Shaun M. Eack - Mental Health Case Management: A Practical Guide

To my wife, as well as all of the case managers who are a constant inspiration for this work.

To case managers, with thanks for their work.

A Practical Guide

FOR INFORMATION:

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You are about to take on an important and challenging job helping some of the most vulnerable individuals in society use their strengths to recover from serious mental disorders. Many will have lost their independence, initiative, and creativity from years of repeated episodes of illness and ineffective treatment in institutions. It is crucial to remember that despite their psychiatric disabilities, they also will have strengths, goals, and the need for recognitionjust as the rest of us do. They deserve a chance to pursue their forgotten dreams and to use their abilities to establish independent and fulfilling lives. They are experts in what they will need to progress in their journeys toward more functional and rewarding lives. With your help, and using the principles of recovery, they can take advantage of opportunities that have been beyond their grasp. With your help, they can move from the edges of society's tolerance to become full and productive members of their communities. Without your help, and without help from the rest of the team assigned to their care, they risk remaining on the margins, trapped in a cycle of repeated hospitalizations and failure.

As a case manager, you can play a crucial role in helping these individuals cope with their illness by using their own strengths to make the transition to a new life. It all begins with your establishing a collaborative relationship that respects their dignity and strengths. Based on this respect, you will work with these individuals, empowering them to accomplish their goals. This manual is designed to give you a brief introduction to the common issues you will encounter during your work and some of the basic knowledge you will need to address these issues. It does not represent a prescription for what to do to people but, rather, what you can do with people to help them lead the most fulfilling lives possible. Good case managers know that respecting the dignity of those they serve always comes first. Whether you are working to help individuals access services during an acute crisis or to accomplish a positive goal such as living independently or finding a job, you will need to find ways to preserve their self-respect and foster their autonomy. With this focus as a foundation, you will be able to develop a collaborative and empowering relationship that provides opportunities to facilitate real progress and change. You will become increasingly aware of the profound (but too-often overlooked) capabilities of persons with severe mental illness. As you help them use these capabilities and accumulate small successes, you will also become aware that your job as a case manager is, above all, honorable and important work.

The authors would like to acknowledge Stephen Christian-Michaels for his feedback and critical support in developing this book. This work was supported in part by National Institute of Mental Health grant MH-66872 to Dr. Anderson.

SAGE and the authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the following reviewers: Rebekah F. Cole, Old Dominion University; Julia M. Forman, Walden University; LaKeisha L. Harris, University of Maryland Eastern Shore; Bonnie F. Hatchett, University of ArkansasPine Bluff; Brandon Hunt, Pennsylvania State University; Michael A. Mancini, Saint Louis University; and Rebecca G. McBride, Old Dominion University.