Effectiveness of Case Management for Homeless Persons: A Systematic Review
- 1 October 2013
- journal article
- review article
- Published by American Public Health Association in American Journal of Public Health
- Vol. 103 (10) , e13-e26
Abstract
We reviewed the literature on standard case management (SCM), intensive case management (ICM), assertive community treatment (ACT), and critical time intervention (CTI) for homeless adults. We searched databases for peer-reviewed English articles published from 1985 to 2011 and found 21 randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental studies comparing case management to other services. We found little evidence for the effectiveness of ICM. SCM improved housing stability, reduced substance use, and removed employment barriers for substance users. ACT improved housing stability and was cost-effective for mentally ill and dually diagnosed persons. CTI showed promise for housing, psychopathology, and substance use and was cost-effective for mentally ill persons. More research is needed on how case management can most effectively support rapid-rehousing approaches to homelessness.Keywords
This publication has 67 references indexed in Scilit:
- The effect direction plot: visual display of non‐standardised effects across multiple outcome domainsResearch Synthesis Methods, 2012
- The Unmet Health Care Needs of Homeless Adults: A National StudyAmerican Journal of Public Health, 2010
- The Prevalence of Mental Disorders among the Homeless in Western Countries: Systematic Review and Meta-Regression AnalysisPLOS Medicine, 2008
- Effectiveness of Different Models of Case Management for Substance-Abusing PopulationsJournal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2007
- Impact of Supported Housing on Clinical OutcomesJournal of Nervous & Mental Disease, 2007
- Evaluating Alternative Treatments for Homeless Substance-Abusing Men:Journal of Addictive Diseases, 1996
- Effective Services for Homeless Substance AbusersJournal of Addictive Diseases, 1996
- Paths and Impacts in the Progressive Independence Model:Journal of Addictive Diseases, 1996
- Housing the Homeless Mentally IllJournal of Social Service Research, 1995
- Pitfalls in Evaluating the Effectiveness of Case Management Programs for Homeless PersonsEvaluation Review, 1994