Task-Centered Practice
Task-centered practice is a short-term, structured, problem-solving model of social-work intervention in which the worker and client identify a small number of specific target problems the client wants to address, agree on a time-limited contract, and then collaboratively develop and carry out concrete tasks to reduce those problems. Created by William Reid and Laura Epstein in 1972, it was one of the first social-work practice models built deliberately for empirical evaluation, and its emphasis on client-chosen problems, explicit tasks, and bounded time made it a foundation for evidence-based, accountable practice.
Read the full method
Sign in with a free account to read this section.
Method map
The neighbourhood of related methods — select a node to explore.
Sources
- Reid, W. J., & Epstein, L. (1972). Task-Centered Casework. Columbia University Press. ISBN: 9780231034661
- Reid, W. J. (2000). The Task Planner: An Intervention Resource for Human Service Professionals. Columbia University Press. ISBN: 9780231106474
How to cite this page
ScholarGate. (2026, June 22). Task-Centered Practice Model in Social Work. ScholarGate. https://scholargate.app/en/social-work/task-centered-practice
Which method?
Set this method beside its closest kin and read them side by side — the library lays the books on the table; the choice is yours.
- Evidence-Based Practice ProcessSocial Work↔ compare
- Goal Attainment ScalingSocial Work↔ compare
- Single-System DesignSocial Work↔ compare
- Task Analysis (Social Work)Social Work↔ compare