Abstract
This study aimed to build on the knowledge base of what aspects of care coordination and case management are conducive to ensuring positive health outcomes for clients with substance use disorders (SUDs), with a specific focus on clients with low incomes. Twenty people with low incomes and SUDs who received case management services that were, at least in part, aimed to help participants recover from SUDs sometime between 2015 and 2017 were interviewed using a qualitative interview guide. The interviews were coded for themes and a framework analysis organized these themes into broader categories. \r In this study, the author conducted a theoretical analysis of case management to examine determine how clients perceived specific features of case management programs in relation to their well-being. The lack of understanding of how specific services and definitions of case management influence health outcomes is a knowledge gap identified by the literature (Rapp et. al., 2014). The author of this study sought to begin to fill this knowledge gap. \r Results generally suggest that case management initiatives will be better able to help clients if case managers are specifically and effectively educated to increase their understanding and familiarity with SUDs, mental health issues, trauma awareness, and homelessness; if case management implementations include more robust and specific regulations regarding administrative procedures within case management services and regarding availability and access to case management services; if a wide variety of various stakeholders communicate with each other to ensure mutual understanding of all resources and services available to potential clients; and if case management program directors re-evaluate case management initiatives to assess how success is measured and whether available resources are realistically conducive to helping clients meet these objectives.