Service Delivery Differences Between Consumer and Nonconsumer Case Managers in Mental Health

This analysis sought to determine whether a team of mental health service consumers delivered intensive case management services differently than a team of nonconsumer case managers. Ninety-six seriously mentally ill clients were randomly assigned to consumer and nonconsumer teams of case managers. Service documentation for each client's first year of service was analyzed by condition using t-tests, discriminant function, and multiple regression. Consumer case managers delivered more services face-to-face with the client and fewer services in the office and in interactions with family members or other mental health service providers. If current trends continue, social workers in mental health will be delivering more services with consumers as peer service providers or supervisees.