What do rocket scientists say when they get frustrated working on a difficult problem? They say, “Well, at least we are not doing social science!”
So began Professor John Brekke on November 4 in a lively morning discussion on “Science and the Profession of Social Work” with a number of social work professors and doctoral students. Brekke, who is the Frances G. Larson Professor of Social Work and the associate dean of research of social work at the University of Southern California (USC), gave the first University- and community-wide talk sponsored by the Vivian A. and James L. Curtis School of Social Work Research and Training Center at the U-M School of Social Work.
Professor Brekke believes that social scientists and social work researchers confront some of the most intellectually challenging problems of our day and that there is a seriously important need for science in social work. The group who met with him agreed that policies, practices, and interventions need to be based on evidence that supports their effectiveness. The need for science in social work curricula struck a chord with many of the participants, including Assistant Professor Brian Perron who asked, “How do you become a good consumer of the research that is out there? You need a skill set to develop an evaluation. You need a skill set to appraise the literature.”
In an afternoon talk, “Schizophrenia and CommunityBased Treatments: Biology and the Social Environment,” Brekke described one of his studies that examined how closely linked neurocognitive change is to functional change for persons with schizophrenia. The findings of his study indicate that that baseline scores on measures of cognitive functioning are predictive of outcome in community-based psychosocial rehabilitation programs for persons with serious mental illness. These findings are of high relevance to social workers and other professionals involved in planning and delivering interventions for persons suffering from schizophrenia and other persistent mental illnesses. Brekke’s findings suggest that seriously mentally ill persons with high levels of cognitive impairment may benefit from the addition of specific rehabilitative interventions targeted at cognitive impairments in addition to standard psychosocial rehabilitation strategies.
Dr. Brekke also presented findings from a study of ecological validity of various measures of cognitive ability. This line of research investigates the relationships between community functioning and performance on commonly utilized measures of cognitive ability. Brekke has worked with psychiatrists and anthropologists at the University of California, Los Angeles, to develop an ethnographic approach to understanding cognition and functioning for persons with schizophrenia.
Brekke co-directs the USC School of Social Work Hamovitch Center for Science in the Human Services. His research is widely published in leading academic journals in social work, psychology, and psychiatry. Brekke serves on several editorial boards, has been the principal investigator on numerous longitudinal studies funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and has also received a prestigious NIMH mid-career “K” award to support his research on the improvement of community-based services for persons with several mental illnesses. Prior to his academic appointment at USC, Brekke held a number of clinical positions and worked directly with persons diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other severe and persistent mental disorders.
The Vivian A. and James L. Curtis School of Social Work Research and Training Center offers an opportunity for faculty and students in the School of Social Work and other units on campus to develop cuttingedge research targeted at mental health and substance use intervention. The center was originally funded by a generous grant from U-M alumni Vivian Curtis (’48) and Dr. James Curtis.
—Shari Grogan-Kaylor is the coordinator of the Curtis Center.
Professor Jorge Delva and Associate Professor Joseph Himle are co-directors of the Curtis Center. Click here for more information about the Curtis Center’s activities and pilot and student funding.