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TASK-CENTERED APPROACH TO PROBATION (FROM PRESSURES AND CHANGES IN THE PROBATION SERVICE, P 59-83, 1979, BY JOAN F S KING - SEE NCJ-69015)

NCJ Number
69019
Author(s)
E M GOLDBERG; S J STANLEY
Date Published
1979
Length
25 pages
Annotation
STUDIES OF EFFECTIVENESS IN SOCIAL WORK AND PROBATION ARE DISCUSSED, AND THE USE OF TASK-CENTERED CASEWORK IN A SOCIAL SERVICES SETTING, A PSYCHIATRIC SETTING, AND IN PROBATION IS EXPLORED.
Abstract
STUDIES OF EFFECTIVENESS IN SOCIAL WORK AND PROBATION SHOW THAT SOCIAL WORK OBJECTIVES NEED TO BE MODEST AND ACHIEVABLE AND THAT ASSESSMENT, AIMS, AND METHODS OF INTERVENTION NEED TO BE MORE SHARPLY DEFINED. THESE STUDIES ALSO SUGGEST THAT IT IS DOUBTFUL WHETHER THE IMMEDIATE AIMS OF PROBATION TREATMENT BEAR ANY CLOSE RELATIONSHIP TO THE CRITERION OF EFFECTIVENESS USUALLY ADOPTED--RECONVICTION RATES. HOWEVER APPLICATION OF THE TASK-CENTERED CASEWORK METHOD OF INTERVENTION, WITH ITS EMPHASIS ON OPEN AND CLEARLY FORMULATED UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN CLIENT AND HELPER OF THE PROBLEMS TO BE AMELIORATED, THE TASKS TO BE ACHIEVED, AND THE MEANS BY WHICH THIS IS TO BE DONE, CAN HELP TO MAKE SOCIAL WORK MORE SPECIFIC IN RELATION TO DEFINED OBJECTIVES. FOUR EXPERIMENTAL PROJECTS IN SOCIAL SERVICES, PROBATION, AND PSYCHIATRIC SETTINGS HAVE CORROBORATED THIS FINDING. THE TASK-CENTERED METHOD DEMYSTIFIES SOCIAL WORK, CLARIFYING ROLES, AND ENHANCING CLIENT SELF-RELIANCE. DEFINED OBJECTIVES ARE USUALLY MODEST AND ACHIEVABLE, ERASING PROBATION OFFICERS' GUILT ABOUT PROBLEMS LEFT UNTOUCHED. THE METHOD HAS SHOWN TO BE CAPABLE OF LEADING TO A SHARPER ASSESSMENT OF THE OFFENDER. FURTHER EXPLORATION OF THE PROBATION FIELD SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN INTO PROBLEMS CLEARLY RELATED TO THE OFFENSE OR OFFENDING BEHAVIOR. WHATEVER THE CASE, THIS EXPLORATORY STUDY SHOWS THAT THE CONTRIBUTION OF CASEWORK TO THE REDUCTION OF CRIME OR RECONVICTION MAY BE SMALL. TWENTY-TWO REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED.

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