It can be quite challenging for those with substance use disorders to get rid of their addictions. Getting sober is significantly more difficult for those who have developed an addiction. People might suffer a variety of harmful effects from substance abuse and addiction; they may become isolated, unwell, jobless, or even homeless when the need to use drugs or alcohol takes precedence in their lives.
After rehab, navigating life can be challenging. To continue receiving care, people will need to find a secure location to reside and work with therapists or doctors. Once the person achieves sobriety, they will want to find new friends who share their dedication to recovery. Case management becomes essential in assisting people through this trying time.
The promotion of participation in the treatment of people with severe mental and substance use problems has been shown to be successful with case management. However, the case management paradigm proved to be primarily responsible for this influence. Case management for addiction aims to increase patient care engagement for those with severe mental and drug use disorders who are not actively participating in normal treatment.
A therapist, social worker, or counsellor with specialized training and qualifications in this sector will serve as the case manager. Your case manager will serve as your guide while you go through the process of reintegrating into society following your stay at a rehabilitation facility. After treatment is complete, the patient is paired with a case manager who works closely with them to identify the support systems needed to continue their recovery program.
Regular rehabilitation sessions can assist individuals in achieving soberness. However, those who have reached their breaking point might not be able to regain control of their lives with the counseling and therapy provided by conventional treatment. In these situations, rigorous case management may be a good option because persons in recovery may require support and counseling to help them understand and manage their urges to consume drugs.
Applying Case Management to Substance Abuse Treatment
More substance abusers than the general population suffer from mental health disorders. Up to 70% of people who are receiving treatment for substance abuse have had depression in the past. Between 23 and 56% of people with diagnosable mental disorders also struggle with substance addiction or dependency.
Many societal issues are present when substance abusers enter treatment programs. Lacking the necessary work skills or experience, many people are unemployed or working part-time. Many of the participants in publicly supported therapy programs lack a high school diploma. Some people are homeless, and people who have been incarcerated may have major obstacles while trying to find safe, affordable accommodation.
Because most jurisdictions’ services are disjointed and unable to fulfill the needs of the population who abuse drugs, case management is necessary. Diverse financing sources, system constraints, a lack of client outcome incentives, various eligibility/admission requirements, a lack of consensus over admission/treatment priorities, and other issues all contribute to the lack of coordinated services.
When case management is fully utilized, it will broaden the scope of addiction therapy and the continuum of care. In addition to being adaptable, community-based, and client-oriented, a treatment with professionals using case management will give the client a single point of contact for various health and social service systems and assist the client with needs typically regarded as falling outside the scope of substance abuse treatment.
Both the structure of conventional healthcare and the field of behavioral and mental health therapy must be understood by case managers. Their responsibility is to coordinate services, act as a referral source, and represent the client’s interests. Other abilities include comprehension of substance misuse, compassion, and persistence, as well as the value of family and community support networks. It also helps to have patience while dealing with insurance companies and to be accepting of cultural differences.
To speed up their recovery and make their case management work successful, the case manager must develop a partnership with the clients. The case manager serves as the person in recovery’s single point of contact, and to make sure they receive all the support they require, the manager will coordinate with other service providers and build a working relationship with them.
Here’s what intensive case management for substance abuse must aim to achieve:
- Focus on Recovery: During intensive case management, the case manager relieves the recovering individual of the responsibility of organizing a variety of various solutions and services. Due to not having to worry about logistics or other concerns, that person is able to fully concentrate on their recuperation.
- 24/7 Support: Intensive case management frequently includes 24-hour support, which is provided as needed. Other support systems are different from this. Clients of intensive care management might also go to case management or rehabilitation programs. But if necessary, the case manager can visit the client at home, at work, or anywhere else they feel they might be of assistance.
- Client-Centered Approach: The case manager places the client at the center of all intense case management and works to meet all of the client’s requirements. For instance, a person who has become homeless, frequently as a direct result of a substance use disorder, may prioritize finding shelter over receiving treatment to help them stop using drugs. In such cases, the case manager will also prioritize getting the client housing.
Types of Case Management for Substance Abuse Models
Over time, case management strategies have changed to give patients more flexibility. The next steps after detox are finished can be tracked by therapists using case management models, and they can check to see if those steps have been taken.
Here are the key models for substance abuse case management:
- The Brokerage Model: The brokerage case management model is the one that most case managers in addiction adopt. In the 1970s, the brokerage case management concept was created. When case managers serve as brokers, connecting patients with services, they employ this approach.
- The Clinical Model: Although there are more therapeutic services included in this case management strategy than in the brokerage model, within this strategy, substance misuse case managers might assume greater duties to close the treatment gap.
- The Strength-based Clinical Model: In order to develop a customized plan, the Strength-based Clinical Case Management methodology assesses the patient’s strengths. It has shown to be quite beneficial because the patient’s wants and goals come first. A solid foundation might increase the patient’s confidence.
- The Intensive Care Model: The Intensive Care Management Model is designed to deliver top-notch care in a brief amount of time. For the fastest results, Intensive Care Management provides help around the clock. This paradigm, which incorporates elements of the Brokerage Case Model, may be appropriate for those with severe mental health issues.
Substance Abuse Treatment and the Role of the Case Manager
Case managers are similar to traffic officers. They are essential to a comprehensive plan of care for substance misuse. While the position may be defined slightly differently by each organization, case managers are typically in charge of organizing the provision of healthcare, including drug misuse treatment modalities.
Case managers, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), are particularly useful in drug and alcohol treatment facilities. These specialists are able to assist patients in coordinating care throughout the mental and behavioral health paradigm as well as the healthcare industry because these situations are typically complex and treatment is frequently long-term.
In order to help patients receive the treatments they need to continue living a healthy, sober lifestyle, case managers for substance misuse collaborate with a variety of disciplines. Advocating for all available resources, such as support with prescription medications, doctor’s visits, job retraining, housing, and other things, is a requirement of the case management function.
Case managers act as the focal point for therapy, which may include long-term psychological counseling as well as inpatient or outpatient care. They can help with medical professionals and testing procedures. Case managers can open doors when the typical patient could find themselves on a waiting list because they act as a conduit and navigator into a complicated system of care.
They can assist in creating a treatment plan that may include a number of strategies, such as:
- Detoxification, including medically assisted programs
- Residential inpatient care
- Hospitalization
- Long-term or intensive outpatient treatment
- Traditional outpatient services
- Mental health
- Family counseling
- Housing
- Aftercare and follow-up
The Final Word
Clients in drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, especially those with public funding, display a range of related issues. Many may be poly-addicted and take many drugs. Many people experience linked health issues that are either brought on by their substance abuse—like liver disease and organic brain disorders—or made worse by carelessness with their health and a lack of preventive medical attention.
A broad continuum of services encourages recovery and helps the substance abuse client to fully integrate into society as a healthy, substance-free individual because addiction impacts so many aspects of the addicted person’s life. The continuum must be planned to include primary treatment services at the right intensity and level, as well as support services that will help the patient manage their daily lives and maintain long-term sobriety.
Therefore, treatment must be organized to guarantee seamless transitions to the following level of care, prevent service gaps, and quickly react to the possibility of relapse. All of the aforementioned things can be achieved using case management. Many drug misuse treatment programs are built around their case managers. They play a significant part in the patient’s journey toward addiction recovery.
A case management program can be helpful for anybody trying to overcome addiction, but studies reveal that young persons in their twenties and thirties typically reap the most rewards. This will also cover older adults and elderly people who have previously relapsed, people with mental health and substance misuse illnesses who co-occur, and people who have battled polydrug abuse.
Regardless of your case management model, you will need to gather a lot of data and bring several stakeholders to the table when helping clients who are drug users, are in rehab or have graduated from rehab. Having PlanStreet on your side will make the data gathering, case management and communication with stakeholders seamless, leaving you more organized, effective and with time to spare. Schedule an introductory call with us to find out more.