Purchase of Service Contracting and Private Practice

Abstract

Purchase of service contracting (POSC) has brought new meaning to the terms "public" and "private" service delivery. Billions of dollars have been expended by government human service agencies to provide services to clients using private agencies and practitioners. Privatization has become an important political issue as well as an administrative mechanism for federal, state and local governments. While POSC may sound attractive to private practitioners and private agency social workers, there are many issues to be considered. This article identifies these issues and presents a perspective for private agencies and practitioners.