Case management

Over the past several decades health care in Australia has become complex in both delivery and costing. Increasing numbers of people are living with a range of conditions that affect their health, their use of health care services and the breadth of health services they require. This has necessitated the creation of a model of care consistent with the mission, vision and values of health professionals, governments and health care organisations to achieve an optimal balance between individual needs of patients and institutional desire for efficiency and effective use of resources. A variety of models of care have been developed in response to the evolving health care needs of our society,
including case management. Case management is one process that aims to ensure the client receives the best possible treatment and support through the identification of individual needs, planning of goals and strategies, and linking them to appropriate services in order to meet these needs. Partnership in health care refers to the concept of shared responsibility for the treatment outcome, discrediting the concept of the patient being a passive recipient
of care. This chapter explores these concepts and identifies an essential characteristic of recovery-oriented, behavioural health care. This is highlighted by the primacy placed on the participation of people in recovery and their loved ones in all aspects and phases of the care delivery process.