Introduction to the Special Issue

Abstract

This article provides a brief introduction to the articles presented on April 5–6, 2013, at the University of Houston’s Symposium titled, Critical Considerations, Successes, and Emerging Ideas for Bridging the Research and Practice Gap in Social Work. This conference, attended by 150 practitioners, researchers, academics, and administrators, focused on identifying novel solutions to build a more durable and complete research–practice bridge. The primary research–practice translation issues covered in this symposium and this special issue include achieving fidelity and full implementation of efficacious interventions in real settings, dealing with the discrepancy in comorbidity and complexity between the characteristics of clients in randomized controlled trials and those of the clients seen in real practice settings, addressing organizational barriers to implementation of research-supported treatments, and improving our profession’s preparation of social workers who can help build the research–practice bridge.