Teaching a systematic and evidence-based approach in an ambivalent context: a case example from Israel

Area of Science:

• Social Work and Social Policy
• Evidence-Based Practice
• Intervention Research

Background:

• Systematically Planned Intervention (SPI) and Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) are influential in Israeli social services.
• Limited success in implementing SPI and EBP has prompted re-evaluation by scholars and educators.
• There is a need to enhance social workers' capacity in these critical areas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe an attempt to build graduate social work students' capacity in SPI and EBP.
• To present a case example of a university-based practical workshop.
• To offer recommendations for future SPI and EBP capacity-building initiatives.

Main Methods:

• A practical workshop was designed for Master's level Israeli social work students.
• The workshop focused on building capacity for Systematically Planned Intervention (SPI) and Evidence-Based Practice (EBP).
• The study involved detailed descriptions of contextual factors, teaching challenges, and student assessment.

Main Results:

• The article details contextual considerations and teaching challenges encountered during the workshop.
• An assessment of the workshop's goal attainment is provided.
• Insights into the effectiveness of the practical workshop approach are presented.

Conclusions:

• Building social workers' capacity in SPI and EBP is crucial for effective social service provision.
• University-based practical workshops can be a viable method for enhancing these skills.
• Recommendations are provided for improving future capacity-building efforts in social work.