IV. Practice Informed Research

Competency IV

Engage in Practice-informed Research and Research-informed Practice

A lifetime of learning is something I believe in, and as a social worker I should be knowledgable on various topics and have the knowledge of evidence-based practices so that I can meet the needs of my clients. I will use evidence-based studies, including both qualitative and quantitative data, so that I can engage, assess, intervene, and evaluate clients and their circumstances. I will explore information from multiple sources before making decisions within my practice. I will share my knowledge base through teaching and consulting with others regarding the information I learned.

Practice Behaviors:

  1. Use practice experience and theory to inform scientific inquiry.
  2. Apply critical thinking to engage in analysis of quantitative and qualitative research methods and research findings.
  3. Use and translate research evidence to inform and improve practice, policy, and service delivery.

I have learned and demonstrated these practice behaviors by:

In Social Work Policy class I reviewed articles containing prior research in to the problem of homeless veterans.
I was able to use this knowledge to help create a Policy Analysis over the HUD-VASH program.

Using practice informed research I analyzed a character from the book The Glass Castle and  made a mental health diagnosis. This diagnosis was based on evidenced documented in the DSM and from information learned through the Human Social Behavioral Environment class.

Mental Health Diagnosis Paper