Characteristics and activities of case managers in the RWJ Foundation Program on chronic mental illness
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Case management was seen as the major strategy for integrating mental health, housing, and social supports for clients in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Program on Chronic Mental Illness, a five-year multisite demonstration project designed to test the effects of reorganizing mental health systems in large urban areas. The authors assessed data on case management programs in the demonstration project to try to explain the lack of consistent improvement in clients' outcomes that was found in the national evaluation of the project. METHODS: Data on case management programs from five demonstration sites- Baltimore; Cincinnati; Columbus, Ohio; Denver; and Toledo, Ohio-were reviewed. Data sources included onsite interviews, documentary material, studies of case managers' contact with community agencies that were conducted in 1989 and 1991, and telephone interviews with coordinators of case management programs. RESULTS: The characteristics and activities of case managers changed little between 1989 and 1991. Case managers tended to become the principal service providers for their clients rather than coordinating service provision among multiple service providers. Case managers reported that their clients received few services from other agencies in the local community support system. CONCLUSIONS: Although lack of change in case managers' activities during the demonstration project may help explain clients' lack of improvement over time, case management by itself does not constitute comprehensive treatment. More attention must be paid to the development and refinement of community-based medical-psychiatric and psychosocial treatments with a proven track record of improving clients' level of symptoms and quality of life.
Access content
To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access.- Personal login
- Institutional Login
- Sign in via OpenAthens
- Register for access
-
Please login/register if you wish to pair your device and check access availability.
Not a subscriber?
PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5 library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.
Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).