The Practice of Case Management: Effective strategies for positive outcomes

Case management is used across a diverse range of organisational settings, from child protection to aged care; disability services; acute and community health; courts and correctional services; employment services; veteran services; education; and immigration programs. However, case management is not always successfully implemented, and practitioners often feel they are not given sufficient support.

The Practice of Case Management draws on extensive practice research to identify the key characteristics of successful case management: organisational support; developing delivery models to suit individual client needs; preparation of staff at all levels; and affirmation of the central and active role of the client.

The authors outline the challenges and complexities faced by case managers, acknowledging that their role is often poorly conceptualised and articulated. They demonstrate that true engagement enables effective service provision and offer practical strategies for everyone involved in the case management process to facilitate negotiation, accountability and the achievement of positive outcomes.

DI GURSANSKY is a social work consultant and an honorary fellow at the Australian Catholic University. She has had a long career in social work and human service education, with a particular interest in field education, social work practice, service delivery and gerontology. ROSEMARY KENNEDY is a psychologist and is also admitted as a practitioner of the Supreme Court of SA. She currently works in the area of government regulation of the health professions. Di and Rosemary are two of the co-authors of the first Australian case management text, Case Management: Policy, Practice and Professional Business. PETER CAMILLERI is Professor of Social Work at the Australian Catholic University. He has expertise in areas such as mental health, suicide, child protection and disaster response, and is also the author of books on social work practice and working with men.