Advantages and obstacles for community based approach using case management method in the work with users that have psychotic disorders – Case study

Introduction Case management (CM) is accepted as the most recommended approach for the treatment of people with severe mental illnesses (SMI) in Community Mental Health Centers (CMHC) in whole Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) in the last 3 years. Objective All team members of CMHC Prijedor are certificated case managers. Part of our daily activities is work with and for the users included in CM (mostly with schizophrenia or similar disorders) using multidisciplinary approach to find best possible solutions of both treatment and rehabilitation for users that we are in charge. In this moment CMHC cares for 12 mostly younger users involved in the CM. Aims To show advantages as well as obstacles of the CM. Methods Case study of young user with schizoaffective disorder included in the CM in the last 2 years. Results Improvements in user's daily activities and using of the remaining capacities with confrontation of partial or entire poor responses of most other community services. Conclusions CM has many advantages for the user involved in it, mostly medical and psychological (adequate treatment followed by users wishes, avoidance of hospitalization, improving existing or building new skills, use of remaining capacities, planed activities, minimize of the psychopharmacological treatment, social skills and more new contacts with people, etc.). But, still are existing the obstacles in the community mostly considering employment and social care as an part of the stigmatization of the people with SMI.