Housing and Support Program (HASP): Final Evaluation Report

In general, Case Managers expressed positive views
of support workers and the services they provide.
Over half of the Case Managers (55%) wanted a greater
say in the support services provided to HASP clients.
In addition, 82.5% of Case Managers felt that support
workers should have more training to be able to work
effectively with HASP clients. Ninety-fi ve percent
outlined that they valued the support worker role
and that support workers have a valuable role to play
in the treatment planning process (92%). Finally,
42% of Case Managers felt that housing staff were
easy to contact when they need to discuss client
accommodation needs.
4.1.4 Client views of clinical service provision
As outlined previously, 12 clients participated in
individual interviews to assess their perceptions of
the program. Clients expressed mostly positive views
of their Case Manager. Most linked improvement in
their mental health to skills of their Case Manager:
I still have contact with her. Yep. And she’s the only
one that I ever really, umm, made any progress
and things just progressed from — from when I met
her and I just got weller and weller and it was with
her support.
There was also a perception that clients have some
say in the amount of contact they have with their
Case Manager. Most clients get a visit from their Case
Manager once every two weeks. As clients improve,
the frequency of visits tends to decrease:
My Case Manager pops around and asks me how
I’m going and do I need anything. She said ‘How
often do you want me to come around?’, I just sort
of said, oh probably once a month’s fi ne.
Regional male client
4.1.5 Support staff views of clinical service provision
Consistency in Case Manager was seen as important
for continuity of care. Having a regular Case Manager
seemed to reduce confusion and provide a more stable
approach to clinical service provision:
We’ve got some long-term Case Managers though
here in XX (town), that certainly helps, a lot of
our HASP individuals have maintained their Case
Manager for two or three years, and that always
helps to have that consistency there.
Regional Supports Facilitator
Support workers expressed a desire to have more
contact with Case Managers and felt that they had
a lot to offer since they spend much more time with
clients than any other group. However, some felt
uncomfortable discussing clients in the co-ordination
meetings:
Yeah, I would defi nitely like a bit more of a chat with
the Case Manager and stuff – ’cos the care
co-ordination meetings…it’s just like once every three
months…. I just don’t necessarily think that there’s
that sort of cohesiveness that there needs to be for
people to be able to effectively work together. You
know it’s all well and good us meeting every three
months, but yeh, you know it’s…I guess we’re all
looking at it from different angles as well …
I’m the one who’s going to see the client on a day-today
basis and see him in his home environment and
everything. I know him better than anyone else.
Metropolitan support worker
Housing and Support Program (HASP)
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