Geographical Information Systems: Applications for Social Work Research and Evaluation

This workshop focuses on learning how to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to analyze data and disseminate results specific to social work related research. GIS is an underutilized tool in the field of social work that offers policy makers, researchers, administrators, and workers a lens through which to view the data they work with every day. Using GIS we are able to overlay demographic data (e.g., poverty, population density, and household size), social work data (e.g., client numbers, service availability, and housing needs) and geographic boundaries (e.g. state and county borders, ZIP Codes, neighborhoods) creating a layered approach to decision support, program evaluation, and research. Maps created with GIS are powerful decision-making tools, helpful when seeking funding, evaluating where programs have the greatest impact, and monitoring the quality of services.