HIV/AIDS case management: views from the frontline

Case management has been a critical component of services to vulnerable populations for the past 20 years, and the knowledge base has been constantly evolving. This article offers an additional dimension to the study of case management practice by providing an opportunity for perceptions of case managers, heretofore relatively neglected, to be included in the literature. It reports the results of two study efforts (chart review and focus groups) that examined the case management system of care for people with HIV/AIDS in the New York tri-county region. While the literature and chart review findings stress the primacy of linkage activities, the case managers emphasize the importance of providing the support necessary to ensure that clients are able to maintain a reasonable quality of life. Findings are discussed in the context of the "strengths perspective" as well as service system and organizational contingencies. Potential methodological implications for the use of the study techniques are suggested.