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About Us

MISSION OF THE NETWORK
To advance the development of sound public policy and promote program excellence for safe and stable families living in supportive communities through coordination of research, education, training, consultation and technical assistance.

GOALS TO SUPPORT THE MISSION

  • Ensure that research is conducted, disseminated widely and integrated into practice,
  • Identify practice-oriented research priorities at the county, regional, and statewide levels to assure that research is relevant to practice,
  • Coordinate prioritization of research topics in order to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of research,
  • Enhance the development of working relationships between university faculty and agency administrators.

OBJECTIVES TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS 

  • Build capacity for practice-oriented research at the county and university levels,
  • Increase the relevance and potential application of research to improve practice,
  • Develop common understanding and language about evidence-based, promising and best practice,
  • Ensure practice-oriented research is written with administrators and practitioners in mind: clear, brief and specifically including implications for practice and policy as appropriate,
  • Increase dissemination of practice-oriented research,
  • Infuse social work education and training with relevant research,
  • Support agency administrators in implementing evidence-based practice,
  • Create an environment that promotes practice-oriented research and encourages funding for these activities.

ACTIVITIES TO CARRY OUT THE OBJECTIVES 

  • Engage university faculty and agency administrators to establish, review and/or modify priorities for research topics on an annual basis,
  • Identify research being conducted by our partner organizations (CalSWEC, RTAs, regional consortia) and disseminate this information,
  • Disseminate research findings statewide through a collaboration among our partner organizations (CalSWEC, CFPIC, California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare, RTAs and regional consortia),
  • Present research in an annual forum,
  • Support county implementation of evidence-based best practices with technical assistance provided by CFPIC and training by CalSWEC and the RTAs,
  • Work with the Co-Investment Partnership to seek financial support for practice-oriented research and evaluation,
  • Encourage university faculty to direct their resources towards practice-oriented research that is identified in an agreed upon research agenda.