{"id":144,"date":"2025-02-08T04:47:49","date_gmt":"2025-02-08T04:47:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swpro.org\/danabrookeholloway\/?page_id=144"},"modified":"2026-03-01T04:35:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T04:35:03","slug":"competency-4","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/swpro.org\/danabrookeholloway\/competency-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Competency 4: Engage in Practice-Informed Research and Research-Informed Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/span><\/h3>\n

As a social work professional, I will integrate current research into practice decisions and use practice experience to inform ongoing program improvement. I will critically review evidence-based and contemporary best practices to strengthen services, and I will evaluate interventions using ethical, culturally responsive, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive approaches. I will disseminate findings in clear, stakeholder-friendly formats that support accountability and continuous quality improvement.<\/span><\/p>\n

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4.1 \u2013 Critically review current research on evidence-based and contemporary best practices to improve practice, policy, and programs<\/h3>\n

In SOCW 676A, I critically reviewed evidence-informed family therapy models and contemporary best practices for incorporating family work into mental health treatment. Through course readings and training content, I analyzed how systemic patterns, attachment disruptions, and multigenerational dynamics shape presenting problems\u2014especially for children and adolescents\u2014and I translated these findings into practice implications. I compared key approaches (e.g., Structural Family Therapy, Bowenian family systems, and family systems\u2013informed grief work) and identified how each model guides assessment targets (boundaries, hierarchy, differentiation, unresolved loss) and intervention planning to improve relational functioning and symptom reduction. This review strengthened my ability to select research-informed family interventions, justify treatment approaches, and apply family systems best practices in a way that is clinically appropriate, culturally responsive, and aligned with person-in-environment practice.<\/p>\n

Family Work Therapy<\/a><\/p>\n

4.2 \u2013<\/strong> Conduct and disseminate research that responds to social work practice needs and uses ethical, culturally informed, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive strategies to advance the purposes of social work<\/h3>\n

In field practicum, I conducted a practice-based evaluation of the Trauma & Grief psychoeducational group to assess whether participants increased coping knowledge and confidence in emotional regulation skills. I collected evaluation data using a brief de-identified questionnaire administered at the end of group sessions that included (a) rating-scale items (e.g., 1\u20135 confidence\/knowledge ratings) and (b) short open-ended questions about what skills were most helpful and what participants wanted changed. I also reviewed available agency attendance records to identify participation patterns (e.g., completion, missed sessions) to inform recommendations.<\/p>\n

I analyzed the data by summarizing descriptive results from the rating items (e.g., averages and patterns of improvement across items) and identifying common themes from the open-ended responses (e.g., skills participants used most, areas of confusion, and suggested improvements). I compiled findings into a de-identified evaluation summary and disseminated the results to stakeholders (my supervisor and program leadership\/clinical team) through supervision consultation and a brief written report. The summary highlighted key outcomes, participant themes, and specific recommendations for program refinement (e.g., pacing adjustments, increased time for skill practice, and clearer psychoeducation). This process reflected ethical, culturally responsive, and anti-oppressive practice through confidentiality protections, person-first language, and a quality-improvement focus.<\/p>\n


Trauma & Grief Group Evaluation Summary<\/a><\/p>\n

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Social Work Knowledge Used<\/h3>\n

I will apply evidence-based practice principles by integrating peer-reviewed literature, existing policy\/data reports, and practice-based feedback to guide program decisions. In the FPCN proposal, I will use a structured research review to identify foster parent retention and placement stability factors and translate evidence into implementable supports. In field evaluation, I will use basic program evaluation concepts (e.g., feedback collection, outcome-focused review, de-identification) to evaluate whether group content improves coping knowledge and emotional regulation skills. Across both, I will use research as a decision-making tool by linking findings directly to specific service improvements.<\/p>\n

Social Work Values Present<\/h3>\n

Service and dignity\/worth of the person will guide how I frame findings without blaming caregivers or participants for systemic barriers. In the FPCN brief, I will use person-first, non-stigmatizing language and emphasize structural constraints (rural access, time demands, system complexity) rather than \u201cnoncompliance.\u201d Integrity and competence will be reflected in ethical evaluation practices (de-identifying data, summarizing accurately, and using results for improvement rather than judgment). These values will shape my commitment to making research useful, respectful, and participant-centered.<\/p>\n

Social Work Skills Presented<\/h3>\n

I will demonstrate literature synthesis skills by identifying themes across research and policy sources and distilling them into clear, stakeholder-friendly recommendations. I will strengthen evaluation skills by collecting and summarizing participant feedback in a way that protects confidentiality while still producing actionable conclusions. I will apply program-improvement planning by translating evidence into concrete steps (e.g., structured resource navigation, accessible training pathways, burnout support, and adjustments to group pacing and skill practice). Communication will remain a key skill across both artifacts by bridging research language into practical language that agencies can implement.<\/p>\n

Cognitive Processes<\/h3>\n

I will use critical thinking to evaluate the quality and relevance of research sources and determine what best applies to real-world foster parent retention barriers. I will analyze patterns across literature and reports to connect needs (burnout, training access, resource navigation) to feasible intervention strategies. In the Trauma & Grief evaluation, I will interpret feedback as outcome information, identifying what content strengthens coping and where participants need more support or clarification. I will focus on the \u201cso what\u201d of findings, how evidence should change practice, not just describe it.<\/p>\n

Affective Processes<\/h3>\n

I will maintain curiosity and openness when engaging both formal research and participant feedback, treating each as meaningful information about what families and caregivers need. I will approach evaluation with respect and emotional sensitivity, recognizing that trauma-related content can shape how participants respond and engage. I will remain ethically attentive when summarizing findings to ensure conclusions reflect humility, accuracy, and care rather than assumptions. This stance will help me use research in a way that honors lived experience and supports trust in services.<\/p>\n

Theoretical Foundation<\/h3>\n

Systems Theory supported my understanding that foster parent outcomes and participant group needs are influenced by interconnected factors, individual stress, family systems, agency processes, and access barriers in rural communities. Trauma-informed frameworks guided both artifacts by emphasizing safety, empowerment, and practical supports that reduce overwhelm and improve stability. I used an evidence-based practice process as the bridge between theory and action, identifying best available research, integrating practice context, and applying feedback to refine interventions. Together, these frameworks shaped a research-to-practice approach that is ethically grounded, culturally responsive, and focused on real implementation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Introduction As a social work professional, I will integrate current research into practice decisions and use practice experience to inform ongoing program improvement. I will critically review evidence-based and contemporary best practices to strengthen services, and I will evaluate interventions … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":843,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-144","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swpro.org\/danabrookeholloway\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/144","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swpro.org\/danabrookeholloway\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swpro.org\/danabrookeholloway\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swpro.org\/danabrookeholloway\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/843"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swpro.org\/danabrookeholloway\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=144"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/swpro.org\/danabrookeholloway\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/144\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":560,"href":"https:\/\/swpro.org\/danabrookeholloway\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/144\/revisions\/560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swpro.org\/danabrookeholloway\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=144"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}