System- and Service-Level Research

While social work is a people profession, it’s vital to remember that systems dictate the experience of clients seeking services, tools, interventions and support. Whether a social worker is a therapist at a nonprofit clinic, a family welfare specialist with a state agency, or an in-home health care worker, the way they interact with their clients and the care they provide is directly dictated by the systems that lead them.

The quality of care that clients receive depends on the policies and procedures that guide their systems. When it comes to social work, that means using data and research to inform those individuals leading these systems to recognize trends, patterns and connections, helping them provide optimal service to clients.

Our faculty conduct research to understand critical components of systems of care and to inform the policies that make those systems broadly accessible. By providing evidence to guide federal and state policies, and the practices and standards shared across care systems, faculty research equips policymakers and administrators with key information to make sound decisions to improve services and outcomes for large populations.

Faculty at the School of Social Work lead system- and service-level research across the School’s four main research focuses, from health care to economic security, family welfare, and older adult care. This macro-level approach shapes the policies that inform micro-level social work, playing a large role in the lives of entire communities.