RE: The Research-Practice Dialogue

["Hill, Sean" <shill@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Barbara, I agree that caseload size/workload is one of the common barriers
to practitioners not wanting or being willing to accept research/evaluation
feedback designed to modify practice.  I've encountered unnumerable times.
I have also had some success, though, in convincing clincians to accept
change based on "the data" because if it worked, and made their
interventions more effective, it might have a positive impact on workload.
Prevention is a good example here: the literature is full of prevention
programs that work.


Sean Wolf Hill, MS LPCC
Intersystem Coordinator
http://www.co.greene.oh.us/fcf/fsp.htm
Family Stability Program
http://www.co.greene.oh.us/fcf/
Greene County Family and Children First Dept
http://www.wright.edu/~shill/index.htm
937.562.5607p
937.562.5601f


-----Original Message-----
From: Barbara Meddin [mailto:barbarme@fcs.wa.gov.au]
Sent: Saturday, March 24, 2001 8:21 PM
To: Child Maltreatment Researchers
Subject: RE: The Research-Practice Dialogue


I can't help but observe that we need to look at the issues of what may be
blocking practitioners from prioritizing research/evaluation.

As both a former academic, director of evaluation of a major social work
research centre in the US about 20 years ago and a long standing
practitioner, I think some of the blockages to a partnership are that
practitioners in the field are carrying extremely large case loads which
prevent them from doing anything other then trying to provide  services to
their clients and because of case load size, not having the time to even do
that adequately, the agency environment they work in not either rewarding or
encouraging practice based research/evaluation and not taking the time
required to do so in account in relation to their work load and last but not
least practitioners finding that researchers having a lack of understanding
of actual practice or being informed by practice wisdom!

Dr. B. Meddin
Senior Advisor Social Work Services
Family and Children's Services
Perth Australia

>>> shill@co.greene.oh.us 03/24/01 04:16am >>>
Karen, as a fellow traveller along this course, thanks for your feedback.  I
particularly agree with your statement:

"While researchers have much to overcome in creating a partnership with
practitioners (and I think researchers must do most of the reaching out), in
any group of practitioners I've found there is usually one or two whose eyes
light up at the mention of "and how do you think we can demonstrate the
effectiveness of this program?". If you can overcome the very real hurdle of
their time limitations to be available to work with you, you've found a
partner-someone who can act as a cultural guide to the beliefs and values
that guide existing practice."

That's what has always worked for me.  I've always tried to identify the
"champions" among the practitioners and use them to leverage some interest
and attention from their colleagues.  It's not just a question of "us"
telling "them" how to do the job better:  It helps to remind practitioners
that we also are interested in how to serve customers better.   Finding a
few like-minders who actually provide direct service helps this go a long
way.

Helping further the cause of rational practice is no different than good old
quality improvement.  There are always four sets of folks out there:

Those who believe and are willing to do something new:  Champions
Those who Beleive but aren't sure they can go the extra mile: Fence-Sitters
Those who don't Beleive but are willing to what they are told: Soldiers
Those who neither Beleive nor are willing to alter practice: Detractors

Using the Champions and the Fence-Sitters (and to some degree the Soldiers)
can go a long way in creating an environment where rational practice rules
the day.   Such an environment become self-organizing: the Detractors are
expelled/rejected like virii. 


Sean Wolf Hill, MS LPCC
Intersystem Coordinator
http://www.co.greene.oh.us/fcf/fsp.htm 
Family Stability Program
http://www.co.greene.oh.us/fcf/ 
Greene County Family and Children First Dept
http://www.wright.edu/~shill/index.htm 
937.562.5607p
937.562.5601f