What are EBPs?
Evidence-Based Practice refers to the process where the practitioner combines well researched interventions with clinical experience and ethics, client preferences and culture to guide and inform the delivery of treatments and services (Social Work Policy Institute).
- Evidence Based Behavioral Practice Training ModulesLearn and conduct the steps of the EBBP process with a simulated client and/or community.
This program has been reviewed and approved by the APA Office of Continuing Education in Psychology to offer Continuing Education (CE) credit to psychologists.
Hierarchy of Social Work Evidence
Synthesis/Summative: Meta-Analyses and Systematic Reviews
Systematic reviews usually focus on a specific clinical question and conduct an extensive literature search to identify studies with sound methodology. The studies are reviewed, assessed, and the results summarized according to the predetermined criteria of the review question.
Use the databases below to find systematic reviews of evidence for treating a condition, or for intervening in a population.
- Cochrane Library This link opens in a new windowCollection of databases aimed at gathering and summarizing health research.
- Campbell Collaboration LibrarySystematic reviews on the effects of interventions in the social, behavioral and educational arenas.
- Health EvidenceSearch healthevidence.org for access to 3,855 quality-rated systematic reviews evaluating the effectiveness of public health interventions. We search the published literature and compile public health relevant reviews -- eliminating your need to search and screen individual databases. NOTE: This database requires you to create a free account with them.
- Joanna Briggs Institute EBP Database This link opens in a new windowEvidence-based practice database with a global focus. Find systematic reviews, protocols, recommended practices, evidence summaries, best practice and consumer information sheets, and technical Reports.
- PsycINFO This link opens in a new windowAbstract and citation database of scholarly literature in psychological, social, behavioral, and health sciences. Includes journal articles, books, reports, theses, and dissertations from 1806 to present.
- PubMed@USC This link opens in a new windowPubMed provides access to millions of citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. This version is customized for USC users to find the full-text of articles.
Synthesis/Summative: Clinical Guidelines/Best Practices
The databases below provide reports and information about the most effective programs, interventions and therapeutic methods for different variables or populations. Use these databases to find evidence-based interventions.
- The Community GuideThe Guide to Community Preventive Services (The Community Guide) is a collection of evidence-based findings of the Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF). It is a resource to help you select interventions to improve health and prevent disease in your state, community, community organization, business, healthcare organization, or school.
- Evidence-based Practice Resources from Social Work Policy InstituteThe Evidence-Based Practice Resources section provides tools that can be used to identify EBPs, online resources that can inform the EBP process and a list of publications for further information.
- U.S Department of Veteran Affairs/DoD Clinical Practice GuidelinesGuidelines address patient cohorts, serve to reduce errors, and provide consistent quality of care and utilization of resources throughout and between the VA and DoD health care systems.
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) This link opens in a new windowGovernment resource including broad coverage of: health topics, Evidence-based Practice Center reports, US government programs, research tools, data and statistics, grants, consumer health.
- ClinicalKey This link opens in a new windowOnline collection of ebooks, journals, guidelines, patient education handouts, drug monographs, images, and videos focusing on clinical health care. Includes MEDLINE full-text.
- UpToDate This link opens in a new windowAn evidence-based resource covering multiple medical specialties. Includes topic monographs, patient education, practice updates, drug interactions, guidelines, and medical calculators. To obtain CME, create a personal profile and log in.
Program Databases
Use the following databases and search engines to find example programs. These are programs that have been developed by clinicians and practitioners, and have enough evidence supporting their efficacy to be considered evidence-based. Use these tools when you need to find examples of programs.
KEEP IN MIND: You might have to find a program that uses a framework or method that has shown to be effective (like CBT or family therapy) but that doesn't target your population or clinical problem exactly. Oftentimes these programs are meant to treat a variety of disorders or clients using a particular method or framework.
- Agency for Healthcare Research and QualtiyThe Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)'s programs offer practical information to help a variety of health care organizations, providers, and others make care safer in all health care settings.
- CEBC: California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child WelfareProvides access to vital information about selected child welfare related programs. The primary task of the CEBC is to inform the child welfare community about the research evidence for programs being used or marketed in California.
- National Registry of Evidence-based Programs & PracticesA searchable online registry of mental health and substance abuse interventions that have been reviewed and rated by independent reviewers.
- Psychotherapy.net This link opens in a new windowThe Psychotherapy.net streaming video collection provides access to training videos in the field of counseling, psychotherapy, psychology, and addiction.
- Psychotherapy.net SW videos This link opens in a new windowThe Social Work Collection address the fundamentals and core competencies of social work practice. Designed to augment classroom learning and prepare students for field placements, this curated collection of videos illustrates topics salient to social work via candid video footage of clients, social workers, and other mental health professionals. Each video comes with Instructor's Manual, searchable transcript, and clip-making function.
- PsycTHERAPY This link opens in a new windowPsycTHERAPY is a database containing more than 300 videos featuring therapy demonstrations showing clinicians working with individuals, couples, and families.
Books on Evidence-based Practice
- Foundations of Evidence-Based Social Work Practice : Process and Practice in ActionThis concise introduction to evidence-based social work practice culls the most salient chapters from the interdisciplinary Evidence-Based Practice Manual to form a student-friendly overview of the issues and interventions they will encounter throughout their BSW or MSW program.
- Practitioner’s Guide to Evidence-Based PsychotherapyEbook. Organized alphabetically for quick reference. Chapters are written by leading experts, focusing on appropriate assessment and empirically supported therapies.
- Evidence-based practice in social work : development of a new professional cultureThe role of evidence-based practice is one of most central and controversial issues in social work today. This concise text introduces key concepts and processes of evidence-based practice whilst engaging with contemporary debates about its relevance and practicality. Evidence-based Practice in Social Work provides both an argument for the importance of evidence-based practice in social work and fresh perspectives on its controversies and organizational prerequisites.