Task Centered Approach in Social Work
The purpose for this assignment is to highlight the main features of one social worker method. Within this essay, I will include social work intervention prior to the introduction of task-centred practice. This will provide an insight in to why task-centred methods were introduced. I will also portray the strengths and weaknesses of task-centred practice. The essay will also depict the underlying theory that underpins task-centred practice in relation to social work. I will endeavour to critically analyse the effectiveness of this approach. I will then compare this approach with crisis intervention and provide an analysis of the similarities between them. Throughout this assignment I will incorporate anti-discriminative and anti-oppressive practice (ADP, AOP) not only within the model of task-centred and crisis work but with an overall view to social work practice and how oppression can be addressed. I will strive to provide a brief policy context of AOP and ADP. Due to the word limitation I have attached an appendix of a case study based upon task-centred, person-centred and crisis intervention.
Task-centred practice is a relatively new concept, in comparison to some social work methods, emerging in the 1960s. Prior to the implementation of task-centred practice, many clients received long-term intervention. Social workers focused on feelings rather than action. Buckle, (1981) in Coulshed & Orme (1998) state that:
“ some clients received help for years and compulsive care-giving by helpers often resulted in the difficulties of becoming the responsibility and ‘property’ of the worker.”
I would suggest that this form of intervention could possibly lead to ‘learned-helplessness’. This is when the client becomes dependant on the worker and rejects the notion that they can fend for themselves. M, Payne (1997) refers to an experiment conducted by Seligman (1975). Seligman’s theory of ‘learned helplessness’ came about through experimentation of animals and humans.
Task-centred practice is a relatively new concept, in comparison to some social work methods, emerging in the 1960s. Prior to the implementation of task-centred practice, many clients received long-term intervention. Social workers focused on feelings rather than action. Buckle, (1981) in Coulshed & Orme (1998) state that:
“ some clients received help for years and compulsive care-giving by helpers often resulted in the difficulties of becoming the responsibility and ‘property’ of the worker.”
I would suggest that this form of intervention could possibly lead to ‘learned-helplessness’. This is when the client becomes dependant on the worker and rejects the notion that they can fend for themselves. M, Payne (1997) refers to an experiment conducted by Seligman (1975). Seligman’s theory of ‘learned helplessness’ came about through experimentation of animals and humans.
References: - Adams, R, Dominelli, L and Payne, M (eds) (2002) Social Work: themes, issues and critical debates, Basingstoke, Palgrave. - BASW (1979), Clients are fellow citizens, Birmingham, British Association of Social workers. - Davis, I. P., & Reid, W.J. (l988). Event analysis in clinical practice and process research. Social Casework, 69; - Marsh, P. and Doel, M. (1992). Task-centered social work. Hampshire, Ashgate.; - Reid, W. J. (l992). Task strategies: An empirical approach to social work practice. New York, Columbia University Press. - Reid, W. J., and Davis, I. (l987). Qualitative methods in single case research. In N. Gottlieb (Ed.), Proceedings of conference on practitioners as evaluators of direct practice , Seattle, School of Social Work, University of Washington.