A Practice-based Research Workshop for Social Workers in Health Settings

The Society for Social Work Leadership in Health Care
Southern California Chapter
and
UCLA Department of Social Welfare, School of Public Affairs

Invites you to attend

Clinical Data-Mining in the Era of Evidence-based Practice:
A Practice-based Research Workshop for Social Workers in Health Settings
A 6-CEU Workshop
Irwin Epstein, MSW, PhD Hunter College School of Social Work

Friday, February 27, 2009
The California Endowment
1000 Alameda
Los Angeles, Ca

About Clinical Data-Mining
Without thinking of themselves as researchers, health social work practitioners routinely collect and record enormous quantities of psycho-social data about patient characteristics, worker interventions and patient responses to these interventions. However, they are not taught how to “mine” these data.
By contrast, and because of their preference for “gold-standard” experimental studies, social work academics and researchers have rejected these potentially rich deposits of data for describing and evaluating practice. Instead, their preferred model of practice-research integration is Evidence-based Practice which relegates practitioners to the role of research implementer rather than knowledge contributor.
Clinical data-mining (CDM) is a Practice-based Research approach whereby practitioners can systematically reflect on their own practice using the information they already have. It relies on “gold-standard” logic but requires neither randomization nor control groups. It makes use of both qualitative and quantitative research concepts and techniques but never intrudes on service delivery. Perhaps most importantly, it welcomes practice wisdom as a basis for knowledge development and testing.
Both practitioner-initiated CDM studies and CDM doctoral dissertations have led to significant discoveries and made valuable contributions to understanding practice. Many have become the bases for professional conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications by the practitioners who conducted them. All have enhanced practitioner reflectiveness, research skills and professional self-esteem.
Workshop Objectives
• To introduce participants to the principles, methods, limitations and uses of CDM
• To describe the way CDM has been employed in practitioner-initiated studies and PhD dissertations conducted in health settings
• To describe where CDM “fits” in the broader context of the Evidence-based Practice and Practice-based Research “movements” in social work
• To encourage participants to conceptualize and conduct their own CDM studies
• To empower participants as contributors to social work knowledge
Target Participants
• Social work health practitioners interested in learning about their own practice
• Social work health administrators interested in research capacity-building
• Allied health practitioners interested in collaborative research
• PhD students interested in an alternative dissertation model
• Social work academics open to a different way of thinking about practice-research integration
• Research consultants open to truly collaborative work with practitioners
About the Instructor

Irwin Epstein has his MSW and his Ph.D. in Sociology from Columbia University where he specialized in the sociology of professions, organizational sociology and evaluation research methods. A former Fulbright senior lecturer at the University of Wales (Cardiff), he currently holds the Helen Rehr Chair in Applied Social Work Research at Hunter College School of Social Work and teaches in the Doctoral Program of the City University of New York. Prof. Epstein has conducted practice-based research workshops at universities and social agencies in the United States, Australia, Hong Kong, Israel, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

Participants Should Bring
• Ideas concerning practice issues they want to explore
• Ideas concerning programmatic decisions they need to make that would be informed by available information
Participants Are Encouraged to Bring
• Blank forms that are routinely used to collect or record intake, service or outcome information in their agencies
• De-identified records of closed cases
• Computerized information that is routinely produced in their agencies
• A sense of humor

DIRECTIONS:
The California Endowment
1000 N Alameda Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
866.833.3533

Map and driving directions may be downloaded TCE website:
http://www.calendow.org/chc/center.html

AGENDA
Friday, February 27, 2009

8:00-8:30 Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:00-12:00 Presentation

12:00-1:00 Box Lunch and Award Presentation of Student Scholarships

1:00-4:00 Workshop: Application of morning material

REGISTRATION:
Thanks to a generous subsidy from the SSWLHC Southern California Chapter and UCLA Department of Social Welfare, School of Public Affairs, your registration fee includes 6 CEU’s, free parking, continental breakfast, and a boxed lunch.

Before February 23 $ 25.00
After February 23 or at the door $ 35.00
Please mail check to address below and include
Name / Institution / Email / Phone / LCSW #

Check payable to:
SSWLHC
Mail to Diane R Morrison
Director, Clinical Social Work
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
757 Westwood Plaza Suite B788
Los Angeles, CA 90095

No refunds will be granted.
Questions? Email dimorrison@mednet.ucla.edu

This course meets the qualifications for 6.0 hours of continuing education credit for LCSWs/MFTs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Provider #513.