European Social Work Research Association SIG to Study Decisions, Assessment, and Risk

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The increasing interest in professional judgement and decision making is often separate from the discourse about “risk,” and the time-honored focus on assessment. Method: The need to develop research in and across these topics was recognized in the founding of a Decisions, Assessment, and Risk Special Interest Group (DARSIG) by the European Social Work Research Association in 2014. Results: The Group's interests include cognitive judgements; decision processes with clients, families, other professionals and courts; assessment tools and processes; the assessment, communication, and management of risk; and legal, ethical, and emotional aspects of these. This article outlines the founding and scope of DARSIG; gives an overview of decision making, assessment, and risk for practice; illustrates connections between these; and highlights future research directions. Discussion: Professional knowledge about decision making, assessment, and risk complements knowledge about effectiveness of interventions. Conclusion: DARSIG promises to be a useful mechanism for the purpose.

KEYWORDS:

• Assessment
• decision making
• evidence-informed practice
• professional judgement
• research
• risk

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the support of other members of the Decisions, Assessment, and Risk Special Interest Group, and of the Board of the European Social Work Research Association.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.