[On the case management of youth with early psychosis]

Case management lies at the foundation of clinical activities for youth with early psychosis. While introducing the systems and skills accumulated in Anglo-American countries, the author affirms tasks associated with care management in Japan. The characteristics of case management for youths with early psychosis are as follows: 1) a primary therapeutic model, 2) emphasizing engagement by means of outreach, 3) limiting caseloads for the sake of fostering collaborative relationships, 4) adopting a method of active brokerage, and 5) establishing time limits of two or three years. The author calls for the establishment of a new training system for implementing these activities in Japan, due to the existence of significant misunderstandings of care management in that country.