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Although some academic scholars have called for adoption of evidence-based practice (EBP) as a unifying model for social work education and practice, controversies with the EBP approach for the social work profession still need to be examined. Some of the limitations of EBP to be recognized and addressed before recommending broad changes within social work education are described. Conceptual and definitional limitations include following a medical model, privileging certain types of evidence, and downplaying the importance of theory. Implementation and feasibility limitations include sorting the complexity of research information and providing necessary practice grounding and supervision to facilitate knowledge application. Dialogue on the role of EBP in social work education must continue.

problem requiring immediate action from multiple sources, including social workers.1 The prevalence of severe emotional disturbance in children is estimated at 5% (Stroul & Friedman, 1986). Mental disorders occur in more than 7.5 million, or more than 12%, of children (National Institute Mental Health [NIMH], 1990a). NIMH reported that fewer than 20% of these children will receive appropriate treatment.

Little information is currently available on the actual content taught in graduate schools of social work. This study examined course outlines being used to teach social work practice. Patterns of content were analyzed such as: teaching units typically covered in the course, the text-books used as required reading, and the type of assignments given. Results reveal several new directions, and these are interpreted in light of CSWE policy requirements.