Clinical Practice Guidelines: Should Social Work Develop Them?

Guidelines for clinical practice have proliferated in recent years. Numerous studies indicate that guidelines can increase empirically based practice and improve clients’ outcomes. Guidelines for social work practice would also promote more informed client decision making, improve clinical training in schools of social work, encourage more cost-effective and accountable practice, and help codify current knowledge in controversial practice areas. The National Association of Social Workers should institute a guidelines development program and ensure that guidelines reflect traditional social work values and the best in available scientific evidence and practice experience.