The social worker as case manager for persons with mental disabilities

Abstract

The crown jewel in the modern Swedish disability reform is a special rights law from 1993, the Disability Act. However there is considerable underutilisation of services in accordance with this act, especially among people with mental health problems. This research project was undertaken at a psychiatric clinic in order to activate the social workers of the clinic to motivate their patients to apply for support in accordance with their legal rights under this act. An intervention by nine social workers resulted in applications from one fourth of the patients assessed to be in need of such support according to an earlier follow‐up. The results are discussed from a bureaucratic ethics perspective. The study demonstrates that the social workers have shown understanding of the political intentions of the reform, a will to pursue its implementation, and also an ability to act as case managers for those with mental health disabilities, motivating them to use their legal rights to support.