Using Computer Technology in Child Placement Decisions

Schwab, A. James; Bruce, Michael E.; McRoy, Ruth G.

doi:10.1177/104438948606700605

Cited by 17 publications

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“…Child welfare workers usually rely on firsthand experience and consultation with colleagues for referrals (Schwab et al, 1986). Therefore, especially for them, DSSs represent new ways of performing daily tasks.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Decision support technology has been demonstrated in other fields to be an important tool for evidence-based practice, and the few extant studies about social workers’ use of these systems indicate they have the potential to change the way services are delivered (Giffords, 2003; Monnickendam, 2000; Monnickendam, Savaya, & Waysman, 2004, 2005; Nurius & Hudson, 1989; Savaya, Monnickendam, & Waysman, 2000; Schuerman & Vogel, 1986; Schwab, Bruce, & McRoy, 1986; Stiffman, Foster, Hamburg, & Doré, 2004). Developing technology that assists child welfare workers to better meet client needs is insufficient without a thorough understanding of the factors impacting the integration of technology into practice.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Child Welfare Workers' Adoption of Decision Support Technology

Foster¹,

Stiffman²

2009

Journal of Technology in Human Services

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Child welfare workers must process complex information in deciding to refer clients to appropriate mental health services. Decision support systems (DSS) have been demonstrated in other fields to be an important tool, yet little research has been done in child welfare. This study focused on the adoption of a specific DSS into child welfare practice. Quantitative analysis was used to demonstrate the diffusion of innovation process among a sample of state child welfare workers, while qualitative analysis was used to explain the facilitators and barriers to DSS adoption. Results indicate that for DSSs to be widely adopted in child welfare practice, they should be integrated into the referral system and include workers' knowledge and experiences with referral resources. For successful adoption, DSSs need to respect the natural logic and flow of worker interaction, as well as organizational constraints.Keywords decision support technology; child welfare; diffusion of innovations Child welfare workers must process complex information in deciding whether to provide services or to refer clients to appropriate mental health services. Many frontline workers are ill-trained to make adequate mental health assessments and therefore they either fail to identify mental health and substance abuse concerns or they refer clients to services that are inappropriate for their particular needs (McDonald & Marks, 1991). Yet such workers often serve as the "gateway" to mental health services (Stiffman, et al., 2000;Stiffman, Pescosolido, & Cabassa, 2004), as do physicians, counselors, teachers, etc. Decision support systems have been shown to assist physicians in processing varied and complex bits of information (Chen et al., 2004;Kawamoto, Houlihan, Balas, & Lobach, 2005;Pluye & Grad, 2004). These systems might also help child welfare workers as they navigate practice and referral decisions requiring the integration of complex information.In essence, child welfare workers are important providers of mental health services. Decision support technology has been demonstrated in other fields to be an important tool for evidencebased practice, and the few extant studies about social workers' use of these systems indicate they have the potential to change the way services are delivered (Giffords, 2003;Monnickendam, 2000;Monnickendam, Savaya, & Waysman, 2004 Savaya, Monnickendam, & Waysman, 2000;Schuerman & Vogel, 1986;Schwab, Bruce, & McRoy, 1986;Stiffman, Foster, Hamburg, & Doré, 2004). Developing technology that assists child welfare workers to better meet client needs is insufficient without a thorough understanding of the factors impacting the integration of technology into practice. It is therefore imperative that we gain a better understanding of the adoption process of DSS in child welfare practice. This paper examines the process of and reaction by child welfare workers' to the adoption of a new decision support system specifically designed to enhance their assessment and referral capacity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%