NASW Press Releases Revised and Updated Edition of Essential Performance Measurement Guide

Outcomes Measurement in the Human Services Book Remains the Standard in Its Field

WASHINGTON, DC—NASW Press has released the second edition of Outcomes Measurement in the Human Services: Cross-Cutting Issues and Methods in the Era of Health Reform, edited by Jennifer L. Magnabosco, PhD, and Ronald W. Manderscheid, PhD. The new edition updates the original volume released in 1997. The book provides readers with both macro- and micro-perspectives on the topic of outcomes measurement; incorporates practice, policy, and research perspectives; and examines current and long-standing issues within the human services field with regard to outcomes and performance measurement.

The second edition's 25 chapters are divided into five sections:

• Overarching Issues and Methods
• Health
• Mental and Behavioral Health
• Child and Family Services
• Special Topics in the Human Services

Each chapter includes discussions and recommendations for how outcomes measurement can more effectively inform research, practice, policy, and advocacy agendas so that the diversity of human service needs in the United States can be met fairly and with cultural sensitivity.

“We are living in a time of unprecedented change in human services, with a focus on more rigorous measurements and evaluations of the outcomes of services provided,” says Dr. Magnabosco. “This new edition reflects the advancements in methods, assessments and frameworks that have arisen over the past decade.”

With contributions from numerous authors from the field of social work, this new edition of Outcomes Measurement in the Human Services also includes chapters from professionals in the fields of psychology, psychiatry, policy research, administration, and other social sciences. Its thorough coverage of the issues of outcomes measurement and accountability makes this book appropriate for and directly relevant to courses in evaluation research, clinical practice, social policy, and administration.

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in Washington, DC, is the largest membership organization of professional social workers with nearly 145,000 members. It promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW also seeks to enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through its advocacy.

NASW Press is a leading scholarly press in the social sciences. It serves faculty, practitioners, agencies, libraries, clinicians, and researchers throughout the United States and abroad. Known for attracting expert authors, the NASW Press delivers professional information to hundreds of thousands of readers through its scholarly journals, books, and reference works.