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An Intensive Case Management (ICM) intervention has been developed in Lausanne, Switzerland. It aims to promote access to care for people with severe mental disorders who have difficulties to engage with mental health services because of the severity of their disorders and/or their marginality. ICM embrace components of assertive community treatment and critical time intervention. It is time limited and focused on critical phases of recovery. The goal of this study was to examine the heterogeneity of service use patterns of people who required ICM interventions and identify differences in patterns of duration and timing of the intervention. Records of 471 patients from the Department of Psychiatry of Lausanne University Hospital for whom the ICM team intervention was requested were analysed over a 6 year period with discrete sequential-state analysis. Trajectories could be split between six meaningful clusters including service light use and critical time intervention (58.0%), transition to long-term regular ambulatory-care (11.3%), partial transition to ambulatory care (14.4%), alternative to hospitalization (10.4%), continued ICM (4.9%) and long hospital stays (1.1%). Diagnoses of substance abuse were overrepresented among heavy users and diagnoses of schizophrenia were the most frequent diagnostic overall. Profiles of service use for ICM patients were very diverse. Long term interventions were frequently not necessary. A time-limited intervention was likely sufficient to stabilize the situation and/or engage the patient in care. A small number of situations required a sustained and long-term investment and did not always allowed for a reduction in the need for hospitalization. A general reflection on alternatives to hospitalization must be pursued, in particular for these patients.

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Youth Flexible Assertive Community Treatment (Youth Flexible ACT) is a client- and family-centered service delivery model for young people up to 24 years of age who have interrelated psychiatric- and social problems across multiple life domains and do not readily engage with office-based mental health services. Youth Flexible ACT teams were set up to meet the multifaceted needs of this subgroup in an integrated manner. In this paper, we present a case study to (1) describe the core principles of Youth Flexible ACT and (2) illustrate the application of the mental healthcare model. Subsequently, we describe the contribution of model elements to a positive care process and discuss the challenges of the team in working with the model. The case study displays the importance of integrated flexible and personalized care services to enable adolescents to remain engaged in care.

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There has been extensive concern about suicide among veterans, but no study has examined rates and correlates of suicidality in the highly vulnerable group of veterans receiving Veterans Health Administration (VHA) intensive case management services. Veterans participating in a national program evaluation were surveyed at the time of program entry and 6 months later. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were documented along with elements of program service delivery. Chi square tests were used to compare rates of suicidality (defined as either having made or threatened an attempt) at baseline and at the 6-month follow-up. Analysis of variance was also used to compare suicidal and non-suicidal veterans at follow-up. Logistic regression analysis was then used to identify independent correlates of suicidality 6 months after program entry. Among the 9921 veterans who later completed follow-up assessments 989 (10.0%) had reported suicidal behavior at program entry as compared to only 250 (2.51%) at 6 months (p < 0.0001). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed suicidality at 6 months to be associated with suicidality at admission, increased subjective distress on the Brief Symptom Inventory (especially on depression items), violent behavior and decreased quality of life since admission, along with a greater likelihood of receiving crisis intervention, but not other services. Among veterans receiving intensive case management services from VHA, suicidal behavior declined by 75% from admission to 6 months (10-2.5%) and was associated with suicidality prior to program entry, worsening subjective symptoms and greater receipt of crisis intervention services.

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BACKGROUND: Based on international randomized controlled trials (RCT) the German Association for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics (DGPPN) recommends acute treatment in the domestic environment (AHU) and intensive outreach treatment (IAB) with the highest level of evidence; however, due to large differences in national healthcare systems the transference of results from international studies to the healthcare systems in Germany, Austria and Switzerland could be limited. OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of studies on outreach psychiatric treatment forms in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and discussion of the results in the light of international evidence. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic literature search for clinical trials on outreach community treatment from Germany, Austria and Switzerland was conducted in the PubMed database. RESULTS: A total of 19 publications were identified which could be assigned to 5 publications on 4 studies with 2857 patients on AHU and 14 publications on 10 studies with 3207 patients on IAB. The studies on AHU showed this treatment form to be superior regarding the duration of inpatient stay and healthcare costs. The studies on IAB showed more positive outcomes in comparison to controls regarding symptoms, severity of illness, substance abuse, functioning level, remission, satisfaction with treatment, quality of life, healthcare costs, work and housing situations. CONCLUSION: The studies from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland suggest that outreach community treatment is superior regarding several outcome parameters. Thus, there are no indications suggesting that international evidence could not be valid for these countries. Additionally, with one RCT for AHU and one for IAB the requirements for an evidence level of 1b for outreach community treatment in the healthcare systems in question are fulfilled.

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Background: The Multicenter Youth Flexible ACT Study is an ongoing observational prospective cohort study that examines the effects of Youth Flexible ACT (Assertive Community Treatment) on young people with complex care needs who are difficult to engage in traditional (office-based) mental health services. However, a clear and detailed description of this patient group is lacking. In the current paper, we present baseline characteristics and psychosocial outcomes of the Youth Flexible ACT target group and explore the existence of underlying specific patient subgroups. Methods: Sixteen Youth Flexible ACT teams from seven mental healthcare institutes in the Netherlands participated in the study. Research participants were monitored for 18 months and administered questionnaires measuring psychiatric- and social functioning every 6 months, yielding four measurements. Baseline data were obtained from 199 adolescents, their mental health workers, and parents/carers. Latent Class Analysis based on HoNOSCA scores (measuring psychosocial and daily functioning) was conducted to identify underlying subgroups. Results: The target group of Youth Flexible ACT mainly consisted of patients older than 15 years of age with a history of (specialized) mental healthcare. They face many complex problems, including trauma; developmental, mood, and anxiety disorders; and problems with school attendance, family life, and peer relationships. Other frequently reported difficulties were substance misuse, the involvement of the legal system or police, problems with intellectual functioning, and personal finance. Patients were classified into four distinct classes: the "internalizing," "externalizing," "non-specific," and the "overly impulsive" subgroup. Each subgroup had its unique pattern of difficulties and focus, respectively, high levels of depression and anxiety, disruptive behavior, unspecific difficulties, and substance misuse. Conclusions: As expected, patients in Youth Flexible ACT experienced many severe problems, rendering them vulnerable to fragmented and, thus, ineffective care. Our findings underscore the need for an integrated care approach with a multidisciplinary team of skilled professionals that can bridge these wide-ranging psychosocial problems, as each class of participants experienced a different set of difficulties. Youth Flexible ACT teams need to adjust their care services accordingly.

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AIMS: Since April 2020, the new Japanese mental health system has used the Intensive Case Management Screening Sheet (ICMSS) to identify patients' needs for case management services. This study aimed to examine the association between ICMSS score and service intensity and compare the magnitude of association between ICMSS score and service intensity with other scales. METHODS: We recruited patients who received case management services from a staff member in a psychiatric outpatient service, psychiatric day-care program, or outreach team based at one psychiatric hospital. Case management service needs and functioning were assessed using ICMSS, Global Assessment Functioning (GAF), and Personal and Social Performance (PSP). The case manager also documented all services received by the participant for 2 months. The association between each scale and service duration was examined. Furthermore, the magnitude of the association between each scale and service intensity was compared. RESULTS: Overall, 138 participants were included in the analysis. The most common diagnosis was schizophrenia. Mean total service duration was weakly but significantly correlated with ICMSS (Spearman's ρ = 0.320), GAF (ρ = -0.198), and PSP (ρ = -0.275) scores. Poisson's regression models and postestimation testing showed that the coefficient for ICMSS score (B = 0.144; 95% CI = 0.141, 0.148) was significantly larger than the coefficients for GAF (B = -0.017, 95% CI = -0.017, -0.016, χ2  = 15.70, P < 0.001) and PSP (B=-0.016, 95% CI = -0.017, -0.016, χ2  = 14.64, P < 0.001) scores. CONCLUSION: ICMSS may provide preliminary information on case management service needs, but the level of service should be based on the individual needs of each patient and shared decision-making between the patient and case manager.

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There is a very high suicide rate in the year after psychiatric hospital discharge. Intensive postdischarge case management programs can address this problem but are not cost-effective for all patients. This issue can be addressed by developing a risk model to predict which inpatients might need such a program. We developed such a model for the 391,018 short-term psychiatric hospital admissions of US veterans in Veterans Health Administration (VHA) hospitals 2010-2013. Records were linked with the National Death Index to determine suicide within 12 months of hospital discharge (n=771). The Super Learner ensemble machine learning method was used to predict these suicides for time horizon between 1 week and 12 months after discharge in a 70% training sample. Accuracy was validated in the remaining 30% holdout sample. Predictors included VHA administrative variables and small area geocode data linked to patient home addresses. The models had AUC=.79-.82 for time horizons between 1 week and 6 months and AUC=.74 for 12 months. An analysis of operating characteristics showed that 22.4%-32.2% of patients who died by suicide would have been reached if intensive case management was provided to the 5% of patients with highest predicted suicide risk. Positive predictive value (PPV) at this higher threshold ranged from 1.2% over 12 months to 3.8% per case manager year over 1 week. Focusing on the low end of the risk spectrum, the 40% of patients classified as having lowest risk account for 0%-9.7% of suicides across time horizons. Variable importance analysis shows that 51.1% of model performance is due to psychopathological risk factors accounted, 26.2% to social determinants of health, 14.8% to prior history of suicidal behaviors, and 6.6% to physical disorders. The paper closes with a discussion of next steps in refining the model and prospects for developing a parallel precision treatment model.

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BACKGROUND: Chronic homelessness is a problem characterised by longstanding inability to attain or maintain secure accommodation. Longitudinal research with homeless populations is challenging, and randomised controlled trials that evaluate the effectiveness of intensive, case management interventions aimed at improving housing and health-related outcomes for chronically homelessness people are scant. More research is needed to inform programmatic design and policy frameworks in this area. This study protocol details an evaluation of the Journey to Social Inclusion - Phase 2 program, an intervention designed to reduce homelessness and improve outcomes in chronically homeless adults. METHODS/DESIGN: J2SI Phase 2 is a three-year, mixed methods, multi-site, RCT that enrolled 186 participants aged 25 to 50 years between 07 January 2016 and 30 September 2016 in Melbourne. The intervention group (n = 90 recruited) receives the J2SI Phase 2 program, a trauma-informed intervention that integrates intensive case management and service coordination; transition to housing and support to sustain tenancy; and support to build social connections, obtain employment and foster independence. The comparison group (n = 96 recruited) receives standard service provision. Prior to randomisation, participants completed a baseline survey. Follow-up surveys will be completed every six months for three years (six in total). In addition to self-report data on history of homelessness and housing, physical and mental health, substance use, quality of life, social connectedness and public service utilisation, linked administrative data on participants' public services utilisation (e.g., hospitalisation, justice system) will be obtained for the three-year period pre- and post-randomisation. Semi-structured, qualitative interviews will be conducted with a randomly selected subset of participants and service providers at three time-points to explore changes in key outcome variables and to examine individual experiences with the intervention and standard service provision. An economic evaluation of the intervention and associated costs will also be undertaken. DISCUSSION: Results of this trial will provide robust evidence on the effectiveness of J2SI Phase 2 compared to standard service provision. If the intervention demonstrates effectiveness in improving housing, health, quality-of-life, and other social outcomes, it may be considered for broader national and international dissemination to improve outcomes among chronically homeless adults. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12616000162415 (retrospectively registered 10-February-2016).

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In real-world settings, eligible populations and intervention effectiveness for a translational intervention likely vary across time. To determine the optimal strategies for effective large-scale implementation of evidence-based interventions, it is critical to investigate these potential variabilities. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether patient characteristics and intervention effectiveness differed by year of enrollment in a multiyear evidence-based translational intervention. The Special Diabetes Program for Indians Healthy Heart (SDPI-HH) Demonstration Project is an intensive case management intervention designed to reduce cardiovascular disease risk among American Indians and Alaska Natives with diabetes. SDPI-HH participants recruited from 2006 through 2008 were included. Baseline characteristics were compared by year of enrollment. We also evaluated the differences in improvements in clinical and behavioral risk factors for cardiovascular disease among participants recruited in different years. The baseline characteristics of the three cohorts significantly differed in demographics, diabetes duration, health behaviors, level of motivation, and clinical measures. Improvements in 13 clinical and behavioral outcomes also differed by enrollment year with the 2006 cohort having the greatest number of significant improvements and the highest rates of participation and retention. Further investigation into the ways to modify the intensive case management model to address differences in levels of motivation and participation is warranted to improve the management of chronic disease in Indian health. Given the evolving nature of translational initiatives of this kind, our analysis results highlight the need to understand and adapt during the natural progression of health behavioral interventions.

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The Intensive Case Management (ICM) model is a community-based program for people with severe mental illness that may reduce hospitalization and increase retention in care. The aims of this study were to analyze changes in the antipsychotic and benzodiazepine dosage in 106 patients who participated in an Individualized Service Program based on the ICM model for at least 6 months and to assess the change in the number of patients taking a high or very high dose of an antipsychotic drug and the number receiving antipsychotic polytherapy. Both the average daily dose of antipsychotic and benzodiazepine drugs and the number of patients with high doses of antipsychotic and more than one antipsychotic drug decreased significantly. Implementing the ICM program in patients with severe mental illness could help to decrease adverse drug effects and health care expenditures.

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Intensive outpatient models of need-adapted psychiatric care have been shown to reduce the length of hospital stays and to improve retention in care for people with severe mental illnesses. In contrast, evidence regarding the impact of such models on involuntary hospital treatment and other coercive measures in inpatient settings is still sparse, although these represent important indicators of the patients' wellbeing. In Germany, intensive models of care still have not been routinely implemented, and their effectiveness within the German psychiatric system is only studied in a few pioneering regions. An innovative model of flexible, assertive, need-adapted care established in Berlin, Germany, in 2014, treating unselected 14% of the catchment area's patients, was evaluated on the basis of routine clinical data. Records of n = 302 patients diagnosed with severe mental disorders, who had been hospitalized at least once during a 4-year-observational period, were analyzed in a retrospective individual mirror-image design, comparing the 2 years before and after inclusion in the model project regarding the time spent in hospital, the number and duration of involuntary hospital treatments and the use of direct coercive interventions like restraint or isolation. After inclusion to the project, patients spent significantly less time in hospital. Among patients treated on acute wards and patients with a diagnosis of psychosis, the number of patients subjected to provisional detention due to acute endangerment of self or others decreased significantly, as did the time spent under involuntary hospital treatment. The number of patients subjected to mechanical restraint, but not to isolation, on the ward decreased significantly, while the total number of coercive interventions remained unchanged. Findings suggest some potential of intensive models of need-adapted care to reduce coercive interventions in psychiatry. However, results must be substantiated by evidence from randomized-controlled trials and longer observation periods.

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BACKGROUND: Co-occurring severe mental and substance use disorders are associated with physical, psychological and social complications such as homelessness and unemployment. People with severe mental and substance use disorders are difficult to engage with care. The lack of treatment worsens their health and social conditions and increases treatment costs, as emergency department visits arise. Case management has proved to be effective in promoting engagement with care of people with severe mental and substance use disorders. However, this impact seemed mainly related to the case management model. The Intensive Case Management for Addiction (ICMA) aimed to improve engagement with care of people with severe mental and substance use disorders, insufficiently engaged with standard treatment. This innovative multidisciplinary mobile team programme combined Assertive Community Treatment and Critical Time Intervention methodologies. The aim of the study was to observe the impact of ICMA upon service use, treatment adherence and quality of support networks. Participants' psychosocial and mental functioning, and substance use were also assessed throughout the intervention. METHODS: The study was observational. Eligible participants were all the people entering the programme during the first year of implementation (April 2014-April 2015). Data were collected through structured questionnaires and medical charts. Assessments were conducted at baseline and at 12 months follow-up or at the end of the programme if completed earlier. McNemar-Bowker's Test, General Linear Model repeated-measures analysis of variance and non-parametric Wilcoxon Signed Rank tests were used for the analysis. RESULTS: A total of 30 participants took part in the study. Results showed a significant reduction in the number of participants visiting the general emergency department compared to baseline. A significantly decreased number of psychiatric emergency department visits was also registered. Moreover, at follow-up participants improved significantly their treatment adherence, clinical status, social functioning, and substance intake and frequency of use. CONCLUSIONS: These promising results highlight the efficacy of the ICMA. The intervention improved engagement with care and the psychosocial situation of people with severe mental and substance use disorders, with consequent direct impact on their substance misuse.

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Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) for people with severe mental illness is an effective approach that is increasingly implemented in rural areas. Low-cost methods of evaluating fidelity to program models are needed to assure services are delivered as intended. In 2007, the Veterans Health Administration implemented an ACT-like Mental Health Intensive Case Management (ACT/ICM) program for SMI veterans in rural areas. This study demonstrates the use of administrative data, reflecting patient characteristics and intensity of service delivery, to characterize services delivered by these programs, to compare them to general mental health programs at the same VA medical centers, and to each other. A total of 298,509 veterans received mental health services at VA medical centers that also operated a rural ACT/ICM program in FY 2012. Altogether 854 (0.29%) received ACT/ICM services for 1 year or more (long term participants) and 259 (.09%) received them for less than 1 year (new entrants). Logistic regression showed ACT/ICM patients were distinguished by diagnoses of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression; larger numbers of psychiatric or substance abuse visits; and use of 3 or more classes of psychotropic medication. The model had a high c statistic of 0.91. Propensity scores allowed clear identification of programs most and least conforming to the profile of a "typical" rural ACT/ICM program. Low cost administrative data can be used to identify programs successfully conforming to an empirically derived rural model of ACT/ICM. Further validation of this approach is needed.

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This article discusses a psychosocial recovery and rehabilitation recovery model that uses an intensive case management approach. The approach offers an interdisciplinary model that integrates pharmacotherapy, social skills training, cognitive remediation, family involvement, and community integration. This evidence-based plan of care instills hope and nurtures one's capacity to learn and improve function and quality of life. It is cost-effective and offers psychiatric nurses opportunities to facilitate symptomatic remission, facilitate self-efficacy, and improve communication and social cognition skills. Nurses in diverse practice settings must be willing to plan and implement innovative treatment models that provide seamless mental health care across the treatment continuum.

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BACKGROUND: Addressing the needs of frequent users of emergency departments (EDs) is a health system priority in many jurisdictions. This study describes stakeholder perspectives on the implementation of a multi-organizational brief intervention designed to support integration and continuity of care for frequent ED users with mental health and addictions problems, focusing on perceived barriers and facilitators to early implementation in a large urban centre. METHODS: Coordinating Access to Care from Hospital Emergency Departments (CATCH-ED) is a brief case management intervention bridging hospital, primary and community care for frequent ED users experiencing mental illness and addictions. To examine barriers and facilitators to early implementation of this multi-organizational intervention, between July and October 2012, 47 stakeholders, including direct service providers, managers and administrators participated in 32 semi-structured qualitative interviews and one focus group exploring their experience with the intervention and factors that helped or hindered successful early implementation. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Stakeholders valued the intervention and its potential to support continuity of care for this population. Service delivery system factors, including organizational capacity and a history of collaborative relationships across the healthcare continuum, and support system factors, such as training and supervision, emerged as key facilitators of program implementation. Operational challenges included early low program referral rates, management of a multi-organizational initiative, variable adherence to the model among participating organizations, and scant access to specialty psychiatric resources. Factors contributing to these challenges included lack of dedicated staff in the ED and limited local system capacity to support this population, and insufficient training and technical assistance available to participating organizations. CONCLUSIONS: A multi-organizational brief intervention is an acceptable model to support integration of hospital, primary and community care for frequent ED users. The study highlights the importance of early implementation evaluation to identify potential solutions to implementation barriers that may be applicable to many jurisdictions.

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OBJECTIVE: This study explored service user and provider perspectives on barriers and facilitators of continuity of care for frequent users of emergency departments (ED) participating in a brief intensive case management intervention. METHOD: We conducted semistructured interviews with 20 frequent ED users with mental health and addiction challenges participating in a brief intensive case management intervention, eliciting experiences of care and care continuity. We interviewed 13 service providers working with this population. We used thematic analysis to determine shared and unique barriers and facilitators to continuity of care, and we gave priority to themes reported by both service users and providers. RESULTS: Within fragmented systems of care, strong working relationships between service users and providers, timely access to coordinated services and seamless transitions to needed supports increased perceived care continuity. Barriers to continuity of care included difficulties engaging this population, short intervention duration and the lack of a single accountable service provider to address health and social needs. CONCLUSION: Although brief intensive case management interventions have the potential to improve continuity of care for frequent ED users, continuity of care, especially for people with complex health and social needs, may be compromised by program and personal characteristics as well as lack of broader system integration.

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BACKGROUND: The majority of studies support modern assertive health service models. However, the evidence is limited for parts of continental Europe, as well as for the pharmacological adherence outcome parameter. METHOD: We conducted a quasi-experimental controlled trial including adult patients with a schizophreniform disorder and a maximum of 60 points on the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF). Interventions (n=176) and controls (TAU, n=142) were assessed every six-month within one year in 17 study practices in rural areas. Mental and functional state were rated using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and the GAF. Functional limitations and pharmacological adherence were patient-rated using the WHO-Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS-II) and the Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS). We computed multilevel mixed models. RESULTS: The GAF and BPRS of both groups improved significantly, yet the increase in the intervention group was significantly higher. In contrast, patient-rated variables - WHODAS-II and MARS - neither showed a stable temporal improvement nor a difference between groups. CONCLUSION: Our findings only partly support the investigated AO intervention, because of conflicting results between clinician- and patient-ratings. Accordingly, the benefits of AO need to be further evaluated.

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A limited number of studies have been published that examine treatment completion rates and interventions used to increase treatment completion within an inner-city population. The purpose of the present study was to determine the rate of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) treatment completion in an inner-city population in Edmonton, Alberta, and to identify factors that correlated with treatment completion. A retrospective chart review was conducted involving patients who started LTBI treatment between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2010 in Edmonton's inner city. A total of 77 patients started treatment and 57 (74%) patients completed LTBI treatment. Homelessness was the only variable that was significantly associated with incomplete treatment (OR 8.0 [95% CI 1.4 to 45.6]) and it remained significant when controlling for drug use (adjusted OR 6.5 [95% CI 1.1 to 38.8]). While the present study demonstrated treatment completion rates comparable with or better than those described in the general population, it highlighted the need for continued emphasis on interventions aimed at improving outcomes within homeless populations.

Quelques études publiées ont porté sur le taux d'achèvement des traitements et les interventions utilisées pour accroître cet achèvement dans la population d'un quartier pauvre. La présente étude visait à déterminer le taux d'achèvement du traitement contre l'infection tuberculeuse latente (ITL) dans la population d'un quartier pauvre d'Edmonton, en Alberta, et déterminer les facteurs qui corrélaient cet achèvement. Les chercheurs ont effectué une recherche rétrospective dans les dossiers des patients qui avaient un amorcé un traitement contre l'ITL entre le 1er janvier 2005 et le 31 décembre 2010 dans un quartier pauvre d'Edmonton. Au total, 77 patients ont amorcé le traitement contre l'ITL et 57 patients (74 %) l'ont terminé. L'itinérance était la seule variable qui s'associait de manière significative à un traitement incomplet (RR 8,0 [95 % IC 1,4 à 45,6]), et elle demeurait significative lorsqu'on tenait compte de la consommation de drogue (RR rajusté 6,5 [95 % IC 1,1 à 38,8]). La présente étude faisait état d'un taux d'achèvement comparable ou meilleur à celui décrit dans la population générale, mais faisait ressortir la nécessité d'insister constamment sur des interventions visant à améliorer les résultats cliniques dans les populations d'itinérants.