Based on the papers of the Conference on applications of task-centered treatment, held at the University of Chicago, 1975.

This trusted textbook for both students and practitioners has sold over 75,000 copies across its four previous editions. This comprehensive text is divided into three easily navigable parts: Part I guides the reader through the social work process, detailing each stage and offering a new chapter on reflection; Part II introduces key methods of intervention, encompassing a broad range of theories and approaches, including new material on strengths based approaches and solution focused practice; Part III identifies the variety of contexts in which social work takes place, with individuals (both children and adults), groups and communities. Whether a student new to social work or an experienced practitioner returning to training, this is a 'must buy' text that readers will return to again and again throughout their professional practice.

Peter Marsh and Mark Doel's new book is a radical departure from traditional literature on social work methods. The main reference point is the voice of practitioners, service users and carers, as researched and developed by the authors over twenty years.

This gateway text lays the foundations for a thorough knowledge of the theory and methods that social workers need. Pulling together the work of a team of experts, this book uses the innovative “theorizing practice” approach, rather than the traditional “applying theory to practice” approach, thereby providing a much more satisfactory basis for understanding the relationship between theory and practice and making it easier for practitioners to employ theory in practice. Part I sets the scene by examining the relationship between theory and practice, how research can be used to inform practice and the important role of policy and organizational factors. Part II provides 14 chapters, each exploring a different theoretical approach. All in all, this book provides the ideal introduction to using social work theory and methods in practice.

Task-centred practice is a forward thinking, goal-orientated approach to social work. It is a practice-based approach built on research which reflects the new mood being developed in the social work field, and it has now been successfully used in a wide variety of settings and circumstances. The theme of Task-Centred Social Work is partnership; exploring the principles on which task-centred practice is based, while offering clear and practical guidance for work, whether with people who seek help with social problems, or with those who are ’involuntary clients’. The book describes in detail the sequence of work to help clients move from present problems to future goals. This is illustrated by a case study which runs through the chapters and uses an imaginative recording style. Checklists and bibliographies are also used to aid understanding. The authors respond to the model's critics and explore both the scope and the limitations of the task-centred practice. Social professionals, whether working in practice or in training settings will find this book an invaluable aid to the development of successful social practice work.

Involuntary clients are required to see a professional, such as juveniles on probation, or are pressured to seek help, such as alcoholics threatened with the desertion of a spouse. For close to two decades, Strategies for Work with Involuntary Clients has led in its honest analysis of the involuntary transaction, suggesting the kind of effective legal and ethical intervention that can lead to more cooperative encounters, successful contracts, and less burnout on both sides of the treatment relationship. For this second edition, Ronald H. Rooney has invited experts to address recent theories and provide new information on the best practices for specific populations and settings. He also adds practical examples and questions to each chapter to better facilitate the involvement of students and readers, plus a section on motivational interviewing.

The first part provides some general guidelines on the organisation of successful task-centered activities. The second part consists of some fifty practical examples which have been tried and found effective in the classroom.