CHAPTER 4

TASK-CENTERED MODEL
 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
• TESTED IN THE MID-1960S BY REID AND SHYNE (1969) AND DEVELOPED DURING THE 1970S BY REID AND
EPSTEIN (1972), THE TASK-CENTERED MODEL HAS BEEN USED AND ASSESSED GLOBALLY.
• RELATIONSHIP TO THE PROBLEM-SOLVING MODEL
-THE PROBLEM-SOLVING PROCESS PUT FORTH BY PERLMAN (1957), WITH ITS DELINEATION OF THE VARIOUS STAGES OF THE HELPING
PROCESS THAT LEAD TO PROBLEM RESOLUTION, IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE FOUNDATION OF THE TASK-CENTERED MODEL.

• GROWING EMPHASIS ON TIME-LIMITED TREATMENT

• THERE WAS GROWING EMPHASIS ON PROVIDING RESULTS OF THE CHANGE PROCESS IN PRACTICE. PART
OF THE EMPHASIS WAS ON FINDING TIME-LIMITED TREATMENTS THAT PRODUCED RESULTS. IN
CONTRAST TO THE PSYCHOSEXUAL OR PSYCHOANALYTIC MODELS, IN WHICH A CLIENT COULD
ENGAGE A THERAPIST FOR AN UNLIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME, IN EFFECT, THE TASK-CENTERED MODEL
PROPOSED THE IDEA THAT CLIENTS COULD AND SHOULD BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THEIR TREATMENT.
ACCOMPLISHING THE TASKS THAT WERE SET FORTH AND AGREED UPON BY THE CLIENT AND THE
SOCIAL WORKER RESULTED IN CHANGE WITHIN A SHORTER PERIOD.
• TPIS (TASK PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION SEQUENCE )IS RESULT OF REPEATED EVALUATION
 THEORETICAL ASSUMPTIONS
• PROBLEMS ARE A PART OF THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE.
• PEOPLE HAVE WANTS AND NEEDS.
• DISCOMFORT BETWEEN WANTS AND NEEDS LEADS TO MOTIVATION TO CHANGE.
• PEOPLE ARE THE EXPERTS ON THEIR DISCOMFORT, THE TARGET PROBLEM.
• PROBLEMS NEED TO BE UNDERSTOOD IN CONTEXT.
• TARGET TASKS ARE DESIGNED TO SOLVE THE TARGET PROBLEM.
 THEORETICAL PRINCIPLES

TO UNDERSTAND THE TASK-CENTERED

MODEL OF SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE,
CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING PRINCIPLES
THAT EXPLAIN THIS MODEL.
 PRINCIPLE 1: PROBLEMS ARE A PART OF THE
HUMAN EXPERIENCE
• THE FI RST THEORETICAL ASSUMPTION OF TASK-CENTERED SOCIAL WORK IS THAT PROBLEMS ARE A PRODUCT
OF THE PROCESS OF LIVING. IN OTHER WORDS, PROBLEMS ARE INEVITABLE.
• AS HUMANS, WE HAVE BELIEFS ABOUT THE WAY THINGS SHOULD BE (WANTS) AND ABOUT THE THINGS THAT
MUST BE PRESENT FOR US TO BE FUNCTIONING AS WELL AS POSSIBLE (NEEDS). WHEN WE EXPERIENCE UNMET
NEEDS, WE BECOME DISTRESSED AND BEGIN TO SEEK SOLUTIONS TO ALLAY THE DISTRESS. THIS PROCESS OF
DISCOMFORT BECOMES OUR MOTIVATION FOR CHANGE.
• TO HARNESS THIS DESIRE FOR CHANGE, WE HAVE TO TARGET THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OR WANTS TO DEVELOP A
PLAN TO MEET OR ACHIEVE THEM. OTHERWISE, WE CONTINUE TO FEEL DISTRESSED. CLIENTS ARE THE EXPERTS
ON THE SOURCE OF THEIR DISCOMFORT (THE TARGET PROBLEM).
• SOCIAL WORKERS MUST SEEK TO UNDERSTAND THE CLIENTS’ DIFFICULTIES IN CONTEXT SO THAT THE TARGET
TASKS THAT ARE OUTLINED AND PERFORMED . IN OTHER WORDS, PROBLEMS DO NOT EXIST IN ISOLATION; THEY
ARE EMBEDDED IN RELATIONSHIP INTERACTIONS, VALUES, AND SOCIAL MILIEU. UNLESS THE SOCIAL WORKER
UNDERSTANDS THE FULL NATURE OF THE PROBLEM, A TARGET TASK MAY NOT REACH PROBLEM RESOLUTION
 PRINCIPLE 2: HUMANS SEEK TO RELIEVE
DISTRESS CAUSED BY PROBLEMS
• ANOTHER ASSUMPTION OF THE TASK-CENTERED MODEL IS THAT HUMANS DO NOT WANT TO LIVE IN
FRUSTRATION. PEOPLE WOULD RATHER LIVE IN RELATIVE HARMONY AND THEREFORE TAKE AN
ACTIVE ROLE IN SOLVING THE PROBLEMS TO WHICH THEY ARE EXPOSED.
• THIS MODEL CONTENDS THAT PEOPLE USUALLY DO THE BEST THEY CAN WITH THE RESOURCES THEY
HAVE BUT THAT FOR SOME REASON AND AT SOME TIMES, TYPICAL PROBLEM-SOLVING EFFORTS ARE
UNSUCCESSFUL.
• PEOPLE THEN SEEK ASSISTANCE. THE SOCIAL WORKER’S GOAL IS TO HELP A CLIENT TO SOLVE A
PROBLEM.
• SIMILAR TO THE PROCESS DISCUSSED IN CHAPTER 3, SOCIAL WORKERS CAN HELP CLIENTS IDENTIFY
THE STRENGTHS THAT THEY POSSESS AND HOW TO BRING THOSE STRENGTHS TO BEAR ON THE
CURRENT SITUATION.
 PRINCIPLE 3: PEOPLE ARE PROBLEM SOLVERS
AND PROBLEM-SOLVING INCREASES SELF-
EFFICACY
• BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE ACTIVE PROBLEM SOLVERS AND
BECAUSE THEY SEEK LASTING CHANGE, THE CLIENTS’
EFFORTS ARE THE MOST EFFECTIVE AT SOLVING PROBLEMS.
• IF THEY ARE THE EXPERTS ON THEIR SITUATION, THEN THEY
ARE ALSO THE EXPERTS AT CREATING LASTING CHANGE.
THE CHANGE THAT OCCURS CAN BE BEHAVIORAL,
EMOTIONAL, OR ATTITUDINAL.
 PRINCIPLE 4: THE TASK-CENTERED MODEL CAN
BE
INTEGRATED WITH VARIOUS THEORETICAL
• THEPERSPECTIVES
FOURTH ASSUMPTION IS THAT THE TASK-CENTERED MODEL IS USED WITH
VARIOUS THEORETICAL INTERVENTIONS. AS DESCRIBED IN CHAPTER 1, SOCIAL WORKERS
OFTEN DRAW FROM MULTIPLE THEORIES AND PERSPECTIVES WHEN WORKINGS WITH CLIENTS.
• THE TASK-CENTERED MODEL DESCRIBES A PROCESS OF SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE THAT CAN BE
INFORMED BY OTHER THEORIES COVERED IN THIS BOOK.
• HOWEVER, CAUTION IS REQUIRED WHEN USING OTHER INTERVENTIONS. THE THEORY SHOULD
NOT DEFINE THE PROBLEM; RATHER, THE PROBLEM SHOULD DEFINE WHICH THEORETICAL
INTERVENTION IS APPROPRIATE TO ITS RESOLUTION.
• THE TASKS DEVELOPED DURING TPIS ARE VIRTUALLY UNLIMITED, BUT THEY MUST BE SPECIFIC
TO THE TARGET PROBLEM IN CONTEXT. THE THEORETICAL PRINCIPLES DISCUSSED APPEAR IN
TABLE 4.2.
 APPLICATION OF THE TASK-CENTERED MODEL
WITHIN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE

• THE TASK-CENTERED MODEL OF HELPING IS USUALLY BROKEN INTO THREE

PHASES: INITIAL (INCLUDING ENGAGEMENT, ASSESSMENT, AND GOAL SETTING
AND CONTRACTING),
MIDDLE (INTERVENTION), AND FI NAL (TERMINATION). ANOTHER PHASE,
EVALUATION,
OCCURS DURING THE PROCESS REGULARLY. EACH PHASE HAS DISTINCT
SUBPHASES OR
TASKS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED.
 THE TASK-CENTERED MODEL AND THE
HELPING PROCESS

• INITIAL PHASE
• ENGAGEMENT
• ASSESSMENT; IDENTIFY THE TARGET PROBLEM: SEVERITY, FREQUENCY, DURATION,
AND MANIFESTATION
• GOAL-SETTING AND CONTRACTING
 THE TASK-CENTERED MODEL AND THE
HELPING PROCESS, CONTINUED

• MIDDLE PHASE: TASK PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION SEQUENCE (TPIS)

• BRAINSTORMING
• IDENTIFY OBSTACLES
• CLARIFY REASON FOR TASK IMPLEMENTATION
• OBTAIN CLIENT COMMITMENT TO TASK COMPLETION
• IDENTIFY EACH STEP OF TASK IN DETAIL
• PRACTICE TASK COMPLETION, AS NEEDED
• SUMMARIZE THE TASK
• REVIEW TASK ACCOMPLISHMENT
• CHANGE TARGET BEHAVIOR, AS NEEDED
 THE TASK-CENTERED MODEL AND THE
HELPING PROCESS, CONTINUED

• TERMINATION
• USUALLY DONE IN ONE SESSION BUT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED SINCE THE FIRST SESSION
• REVIEW ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• PLAN FOR MAINTENANCE
• REVIEW PROBLEM-SOLVING PROCESS
• BOTH CLIENT AND SOCIAL WORKER TALK ABOUT STOPPING THEIR WORK TOGETHER
 APPLICABILITY

• USED WITH INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND SMALL GROUPS

• FAMILIES MAY DISAGREE ABOUT TARGET PROBLEM, BUT THEY CAN BE
INDIVIDUAL, SHARED, OR RECIPROCAL
• IN GROUP WORK, PAIR INDIVIDUALS WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS
• SINCE IT IS EMPIRICAL, TASK-CENTERED MODEL CAN BE USED IN MANY
PRACTICE FIELDS
 COMPATIBILITY WITH SOCIAL WORK VALUES
AND ETHICS, SYSTEMS, AND STRENGTHS
PERSPECTIVES

• CLIENT SELF-DETERMINATION IS VALUE WITHIN TASK-CENTERED MODEL

• APPROPRIATE ROLES ARE DEFINED CLEARLY
• SYSTEMS PERSPECTIVE IS USED SO TARGET PROBLEM IS VIEWED IN CONTEXT
• CLIENT STRENGTHS ARE IDENTIFIED AS RESOURCE OR ARE DEVELOPED AS
RESULT OF TASK ACCOMPLISHMENT
 STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS

• STRENGTHS
• CLEAR AND SUCCINCT PHASES OF HELPING
• BUILT-IN EVALUATION PROCESS
• ADAPTABILITY TO CLIENT STRENGTHS AND NEEDS
• WIDE APPLICABILITY
• ELEMENTS OF EMPOWERMENT
• CULTURALLY SENSITIVE
 STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS

• LIMITATIONS
• DO NOT USE IF EVIDENCE INDICATES ANOTHER MODEL SHOULD BE USED
• DO NOT USE IF CLIENT DOES NOT HAVE CAPACITY TO IDENTIFY PROBLEMS
• MAY BE TOO BRIEF FOR COMPLEX PROBLEMS
 CASE EXAMPLE

• READ SARAH LITTLESTAR ‘S STORY BY GIVING SPECIAL ATTENTION TO INITIAL

PHASE (INCLUDING ENGAGEMENT, ASSESSMENT, AND GOAL SETTING AND
CONTRACTING),
MIDDLE PHASE (INTERVENTION), AND FINAL PHASE (TERMINATION). ANOTHER
PHASE, EVALUATION.
•
 CASE EXAMPLE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1) CONTEXT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE TASK-CENTERED MODEL. HOW DID YOU HELP CONTEXTUALIZE
SARAH’S SITUATION? WHAT WAS OCCURRING IN HER LIFE THAT OVERSHADOWED HER GRADES? DID YOU
BUILD OFF THE CONTEXT, OR DID YOU IGNORE IT AND FOCUS ON THE CURRENT PROBLEM?
2) ALTHOUGH THE TASK-CENTERED MODEL IN THIS SCENARIO FOCUSED ON INCREASING SARAH’S SELF-EFFI
CACY IN UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPTS SHE WAS LEARNING IN HISTORY, HOW DID YOU TRY TO BUILD
UPON THOSE SPECIFIC SKILLS TO OTHER AREAS OF SARAH’S STUDIES? ARE THE SELF-EFFICACY SKILLS
SARAH LEARNED TRANSFERRABLE TO LIFE SITUATIONS OTHER THAN SCHOOLWORK?
3) HOW DID YOU HELP SARAH IDENTIFY THE TARGET PROBLEM? WHAT ABOUT THE TARGET TASKS? WAS THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE TASKS AND THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE TARGET PROBLEM COLLABORATIVE WORK
BETWEEN YOU AND SARAH? DID YOU ALLOW SARAH TO BE HER OWN EXPERT AND HAVE ADEQUATE INPUT?