BASSC-Research

Based on a shared concern about the lack of in-house research capabilities in county social service agencies, BASSC launched the Research Response Team within the U.C. Berkeley Center for Social Services Research at the School of Social Welfare in 1995. Since the research unit's inception, the BASSC research directors along with numerous graduate students have completed a series of exploratory short-term studies, primarily in the field of child welfare. During the first five years, a series of county-specific exploratory studies were completed. During the second five years, focus was on multi-county exploratory studies (the issues and needs of foster children in public schools (2000), child welfare and the courts (2002), and participant and staff perspectives on welfare to work services (2003)). Beginning in 2004, the focus shifted to pursuing evidence for practice in the form of structured literature reviews (low-income families in low income neighborhoods (2004), and evidence-based practice in child welfare (2005)). This collaborative agency-university research program has completed over 20 studies, and currently operates under the leadership of Elizabeth Anthony, BASSC Research Director, Michael J. Austin, BASSC Staff Director, and a Research Advisory Committee comprised of agency senior staff members.