European Social Work Research Association SIG to Study Decisions, Assessment, and Risk

Purpose: The increasing interest in professional judgement and decision making is often separate from the discourse about “risk,” and the time-honored focus on assessment. Method: The need to develop research in and across these topics was recognised in the founding of a Decisions, Assessment, and Risk Special Interest Group (DARSIG) by the European Social Work Research Association in 2014. Results: The Group’s interests include cognitive judgements; decision processes with clients, families, other professionals and courts; assessment tools and processes; the assessment, communication, and management of risk; and legal, ethical, and emotional aspects of these. This article outlines the founding and scope of DARSIG; gives an overview of decision making, assessment, and risk for practice; illustrates connections between these; and highlights future research directions. Discussion: Professional knowledge about decision making, assessment, and risk complements knowledge about effectiveness of interventions. Conclusion: DARSIG promises to be a useful mechanism for the purpose.