An Examination of Evidenced-Based Practice Interventions for Public Emergencies

Abstract

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics identifies numerous ethical standards that describe the responsibilities for the social work profession to the broader society. Mentioned among these ethical standards is the responsibility for social workers to provide appropriate professional services in response to public emergencies. However, few empirical studies describing effective interventions for public emergencies are available. This article reviews empirical evidence that can be used to guide social work practice in response to public emergencies, the methodological issues that present challenges for evidence-based research during public emergencies, and provides suggestions for the delivery of professional social work services in response to public emergencies considering the limited empirical evidence.

KEYWORDS:

• Evidence-based practice
• public emergency
• social work
• NASW Code of Ethics