization by practitioners out in the field working with clients. Just as important is ensuring that the research is relevant and usable by the social and health service community. Implementation research and translational research are designed to develop effective methods for narrowing the gap between research and practice.
Using the National Institutes of Health Roadmap as a guide, this book fills a gap in social work writing by describing the challenges of investigating the process and outcomes of efforts to translate and implement evidence-based practices in social work. A general introduction discusses the history of such efforts and a picture of where we are now. Subsequent chapters offer in-depth examinations of the methods for studying the effectiveness, dissemination, and implementation of evidence-based practices; discuss the organizational context in which these activities occur in social work practice; investigate the use of mixed-method designs and community-based participatory methods to address these challenges; provide case studies of research on translation and implementation; and identify potential barriers and offer recommendations and guidelines for addressing them.
The resulting strategy is founded on the principle and practice of cultural exchange between members of social worker-led interdisciplinary research teams, and between researchers and practitioners. Decision-makers in social service agencies and policy settings, in addition to professors and master's- and doctoral-level students, will all want to read this vital and informative book that brings core issues of research and practice to life.