Case management is one of the primary services offered to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) defines case management as “a range of services provided to assist and support individuals in developing their skills to gain access to needed medical, behavioral health, housing, employment, social, educational, and other services essential to meeting basic human services.” This also includes providing “linkages and training for the patient served in the use of basic community resources, and monitoring of overall service delivery.”
Case managers work with people and families experiencing homelessness and those who are at risk of homelessness. Case managers identify households of greatest risk and determine the type of support needed to prevent homelessness. They also help clients develop independent living skills, provide support with treatment, and serve as the point of contact between clients and people in their social and professional support systems. To be successful, case managers need the right skills and adequate community knowledge.
Find more information on case management:
- Peer Advocates Transition Residents from Homelessness – 2016
- Shared Decision-making Helps Pinpoint Treatment Options – 2014
- TIP 27: Comprehensive Case Management for Substance Abuse Treatment – 2015
- Yale Study Examines People in Housing – 2016
Learn more how health care professionals provide behavioral health treatments and services. Learn how SAMHSA’s Recovery to Practice (RTP) initiative helps behavioral health and general healthcare practitioners improve delivery of recovery-oriented services, supports, and treatment.
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