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The purpose of this article is to discuss evidence-based practice (EBP) from the perspective of a self-identified evidence-based practitioner. Discussion of EBP includes choosing an initial intervention and evaluation procedures, the iterative process of rechoosing and refining an intervention over the treatment life span, and the importance of evidence within the specific clinical situation. Two illustrative case studies are presented. Practice principles include (a) explaining EBP clearly, including an ability to deconstruct key elements; (b) creating an evaluation that yields useful outcome data for practitioner and client and is realistic given the characteristics of the client system; (c) refining intervention and evaluation efforts, based on increased knowledge of the client system and as their willingness to participate changes; and (d) understanding relevant evidence about specific techniques, incorporating evidence developed as part of the intervention, and being critical consumers of both types of evidence in specific situations with clients and client systems.

This article is reprinted from the journal Evidence-Based Mental Health. It presents the core virtues of the evidence-based paradigm (questioning of unfounded beliefs, rigorous scrutiny of methodology, critical appraisal of proposed treatments), and the authors' experiences in teaching evidence-based practice to psychiatric residents. The aim of such training is to produce informed consumers of evidence, not researchers or methodologists. The lessons learned in psychiatric training have obvious applications to social work education.

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of clients. The authors describe and offer counterarguments to objections to EBP. These objections could result in premature dismissal of this new form of practice and education that offers potential benefits to social work and its clients. Objections to EBP fall into six categories: (a) arguments from ignorance about the nature of EBP, (b) misinterpreted professional standards, (c) arguments appealing to tradition, (d) ad hominem arguments, (e) arguments on ethical grounds, and (f) philosophical arguments. Reviewing objections to EBP may help us to increase our understanding of barriers to use of practice-related research findings in the helping professions and honoring related requirements described in our code of ethics.

Social work practitioners decide when and how to use evidence in their practice. There remains, however, little evidence to date about social workers' perspectives about and implementation of evidence-based practice (EBP). This survey of a national sample of social workers adds to our knowledge about how social workers locate information, how they determine the usefulness of the information, what barriers exist for the use of an EBP process, and whether their workplaces are oriented toward EBP. Findings suggest that barriers may be more complex than previously reported, but that social workers find evidence, read the professional literature, and consult with peers and mentors, often despite poor workplace support. Suggestions for dissemination of information are made, and a model of evidence use in practice is proposed.

As the first attempt to synthesize the movement toward widespread implementation of evidence-based mental health practices, this groundbreaking collection articulates the basic tenets of evidence-based medicine and shows how practices proven effective by clinical services research could improve the lives of many people.

"Practice and Intellectual Disabilities will be highly relevant to a wide audience, including professionals working in community services, clinicians working in special education schools, residential facilities, and psychiatric hospitals, and parents and organizations involved in the care of individuals with intellectual disabilities"--

A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire, in partial fulfilment of the reqiurements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. ; An abiding criticism of youth work is the inability of its practitioners either to articulate the theoretical basis of their practice or evidence its practical impact (House of Commons, Services for Young People: Third Report of Session 2010-12). This study explores whether, and to what extent, youth workers can articulate their practice wisdom in a form that can generate a body of 'practice-based evidence'; sufficiently robust to persuade both those responsible for formulating youth work policy and those commissioning services of its efficacy. It develops a model which aims to assist youth workers in this endeavour, designed to support them in contributing to critical debates about the nature of their practice. This thesis is based upon a case study undertaken with a large voluntary sector youth organisation in the north of England. A number of research methods were used in the study including the design of an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded knowledge exchange event, the administration of questionnaires to student youth workers at the University of Bedfordshire and semi-structured interviews with practitioners. The study uses Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) as the lens through which the findings are derived from the data. The findings suggest that youth workers are able to conceptualise and articulate their practice wisdom and that the opportunity to engage in knowledge transfer activities is methodologically extremely helpful. It appears that practice-based evidence can be generated via such a process which helps to make explicit the nature of the work and its impact upon young people. On the basis of these findings, the author presents a model describing the key prerequisites for the generation of practice-based evidence in youth work. However, the current social, political and economic climate in England has meant that the applicability of such a model is entirely dependent upon the political and administrative context in which youth work is practiced. The imposition of tightly demarcated targets and narrowly defined outcomes, together with the individualisation of much service provision for young people requiring case work interventions, has meant that youth work's phronetic intentions have become obscured, and for some organisations, lost. This is against the backcloth of the needs of the young people being targeted by youth services becoming more complex, requiring a more specialist, therapeutic intervention. The author suggests that the time has come for bolder initiatives utilising critical social pedagogy as a threshold concept which, she asserts may allow the profession to embark upon a process of 'reclaiming' its professional roots.