Managed care, meet community support: ten reasons to include direct support services in every behavioral health plan

In this article, the performance of community support programs over three decades is assessed through a review of the professional literature, with emphasis on clinical outcomes, cost-effectiveness, and consumer satisfaction. The author argues that for managed behavioral health organizations to serve disabled customers adequately, community support is required. Ten field-tested reasons to include community support services in every behavioral health plan are presented. The author concludes that social workers are uniquely qualified to adapt proven interventions from model community support programs to the mission of managed behavioral health organizations, with the potential to remedy problems of access, continuity, and accountability in providing treatment for serious and persistent mental illness.