On the abolishment of the case manager

Stabilizing clients in the midst of a psychotic episode in the hospital can be a difficult task that requires a multidisciplinary team. The task of helping those persons to live stable lives of decent quality after they leave the hospital is at least as difficult, and much more complex. Thus, it is not surprising that the case management model, which is not multidisciplinary and is available only on weekdays, is inadequate to deliver well-integrated, constantly available services to difficult clients. The effect on clients is that few are receiving adequate rehabilitation, and many are unstable and frequently rehospitalized. The effect on the system is that a large portion of the mental health budget goes to hospital care, frustrating attempts to reallocate dollars to develop comprehensive services in the community.