Academic Practitioner Partnerships: A Model for Collaborative Practice Research in Social Work

Academic practitioner collaborations can further the practice research agenda of social work departments in a health setting. This article describes the development of a formalised partnership, located in an oncology social work department, which was grounded in a systemic mentoring approach that responded to the expressed needs of social workers to develop skills in research design and implementation. The systemic model promoted the development of a practice research culture and opportunities for social workers to participate in research at multiple levels. Practice research focused on the contribution of social work practice research to improved outcomes for patients and the hospital service. The partnership has supported the development of a range of clinically relevant research studies and the growing motivation and confidence among social work staff to participate in a wider research agenda.