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Social Work Education and Clinical Learning: Towards Evidence-Based Practice?

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Abstract

The article on Social Work Education and Clinical Learning by Simpson, Williams and Segall (2007) is a courageous and useful effort to describe the definitional features of clinical social work and of what should constitute core pedagogical elements in such graduate training programs. While well articulated in many ways, this is a traditionally crafted position statement, one that differs little from similar views expressed in various venues over the past 30 years. I find the statement to suffer from several sins of commission (e.g., overly prescriptive in terms of human behavior and practice theory; overly focused on relational variables) and omission (e.g., neglect of the role of specific treatment techniques; ignoring advances made in evidence-based practice; ignoring the crucial role of accreditation standards). These problems have tended to exclude large numbers of clinical social workers such as the author from significant involvement in the work of the Clinical Social Work Association. I suggest a number of steps which might be adopted to bring about absolution and reconciliation, resulting in more effective social work education and clinical training, and a stronger CSWA, an organization that could lead the profession in promoting evidence-based practice, and one that is more inclusive of clinicians who do not subscribe to the human behavior and practice theories that are now officially endorsed.

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Acknowledgements

The Author is grateful for the constructive feedback provided by the journal’s Editor and anonymous reviewer.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Social Work, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA

    Bruce A. Thyer

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  1. Bruce A. Thyer
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Correspondence to Bruce A. Thyer.

Additional information

Dr. Bruce Thyer is a Professor of Social Work at Florida State University. He has been licensed as a clinical social worker in the states of Georgia and Florida, and has written extensively on clinical social work theory, practice, and education.

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Thyer, B.A. Social Work Education and Clinical Learning: Towards Evidence-Based Practice?. Clin Soc Work J 35, 25–32 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-006-0064-2

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