Case management with homeless women: a descriptive study.
This article presents the results of a three-year survey of the activities of two case managers following 25 homeless women with substance abuse problems. The case managers' activity record indicated that a great deal of the case managers' energy was devoted to providing direct, concrete services. More than half the clients received four weekly contacts, for an average total of two hours/client/week. Furthermore, direct support accounted for 42.2% of all contacts reported by the case managers, suggesting that, although case managers fill many different functions, establishing and maintaining a significant relationship with the participants constituted a major part of their work. The study confirms that a high staff-to-client ratio is required to respond to the multiple needs of this population.
Mercier
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Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Canada.
Racine
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D000328:Adult; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D003419:Crisis Intervention; D005260:Female; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008329:Managed Care Programs; D008875:Middle Aged; D011792:Quebec; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support; D012949:Social Work, Psychiatric; D012951:Socialization; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014505:Urban Population