Building Agency Capacity for Trauma-Informed Evidence-Based Practice and Field Instruction

J Evid Inf Soc Work. 2016;13(2):179-97. doi: 10.1080/23761407.2015.1014124. Epub 2015 Jun 17.

Abstract

Through this article the authors describe how schools of social work offering a child and adolescent trauma specialization actively partnered with their community-based field placement agencies to achieve a dual purpose: help agencies sustain the capacity for evidence-based trauma treatment (EBTT) and provide sufficient EBTT MSW student field placement sites that support preparation of trauma-informed practitioners by schools of social work. Development and description of the specific conceptual framework used to inform the trauma-informed organizational change initiative is described. Results of an Organizational Readiness assessment undertaken at six agencies reflect a strong alignment between implementation drivers identified in the literature (Fixsen, Blase, Naoom, & Wallace, 2009) and the conceptual framework. The manner in which these results are being used by schools of social work and their agency partners in sustaining the implementation of evidence-based trauma treatment is reviewed, and implications for future research, education, and practice is discussed.

Keywords: Trauma; field instruction; implementation science.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Capacity Building / organization & administration*
  • Evidence-Based Practice / organization & administration*
  • Humans
  • Inservice Training
  • Leadership
  • Male
  • Organizational Innovation
  • Preceptorship / organization & administration*
  • Program Development
  • Psychological Trauma / rehabilitation*
  • Social Work / education*