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Journal Article 9.1 Burnes, D., & Lachs, M. S. (2017). The case for individualized goal attainment scaling measurement in elder abuse interventions. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 36(1): 116-122.

Abstract: Empathy is a core principle essential to social work. Despite this emphasis, minimal empirical research of empathy has been undertaken by social work researchers. The purpose of this study was to develop and initially validate the Empathy Scale for Social Workers (ESSW). The ESSW is a 41-item self-report inventory designed to assess empathy in social work practitioners. The sample (N = 271) consisted of social workers who had attained the Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. Findings revealed promising psychometric properties for the ESSW, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) demonstrated content, construct, and factorial validity. Results were encouraging and they lay the ground work for the continued development of the ESSW. This scale addresses a gap in social work knowledge regarding the empirical evaluation of empathy. Results have implications for social work as the scale may be used to assess student training needs and/or as a screening tool for social work supervisors and practitioners.

Learning Objective: 9.3 Learn about the use of goal attainment scaling for work with systems of all sizes, including individual and program effectiveness measurement.

Journal Article 9.2: Metz, A., Bartley, L., Ball, H., Wilson, D., Naoom, S., & Redmond, P. (2015). Active implementation frameworks for successful service delivery: Catawba County child wellbeing project. Research on Social Work Practice, 25(4): 415-422.

Abstract: Traditional approaches to disseminating research based programs and innovations for children and families, which rely on practitioners and policy makers to make sense of research on their own, have been found insufficient. There is growing interest in strategies that “make it happen” by actively building the capacity of service providers to implement innovations with high fidelity and good effect. This article provides an overview of the Active Implementation Frameworks (AIFs), a science-based implementation framework, and describes a case study in child welfare, where the AIF was used to facilitate the implementation of research-based and research-informed practices to improve the well-being of children exiting out of home placement to permanency. In this article, we provide descriptive data that suggest AIF is a promising framework for promoting high-fidelity implementation of both research-based models and innovations through the development of active implementation teams.

Learning Objective: 9.2 Identify types and purposes of evaluation.