The Place of Optimization Science In Social Work: Interrogating MOST through an Ethical and Ecological Lens

Background
Social work intervention research has historically emphasized efficacy testing through traditional randomized controlled trial designs, often privileging intervention-level outcomes without sufficient attention to component optimization, resource constraints, and scalability. As the field increasingly seeks multilevel responses to complex social problems, there is a growing need for frameworks that support efficient, culturally responsive, and systems-informed intervention design. This paper examines the relevance of the Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST) as a translational framework for advancing social work intervention science across micro, mezzo, and macro practice contexts. Anchored in the profession’s ethical commitments to dignity and worth of the person, the importance of human relationships, service, integrity, and social justice, this paper asks: How can MOST be adapted to the complexity of social work interventions and social problems in ways that uphold the profession’s ethical commitments, ecological orientation, and commitment to social justice?

Methodology
Using a conceptual analysis, this paper critically examines the MOST framework and its application across behavioral and health sciences through a social work lens. The analysis is anchored in National Association of Social Workers ethical principles and informed by socioecological systems perspectives to assess the alignment of optimization science with the reciprocal, multilevel nature of social work intervention research. Particular attention is given to optimization objectives including effectiveness, affordability, scalability, cultural responsiveness, implementation feasibility, and ethical accountability under real-world constraints.

Findings
MOST offers a rigorous and iterative framework for identifying the active components of interventions and optimizing their delivery across diverse service contexts. When adapted through a social work ethical and ecological lens, MOST strengthens the field’s capacity to develop interventions that are scientifically rigorous, contextually responsive, and scalable across systems of care. This analysis suggests that optimization in social work must extend beyond efficiency and efficacy to include equity, relational integrity, and responsiveness to structural conditions shaping client and community outcomes.

Implications
Integrating MOST into social work research has the potential to strengthen the field’s methodological rigor while preserving its core professional commitments. Rather than centering optimization solely on individual behavior change, this framework supports the development of multilevel interventions capable of advancing systems transformation, implementation equity, and translational social work science. MOST may serve as a critical framework for future intervention development, adaptation, and scale-up across complex social service systems.