What makes case management work for people experiencing homelessness?

Abstract

Case management has been central to homelessness assistance practice in Australia since at least the early 1990s, when it was adopted as a key strategy to enhance the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP). The approach was formally documented in 1997 with the release of the SAAP Case Management Resource Kit. This research synthesis project was initiated with the intention to provide a rigorous and independent evidence base for informing practice and policy, in particular the negotiation of the next SAAP program agreement.The research synthesis aims to provide an evidence-based understanding of how case management works to contribute to the development of more effective responses to the needs of people experiencing homelessness. This report defines case management and synthesises the international scientific evidence on case management practice for the homelessness sector