Implementation of case management for batterer program participants

Area of Science:

• Social Work
• Criminal Justice
• Public Health

Background:

• Batterer intervention programs often lack tailored services for specific populations.
• Case management is recommended to enhance service access for African American men in counseling.
• Effective implementation requires addressing potential barriers within service delivery systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a formative evaluation of a case management project for African American men in batterer counseling.
• To assess the implementation fidelity and impact of the case management intervention.
• To identify barriers and facilitators to effective service delivery and referral.

Main Methods:

• Direct observations of case management procedures.
• Semistructured interviews with project staff.
• Tabulation of client referrals (N=202) and phone interviews with a subsample (n=72).

Main Results:

• Most referrals were for job/financial assistance; few for substance abuse or mental health.
• Less than half of referred men were successfully contacted via follow-up calls.
• Despite increased referrals and contacts over time, the system had minimal impact.
• Implementation was hindered by time constraints and staff limitations.

Conclusions:

• The case management model was not implemented as designed, limiting its effectiveness.
• Significant barriers, including time constraints and staff issues, impeded successful service delivery.
• Improving batterer counseling requires addressing systemic and practical challenges in case management implementation.