The main purpose of case management is to promote the well-being of the client through communication, education, consultancy, and empowerment. It is important to recognize, however, that unlike similar services, quality interviewing aims at facilitating self-sufficiency in the client and reduces dependence on external sources. Thus, the ultimate goal of a professional interviewer and social worker is to ensure the ability of the customer to cope with both current and possibly reoccurring future issues and difficulties using the information obtained during the interview without seeking external help on a regular basis. Therefore, quality interviewing presents an opportunity for creating social change by empowering individuals and thus improving community health.
The most evident examples of services contributing to social change are those aimed at adults with intellectual disabilities. It was consistently proven by the studies that these individuals exhibit greater reliance on supporting community members and therefore need stronger assistance in decision-making (Block, Wheeland, & Rosenberg, 2014). Specifically, many of these individuals experience difficulties associated with employment on multiple levels. These difficulties range from the process of applying for a position to communicate with management as well as co-workers to interact with clients. It is also clear that with the exception of severe cases of intellectual disability, constant supervision and assistance is not only hard to execute but can be detrimental to the client’s mental health. Interviewing, on the other hand, allows for the lasting positive effect since it contributes to the formation of properties characteristic of a sustainable, highly sociable person. A study by Block et al. (2014) examined an initiative organized by Rocky Mountain Human Services involving employees with intellectual disabilities and concluded that the innovative case management model resulted in multiple benefits for the employer. It is important to note that aside from the initial direct benefit several long-term effects were observed, including the solicited and unsolicited contribution from the involved community, which can be interpreted as an indicator of successful social integration (Block et al. 2014).
Residential and community services play an equally important role in facilitating social change. A study by Beadle‐Brown et al. (2014) provides evidence of social benefits originating from the introduction of practice leadership in case study practices of professional interviewers. While the results were relatively uneven, the average improvement among people with intellectual disabilities was observed in the long run (Beadle‐Brown et al., 2014). It should be pointed out that while the study was unable to determine the exact relationship between a specific practice and an observed positive social effect, it was equally attributable to the quality of case management in general and therefore qualifies as a valid example.
Finally, quality interviewing can create social change by promoting desirable behavior among adults. For instance, quality interviewing can result in the formation of healthy dietary habits among adults, as was demonstrated in the study by Schneider, Wong-Anuchit, Stallings, and Krieger (2016). The improvements in vegetable and fruit consumption indicated by the researchers can be considered a valuable and cost-effective contribution to community health and, therefore, a social change agent.
Case management is traditionally perceived as an intervention-based practice aimed at resolving specific issues. However, as was evidenced in the paper, it can be used to create and sustain social change. Therefore, it is recommended to implement case management practices in managerial practices and integrate them into existing organizational frameworks to seek long-term social benefits and sustain a healthy climate.
References
Beadle‐Brown, J., Mansell, J., Ashman, B., Ockenden, J., Iles, R., & Whelton, B. (2014). Practice leadership and active support in residential services for people with intellectual disabilities: An exploratory study. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 58(9), 838-850.
Block, S. R., Wheeland, L., & Rosenberg, S. (2014). Improving human service effectiveness through the deconstruction of case management: A case study on the emergence of a team-based model of service coordination. Human Services Organizations Management, Leadership & Governance, 38(1), 16-28.
Schneider, J. K., Wong-Anuchit, C., Stallings, D., & Krieger, M. M. (2016). Motivational interviewing and fruit/vegetable consumption in older adults. Clinical Nursing Research, 4(1), 1-16.