A Frank (and Friendly) Dialogue about Evidence Based Practice

Title: A Frank (and Friendly) Dialogue about Evidence-Based Practice Rationale and Overview There is widespread agreement among social workers that empirical evidence should play an important role in practice decisions, as well as in the design and implementation of social programs. Despite this common ground, many important issues about Evidence-based Practice (EBP) remain relatively unexamined and unresolved. These issues include the relevance and role of (1) qualitative research, (2) values, (3) different forms of evidence, and (4) theory. This roundtable seeks to promote open dialogue, among the panel and the audience, about these sometimes controversial issues. Such dialogue can provide the basis for greater understanding of the issues, and ultimately, improvements to EBP and social work practice. Learning Objectives:1. Present diverse viewpoints on issues related to Evidence-based Practice2. Elicit audience reactions and perspectives in a structured way. Format: (Total 110 minutes) Roundtable Panel: (50 minutes) The four principal roundtable participants are accomplished scholars in the EBP arena, and have been chosen so as to represent diverse views on EBP and the issues related to EBP that are the focus of this Roundtable. The moderator will introduce each issue, and each panel member will be given the opportunity to respond. The focus is not on resolving the issue, but on articulating a wide range of opinion about each issue. The four issues are the relevance and role of the following in EBP: 1.qualitative research 2. values 3. different forms of evidence and 4. theory. Audience participation (40 minutes) Next, responses from the audience will be solicited in a structured format. The structured audience response will be modeled on the reflecting team (Andersen, 1991), a practice method used in narrative therapy to encourage dialogue between observers and families. A relatively new method, research has found it helpful in generating multiple perspectives and solutions (St. James O'Connor et al., 2004). The moderator will elicit participation from 6-8 audience members, including three who have been listed as members of the roundtable: a social work doctoral student, a relatively new faculty member, and a social work practitioner. Three to five additional volunteer members of the audience will complete the group. Led by the moderator, these participants will talk among themselves about what the panel has said and how it applies to them as students, faculty members, and practitioners. The moderator will help the group keep focused, but the discussion will be free flowing, so that a diversity of creative views can be elicited. Roundtable Panel/ Audience Response (20 minutes) In this final phase, the original Roundtable panel members will talk among themselves, responding to the ideas that they have heard from the audience discussion group. Next, the moderator will open the floor to comments from the general audience.