Case management applications in substance use disorders.

Abstract

Recent interest in the use of case management in services for people with alcohol and other drug dependence has arisen out of the successes and failures of the alcohol and drug treatment movement. Specifically, the realization that there are people with alcohol and other drug dependence who do not respond to current treatments has prompted a search for better ways to address complex problems. Case management is appealing in part because it is flexible, and can be adapted to fit many different populations, problems, and settings. It is particularly useful when recipients of services demonstrate unusually complex or intransigent problems, or their problems persist over long periods of time.