Examining prevention and intervention strategies for health and mental health, child welfare, aging, substance abuse, community development, managed care, housing, economic self-sufficiency, family well-being, etc.;

Studying the strengths, needs, and inter-relationships of individuals, families, groups, neighborhoods, and social institutions; and

Providing evidence for improved service delivery and public policies.

Recent contributions from social work research include studies that address:

• Psychosocial assessment and intervention strategies for persons at risk of and living with cancer
• Access to mental health services for youths in urban and rural settings
• Depression among elders in long term care and home health care settings
• HIV/AIDS prevention and intervention in urban communities
• School-based violence prevention efforts targeted to youths
• Risk factors associated with poverty and mental illness
• Community-based child maltreatment prevention models
• Resilience factors for diverse groups experiencing trauma
• Co-occurring disorders of substance abuse and mental illness
• Assessment and interventions for individuals dealing with the multiple risk factors associated with poverty and domestic violence

WHAT are some key organizations in the social work research world?

• ANSWER - An advocacy coalition to lobby for federal support
• IASWR - An independent organization formed by leaders of the profession to develop social work research capacity and link research to practice and policy
• SSWR - A membership society for social work researchers

These are three distinct but interfacing organizations. The organizations that founded and support IASWR are all part of the ANSWER coalition, as is IASWR.

SSWR holds an annual research conference in January. IASWR presents pre-conference workshops and sponsors workshops before and during the SSWR conference, inviting representatives from federal agencies and foundations to present their programs, information on research development, and research findings.

WHAT are some key organizations that support social work research?

The organizations below support social work research and provide funds for training social work researchers and students.

• National Institutes of Health (NIH) - www.nih.gov
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - www.cdc.gov
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration - www.samhsa.gov
• Private Foundations - Visit www.iaswresearch.org  (Click on "Links.")

For up to date funding announcements, see the IASWR Listserv Announcements (located online at www.iaswresearch.org). Click on "Listserv" to see how to subscribe and to view archived, searchable issues.

What is NASW's Practice Research Network (PRN) and how does it work?

PRN surveys NASW members regarding their practice and research, providing a statistical picture of who we are, what kind of services we provide, to whom, and in which settings. For more info, click here.