為因應政府「福利社區化」之福利服務走向,以及「社會工作師法」通過後社會工作專業性再確立之考量,筆者認為個案管理之工作模式可作為社區化服務的一種方法,也能用以凸顯社會工作專業之特性。本文首先釐清個案管理的緣起、內涵、目的、以及個案管理者應具備之知能。接著介紹美國迄今常用的五種個案管理模式,並整理各種模式對案主結果之效能。最後則以精神醫療服務體系與縣市政府社會工作二者為例分別討論個案管理工作模式在台灣的應用,筆者並試圖針對這兩個領域各別提出適用的個案管理模式。
”Welfare Services Delivered in Community” has been the Government's approach for welfare services in Taiwan. Also, recently the Law for enacting licensing for social workers has been passed. These developments call for a method of practice which can be used in the process of community care, and to demonstrate the competency of social work as a profession. In this article, the author maintained that case management model can serve the purposes, and clarified objectives, functions of case management, and the knowledge and skills which involved in the process of conducting case management. Further, the author presented the five most used models of case management, and each model's effectiveness in terms of improving client outcomes. Finally, the implications and applications for psychiatric services and social workers in county or city government were discussed; the author also suggested the applicable models of case management for each of the two area.