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Evidence- and Strength based Practice in social work with children and families . Maria Lehtinen Eeva Vehviläinen University of Jyväskylä. In this presentation we are going to…. Introduce you Evidence-Based Practice and Strength Based Practice Compare these models and to
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Evidence- and Strength based Practice insocial work with children and families Maria Lehtinen EevaVehviläinen University of Jyväskylä
In this presentation we are going to… • Introduce you Evidence-Based Practice and Strength Based Practice • Compare these models and to find the essential difference between them • Tell you how to apply these models in social work with children and families
Evidence-Based Practice • Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) is a model that is used by professionals of social work • “Evidence-Based Social care is the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions regarding the welfare of those in needs.” (Korteniemi & Borg, 2008) • EBP refers to the use of research and scientific studies as a base for determining the best practices in a field
Strength Based Practice • A structural way of doing social work. • It´s all about focusing on client´s strengths and resources instead of problems • The method is closely related to the concept of empowerment • There are many opinions about method´s effectiveness and usefulness in social work.
The differences between the models • EBP reinforces the occupation as a profession; it strengthens the expertise • SBP is a client orientated and more practical way of doing social work • EBP is more like making the work visible • SBP is a structural way of working: a social worker uses strength based questions in aim to empower the client It can be argued that EBP is an organization centered and SBP is a client centered approach
How these models work in practice? • SBP: while doing the intervention, social worker challenges the family to work on the family´s situation asking all family members empowering questions • The family members set their own goals • EBP can be used as a tool of evaluating the effectiveness of different methods • for example the SBP method
Conclusions • EBP doesn´t really work in the practice with children and families because of it´s administrative character (eg. works better with substance misusers) • The SBP method would be very executable in Finnish social workbutit´snotyetwidelyusedhere • Using strength based practice in social work with families and children would have a positive impact on families´ situations and to the client-worker relationship(Rapp, Saleeby & Sullivan 2005)
Conclusions (SBP) • Nevertheless, there seems to be very little evidence of strength´s based method´s effectiveness • in my research I investigated the method´s usefulness and effectiveness from a social worker´s point of view
Conclusions (EBP) • EBP could be used in an evaluating of social work process´ effectiveness • It could be a tool of developing different methods in the work with families and children. • The client should be included to the process • this would increase customers feeling of effecting his/her own situation • eg. the changes in clients resources more visible
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