Social work research addresses psychosocial problems, preventive
interventions, treatment of acute and chronic conditions, and
community, organizational, policy and administrative issues.
Covering the lifespan, social work research may address clinical,
services and policy issues. It benefits consumers, practitioners,
policy-makers, educators, and the general public by:
Examining prevention and intervention strategies for health
and mental health, child welfare, aging, substance abuse,
community development, managed care, housing, economic
self-sufficiency, family well-being, etc.;
Studying the strengths, needs, and inter-relationships
of individuals, families, groups, neighborhoods, and social
institutions; and
Providing evidence for improved service delivery and public
policies.
Recent contributions from social work research include
studies that address:
WHAT are some key organizations in the social work research
world?
- ANSWER - An
advocacy coalition to lobby for federal support
- IASWR - An
independent organization formed by leaders of the profession
to develop social work research capacity and link research
to practice and policy
- SSWR - A
membership society for social work researchers
These are three distinct but interfacing organizations.
The organizations that founded and support IASWR are all
part of the ANSWER coalition, as is IASWR.
SSWR holds an annual research conference in January. IASWR
presents pre-conference workshops and sponsors workshops
before and during the SSWR conference, inviting representatives
from federal agencies and foundations to present their
programs, information on research development, and research
findings.
WHAT are some key organizations that support social
work research?
The organizations below support social work research and
provide funds for training social work researchers and
students.
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) - www.nih.gov
- Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) - www.cdc.gov
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration - www.samhsa.gov
- Private Foundations - Visit www.iaswresearch.org (Click on "Links.")
For up to date funding announcements, see the IASWR Listserv
Announcements (located online at www.iaswresearch.org).
Click on "Listserv" to see how to subscribe and to view
archived, searchable issues.
What is NASW's Practice Research Network (PRN) and how
does it work?
PRN surveys NASW members regarding their practice and
research, providing a statistical picture of who we are,
what kind of services we provide, to whom, and in which
settings. For more info, click
here.
