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The chronically mentally ill case management--more than a response to a dysfunctional system
W A Anthony1, M Cohen, M Farkas
1Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Boston University.
Community Mental Health Journal
|January 1, 1988
Summary
Case management is essential for individuals with severe psychiatric disabilities, focusing on client goals rather than system needs. This human-centered approach supports clients in accessing necessary services and advocating for improvements.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Social Work
- Healthcare Management
Background:
- Community mental health services for the long-term mentally ill are often fragmented and uncoordinated.
- Case management has been implemented as a strategy to address these systemic dysfunctions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine case management as a vital function, irrespective of system integration.
- To reframe case management as client-goal-driven rather than system-goal-driven.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of case management's role in supporting individuals with severe psychiatric disabilities.
- Identification of four core case manager activities: client connection, service planning, service linkage, and advocacy for service improvement.
Main Results:
- Case management is fundamentally driven by the client's desired outcomes and needs.
- Effective case management involves actively supporting clients in navigating and accessing services.
- Four key functions of case managers include connecting with clients, planning services, linking clients to services, and advocating for better services.
Conclusions:
- Case management is a necessary human-centered response to individual service needs and goals for those with long-term psychiatric disabilities.
- It humanizes the service system by focusing on the client's perspective and empowering them to achieve their goals.