Discussion: Generating Support for Evidence-Based Practices

When treating clients, social workers must ensure that the evidence-based practice is appropriate for the client and the problem. Then, the social worker must get the client and other stakeholders to support the selected evidence-based practice. To earn that support, the social worker should present the client and stakeholders with a plan for implementation and evidence of the evidence-based practice efficacy and appropriateness. Social workers must demonstrate that they have carefully considered the steps necessary to implement the evidence-based practice, identified factors in the current environment that support implementation of the evidence-based practice, and addressed those factors that may hinder the successful implementation.
For this week’s Discussion, you will take on the role of the social worker in the Levy case study. You will choose an evidence-based practice and attempt to gain the support of both the client and supervisor. To do so, you will address its efficacy, appropriateness, and factors that may impact implementation of the evidence-based practice that you chose.
To prepare for this Discussion, review Levy Episode 2. Then using the registries provided in this week’s resources and the Walden Library, locate an evidence-based practice that you believe would be appropriate for Jake’s case. Then, review the Evidence-Based Practice kit for Family Psycho Education from the SAMHSA website from the resources. Note all the steps and considerations involved in implementing the evidence-based practice and which of these considerations apply to this case. Consider issues such as agency support, resources, and costs that might support or limit the application of the evidence-based intervention that you select.
By Day 3
Post an evaluation of the evidence-based practice that you selected for Jake. Describe the practice and the evidence supporting it. Explain why you think this intervention is appropriate for Jake. Then provide an explanation for the supervisor regarding issues related to implementation. Identify two factors that you believe are necessary for successful implementation of the evidence-based practice and explain why. Then, identify two factors that you believe may hinder implementation and explain how you might mitigate these factors. Be sure to include APA citations and references.

Levy Family Episode 2 Program Transcript FEMALE SPEAKER: I want to thank you for getting me this Levy case. I think it’s so interesting. Just can’t wait to meet with the client. MALE SPEAKER: What do you find interesting about it? FEMALE SPEAKER: Well, he’s just 31. Usually the vets I work with are older. If they have PTSD, it’s from traumas a long time ago. But Jake, this is all pretty new to him. He just left Iraq a year ago. You know, I was thinking he’d be perfect for one of those newer treatment options, art therapy, meditation, yoga, something like that. MALE SPEAKER: Why? FEMALE SPEAKER: Well, I’ve been dying to try one of them. I’ve read a lot of good things. Why? What are you thinking? MALE SPEAKER: I’m thinking you should really think about it some more. Think about your priorities. It’s a good idea to be open-minded about treatment options, but the needs of the client have to come first, not just some treatment that you or I might be interested in. FEMALE SPEAKER: I mean, I wasn’t saying it like that. I always think of my clients first. MALE SPEAKER: OK. But you mentioned meditation, yoga, art therapy. Have you seen any research or data that measures how effective they are in treatment? FEMALE SPEAKER: No. MALE SPEAKER: Neither have I. There may be good research out there, and maybe one or two of the treatments that you mentioned might be really good ideas. I just want to point out that you should meet your client first, meet Jake before you make any decisions about how to address his issues. Make sense?
FEMALE SPEAKER: Yeah.

Required Readings
Document: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2009c). Family psychoeducation: Getting started with evidence-based practices. Retrieved from http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content/SMA09-4423/GettingStarted-FP.pdf (PDF)
HHS Pub. No. SMA-09-4422, Rockville, MD: Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2009.
Document: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2009a). Family psychoeducation: Building your program. Retrieved from http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content//SMA09-4423/BuildingYourProgram-FP.pdf (PDF)
HHS Pub. No. SMA-09-4422, Rockville, MD: Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2009.
Document: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2009e). Family psychoeducation: Training frontline staff. Retrieved from http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content/SMA09-4423/TrainingFrontlineStaff-FP.pdf (PDF)
HHS Pub. No. SMA-09-4422, Rockville, MD: Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2009.
Document: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2009d). Family psychoeducation: The evidence. Retrieved from http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content/SMA09-4423/TheEvidence-FP.pdf (PDF)
HHS Pub. No. SMA-09-4422, Rockville, MD: Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2009.
Document: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2009b). Family psychoeducation: Evaluating your program. Retrieved from http://store.samhsa.gov/shin/content/SMA09-4423/EvaluatingYourProgram-FP.pdf (PDF)
HHS Pub. No. SMA-09-4422, Rockville, MD: Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2009.
Note: This may be helpful to you in later weeks when you develop a plan for evaluation.
Resources for Evidence-Based Practices
Promising Practices Network. (n. d.). Programs that work. Retrieved October 8, 2013, from http://www.promisingpractices.net/programs_indicator_list.asp?indicatorid=7
Promising Practices Network. (n. d.). Research in brief. Retrieved November 12, 2013, from http://www.promisingpractices.net/issuebriefs.asp
Child Welfare Information Gateway. (n.d.). Evidence-based practice for child abuse prevention. Retrieved from https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/preventing/evidence/
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2012). A road map to implementing evidence-based programs. Retrieved from http://web.archive.org/web/20151010063916/http://www.nrepp.samhsa.gov/Courses/Implementations/resources/imp_course.pdf
(For review) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2018). Evidence-based practices resource center. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/ebp-resource-center
The Campbell Collaboration. (n. d.). Retrieved October 8, 2013, from www.campbellcollaboration.org
Required Media
Laureate Education (Producer). (2013c). Levy family episode 2 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 2 minutes.
Accessible player –Downloads–Download Video w/CCDownload AudioDownload TranscriptCredit: Provided courtesy of the Laureate Interna