In its 1992 curriculum policy statements, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), mandated that the research curriculum provide an understanding and appreciation of a scientific, analytical approach to building knowledge for practice and for evaluating service delivery in all areas of practice (CSWE, 1992). The evidence-based practice (EBP) approach to knowledge building and utilization for social work however, left practitioners feeling alienated from the research process, with no incentive to assess and change their practice behaviors based on knowledge generated through EBP studies. A practice-based research (PBR) approach (Epstein, 2001) has instead, brought practitioners into the center of the research process, thereby increasing the utilization of knowledge derived from research. Hess (1995) described a research process, which supports practitioners to reflect in and on their practice and in doing so, develop their capacities for building knowledge from practice. Similarly, Yegidis and Weinbach (2002) reported that “a practice-oriented and practice-informed researcher is likely to produce research findings that will have value and be of benefit to those who deliver services to clients” (p.8).

This presentation will elaborate on the collaborations that faculty researchers initiated with practitioners, clients, students and administrators, and how such collaborations have influenced the process of knowledge utilization. The authors will present three research projects and describe the transformation of those involved in the research process into reflective practitioners and researchers. One qualitative study describes how social work students of color involved in a focus group were engaged in the co-construction of culturally relevant practice concepts and skills. The research process informed both student practitioners and researchers of how traditional practice could be reframed and expanded to include indigenous practice with culturally diverse clients. Students' creative use of practice skills was validated, and they felt an increased sense of ownership of their work. Another qualitative study involves inner-city youth functioning as co-investigators of their group building process in a school-based mental health program. Their development as researchers has supported their development as reflective builders of their program. Finally, a qualitative study followed by a randomized-controlled HIV prevention trial describes how practitioners, clients, administrators, and researchers became co-constructors in the research process. The respect shown towards, and the involvement of all participants led to the integration and continued implementation of a novel safe-sex HIV prevention intervention into the existing program.