RATIONALES FOR PRACTICE DECISIONS - VARIATIONS IN KNOWLEDGE USE BY DECISION TASK AND SOCIAL-WORK SERVICE

This article addresses social workers' use of knowledge by studying th e rationale they provided for their actual practice decisions. Extent of knowledge use was compared across four practice decision tasks and between medical and psychiatric social work services. Data were obtain ed from the records of 297 clients treated by 34 experienced M.S.W. so cial workers in medical and psychiatric services units of two midweste rn hospitals. Workers were previously trained in the approach and proc edures of Systematic Planned Practice (SPP). Data were obtained from S PP forms on which workers recorded their treatment decisions and ratio nale for each decision. Data analyzed by repeated measures (MANOVA and ANOVA's) revealed that giving of rationales, and the types of knowled ge it reflected varied significantly by the decision task and social w ork service. Intervention decisions were least likely to be supported by rationales, and medical services workers provided fewer rationales than psychiatric services workers. Conceptual rationales were the most frequently used, whereas rationales based on practice experience, val ues, research, or client wish were very little used. The implications for practice, professional education quality assurance, and for furthe r research are discussed.