General Case Management (GCM)
Program Description and Goals
The General Case Management Program provides services to assist individuals in obtaining and/or maintaining the following: financial assistance, medical insurance, food, clothing, employment, vocational services, substance abuse treatment services, mental health services (not classified as seriously and persistently mentally ill), physical health services and housing assistance. To achieve this, Case Managers collaborate and partner with various community agencies to obtain goods and services for the person served.
The overall goals of case management services are to:
- Increase the functional potential and increased social connectedness of clients;
- Enhance the quality of life for clients;
- Reduce symptoms of debilitating conditions;
- Restore and/or improve functioning for clients; and
- Support the integrations of clients into the community.
Description of the Person Served
The General Case Management Program provides services to individuals who reside in the Ka’aahi Women’s and Families Shelter and the Sumner Men’s Shelter.
Many of these individuals have substance abuse problems that require assessment and treatment. Along with providing counseling that support clients’ sobriety, case managers work with substance abuse counseling professionals to identify appropriate interventions, with the goal of helping these clients begin and eventually maintain a substance-free lifestyle. As an example, Hina Mauka provides individual and group interventions on-site for specified clients receiving case management services. When the case management is successful, clients significantly decrease or stop using alcohol or drugs, and engage in treatment programs of support groups that assist them in developing skills to maintain sobriety over time.
Many of the shelter clients have a serious medical condition or disability. For example, some men have limited mobility, heart conditions, chronic pain, or other serious health concerns. Case managers as well as other shelter staff work to closely monitor the clients’ health needs and work with medical personnel as needed to ensure that clients can succeed in becoming more self-sufficient while staying as healthy as possible. When case management is successful, clients consistently utilize health care facilities, learn behaviors that maintain their optimal health, and comply with doctors’ advice regarding medications and other treatments.
Those with severe and persistent mental illness receive services from the Community Based Case Management (CBCM) program funded by the State of Hawaii, Department of Health’s Adult Mental Health Division (AMHD). Those individuals who are suspected of having a severe and persistent mental illness are referred to the Interim Case Management Program-Brief Services which are overseen by Guest Advocate for assessment and to arrange for eligibility assessment by AMHD.
Case Management services are provided, only after the individualized assessments and service plans are completed. This ensures that the goals for each client are realistic, meaningful for the client, and measurable.
Case Managers at the Shelter assist clients with re-integrating into community by helping them develop skills and knowledge that increase their self-sufficiently, and provide them with the means and access to the things they need to achieve it.