Shared Decision-Making with the Client

Abstract

Step 4 of the evidence-based practice (EBP) practice decision-making model centers on developing a shared, collaborative, treatment plan with the client. The goal is to determine how the most likely effective options fit with the client’s goals, values, and preferences. This requires the clinical social worker to summarize the results of the literature search, and to summarize it in language that the client can understand. It also requires the client’s active participation in the collaborative development of a treatment plan. This step of the EBP process fits well with social work’s professional values. However, it may pose some challenges in practice.