Edward Joseph Mullen

Dr. Edward Mullen is the Willma and Albert Musher Professor Emeritus at Columbia University. Previously he was Professor at the University of Chicago and Fordham University and Visiting Professor at Case Western Reserve University.

Dr. Mullen was Principal Investigator for an NIMH funded predoctoral training program in mental health services research at Columbia University (1989-2007) and an NIMH funded predoctoral and postdoctoral training program at the University of Chicago (1984-1989). His research and publications have focused on evidence-based policy and practice, outcomes measurement in the human services, mental health services research, and research applications in social work practice.

Dr. Mullen teaches evidence-based practice, social work research methods and systematic review methods. He has been a social work practitioner in the following organizations: Department of Child Welfare, Washington, D.C.; Alexandria Mental Health Clinic, Alexandria, VA; Traveler’s Aid Society, Washington, D.C.; Big Brothers of the National Capital Area, Washington, D.C.; St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Washington, D.C.; Jewish Family Services (JFS), New York. He was trained in family treatment at JFS. He has had a range of practice research positions with: Chapin Hall Center for Children, the University of Chicago; Family Focus, Inc., Evanston and Chicago, Illinois; Director of the Institute of Welfare Research Community Service Society of New York; Director of the Department of Research and Evaluation, Community Service Society of New York; Director of the Center for the Study of Social Work Practice, Columbia University and the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services.

Research Interests

  • Evidence-based Policy & Practice
  • Outcomes Measurement
  • Mental Health Services Research
  • Evidence-based Behavioral Practice

Current Projects

Selected Publications & Presentations since 2009

Books, Book Chapters and Series

Mullen, E. J. (2017). Reconsidering the ‘idea’ of evidence in evidence-based policy and practice. In Lorenz, W. and Shaw, I. Eds. Private Troubles or Public Issues? Challenges for Social Work Research. London: Routledge.

Soydan, H. (Ed.) (2015). Social work practice to the benefit of our clients: Scholarly legacy of Professor Edward Joseph Mullen. Bolzano, Italy: Bolzano University Press.

Mullen, E. J. (2015). Reflections. In Haluk Soydan (ed). Social work practice to the benefit of our clients: Scholarly legacy of Professor Edward Joseph Mullen. Bolzano: Italy: Bolzano University Press.

Mullen, E. J. (2015). Afterword: Social Welfare Philosophy for the 21st Century. In Alma J. Carten. Reflections on the American Social Welfare State: In the tradition of the profession. Washington: D.C.: NASW Press.

Mullen, E. J., (Editor-in-Chief). (ongoing since 2009). Oxford bibliographies: Social work. Oxford University Press.

Mullen, E. J. (2014). Comparative effectiveness research: Designs and methods. In Satu Kalliola (ed). Evaluation as a Tool for Research, Learning and Making Things Better. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Newcastle upon Tyne: United Kingdom. 13-30.

Mullen, E. J. (2012). Reflections from Social Work Scholars. In Albrithen, A. (2012). “Readings in Social Work”, A-Homaidhi Printing Press. Riyadh: Saudi Arabia. This chapter includes sections written by Martin Bloom, Joel Fisher, Edward Mullen, and Bruce Thyer translated into Arabic by Abdulaziz A. Albrithen    د.عبدالعزيز بن عبدالله البريثن; available in Arabic only).

Bellamy, J. L., Bledsoe, S. E., Fang, L., Manuel, J. & Mullen, E. J. (2012). Addressing the barriers to EBP implementation in social work: Reflections from the BEST Project. In Rzepnicki, T. L., McCracken, S. G. & Briggs, H. E. (eds). From Task-Centered Social Work to Evidence-Based and Integrative Practice. Lyceum Books Inc.  136-155.

Bellamy, J., Bledsoe, S., & Mullen, E. J., (2009). The cycle of evidence-based practice. In H.-U. Otto, A. Polutta & H. Ziegler (Eds.), Evidence-based practice – Modernising the knowledge base of social work?. Leverkusen-Opladen, Germany: Barbara Budrich Publishers. 21-29.

Mullen, E. J. (2009). Evidence-based policy & social work in healthcare. In M. St-Onge & S. Dumont (Eds.), Social Work and Global Mental Health: Research and Practice Perspectives Binghampton, NY: Haworth Press.

Mullen, E. J., Bledsoe, S. E., & Bellamy, J. L. (2009). Evidence-based Social Work Practice: Implementation Concepts & Issues. Otto, H.-U., Polutta, A., & Ziegler, H. (Eds.). What Works – Welches Wissen braucht die Soziale Arbeit? Zum Konzept evidenzbasierter Praxis Opladen, Germany: Barbara Budrich Publishers.

Journal Articles

Mullen, E. J. (2016). Reconsidering the ‘idea’ of evidence in evidence-based policy and practice. European Journal of Social Work, 19(3-4), 310-335. doi:10.1080/13691457.2015.1022716. Mullen, E. J. (2016).  (This article is based on a keynote lecture delivered at Bolzano/Bolzon Free University; the keynote lecture and slides are available online at: https://www.eswra.org/listen_podcasts.php )

Mullen, E. J. (2014). Evidence-based knowledge in the context of social practice. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 42(Suppl 13): 59–73.

Bellamy, Jennifer L., Mullen, Edward J., Satterfield, Jason M., Newhouse, Robin P., Ferguson, Molly, Brownson, Ross C., & Spring, Bonnie. (2013). Implementing evidence-based practice education in social work: A Transdisciplinary Approach. Research on Social Work Practice, 23(4), 426-436.

Bledsoe, S. E., Manuel, J., Bellamy, J. L., Fang, L., & Mullen, E. J. (2013). Implementing evidence-based practice: Practitioner assessment of an agency-based training program. Journal of Evidence Based Social Work, 10(2), 73-90.

Mullen, E. J., & Shuluk, J. (2011). Outcomes of social work intervention in the context of evidence-based practice. Journal of Social Work,11(1): 49-63.

Soydan, H., Mullen, E. J., Laine, A., Wilson, C., Rehnman, J., & Li, You-Ping (2010). Evidence-based clearinghouses in social work.Research on Social Work Practice. 20(6): 690-700.

Mullen, E. J. (2010). Evidence-based practice: Overview. In Oxford Bibliographies Online: Social Work. Ed. Edward J. Mullen. Oxford University Press. May 1, 2010.

Mullen, E. J. (2010). Evidence-based practice: Finding evidence. In Oxford Bibliographies Online: Social Work. Ed. Edward J. Mullen. Oxford University Press. May 1, 2010.

Mullen, E. J. (2010). Evidence-based practice: Issues, controversies, & debates. In Oxford Bibliographies Online: Social Work. Ed. Edward J. Mullen. Oxford University Press. May 1, 2010.

Satterfield, J., Spring, B. Brownson, R. C., Mullen, E. J., Newhouse, R., Walker, B., & Whitlock, E. (2009). Toward a transdisciplinary model of evidence-based practice. Milbank Quarterly, 87(2), 368-390.

Manuel, J. I., Mullen, E. J., Fang, L., Bellamy, J. L., & Bledsoe, S. E. (2009). Preparing Social Work Practitioners to use Evidence-based Practice: A Comparison of Experiences from an Implementation Project. Research on Social Work Practice, 19(5), 613-627.

Presentations & Lectures

Video Presentations & Lectures

 

Conference Presentations

Mullen, E. J. (2016). Social Work: A Half Century in Perspective.  Keynote paper presented at the Columbia School of Social Work Alumni Conference “Dealing with Disorder: Micro and Macro Strategies for Coping”, New York City.

Mullen, E. J. (2014). The idea of evidence in the context of evidence-based policy and practice. Keynote address: 4th European Conference for Social Work Research: Private troubles or public issues? Challenges for social work research. Bozen/Bolzano, Italy. April 15-17, 2014.

Mullen, E. J. (2013). Evidence in social practice. Evidence based knowledge – consensus or controversy: a conference about the use of evidence based knowledge (EBK) in public administration. Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Sciences (FAS). April 23, 2013. Vår gård, Saltsjöbaden. Stockholm, Sweden.

Mullen, E.J. (2012). Comparative effectiveness research: Designs and methods. Opening Plenary Paper Presented at the 8th International Conference on Evaluation for Practice, June 18–20, 2012, Pori, Finland, University Consortium of Pori (UCPori, Porin yliopistokeskus, Pohjoisranta 11 A, Pori, Finland. “Evaluation as a Tool for Research, Learning and Making Things Better”– A Conference for Experts of Education, Human Services and Policy.

Bellamy, J., Mullen, E. J., & Spring, B. (2010, October). Strategies and resources for evidence-based practice education in social work. Presented at the CSWE Annual Program Meeting, Portland, OR.

Mullen, E. J. (2010, September). A transdisciplinary model for facilitating practitioner use of EBP. Presented at the 13th Annual Meeting of the Inter-centre Network for the Evaluation of Social Work Practice (INTSOCEVAL) in the University of York, England.

Mullen, E. J. (2009, October). Commentary. Presented at the Los Angeles Conference on Intervention Research in Social Work, University of California School of Social Work’s Hamovitch Center for Science in the Human Services and Institute for Advancement of Social Work Research, Los Angeles, CA.

Mullen, E. J. (2009, November). From theory of evidence-based practice to making it happen in everyday practice. Paper presented at the Annual Conference, Institutet för utveckling av metoder i socialt arbete (Institute for the Development of methods in social work), Stockholm, Sweden.

Mullen, E. J. (2009, November). What can be concluded from general reviews of social work effectiveness? Lecture presented to the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, Sweden.

Mullen, E. J. (2009, November). Teaching & implementing evidence-based social work practice. Lecture presented at Ersta Sköndal högskola, Insitutionen för socialt arbete, Stockholm, Sweden.

Mullen, E. J. (2009, November). What is known from research about the effectiveness of social work intervention. Presented at the “Social Work Research and Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER): A Research Symposium to Strengthen the Connection” sponsored by the National Association of Social Workers and the NASW Foundation, Washington, D.C.

Mullen, E. J. (2009, May). Grading of evidence in evidence-based clearinghouses: Introduction & description of NYAM/SWLI evidence-based database. Presented at the Campbell Collaboration Colloquium, Better Evidence for a Better World, Oslo, Norway.

Last updated June 8, 2020