Transcending the horizons : social work case management in services for adults with intellectual disabilities in Hong Kong

Abstract

Case management (CM), a process of coordinating, planning, and organizing services for their users, is widely used internationally as an intervention strategy in services for adults with intellectual disabilities (AID). In Hong Kong, case management is usually taken up by social workers in services for adults with intellectual disabilities. However, whether these social workers are equipped to practice case management is questionable. Very few studies, either in Hong Kong or overseas, have focused on social work case management in services for people with intellectual disabilities. To fill the gap, this research uses qualitative methods and explores 13 social workers’ experiences in learning and practicing case management in services for AID in Hong Kong. The participants were invited to participate in in-depth interviews, and interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to analyze the collected qualitative data. This research finds the development of case management in services for AID still at an early stage. Two themes emerged from the data: “flower viewing through the mist” (霧裡看花) and “hard landing” (硬著陸). Case management is a joint product grounded on pre-service professional training, organizational institution, service users and related systems, and the social workers’ own reflections on their practical experiences and professional selves. Even though unspecialized social work education, unsound institutions, and increasingly complicated service contexts have brought unprecedented challenges and difficulties that dampen the social workers’ morale, their pursuit of the mission, their intelligent exploration of intervention strategies, and their own reflections on case management and professional selves have broken a new path for social work practice in services for AID and developed insights that will guide future directions. Three more themes emerged from the social workers’ efforts on future pursuits: “opening roads to Rome (打開通向羅馬的道路),” “becoming a case manager (成為個案管理員),” and the overall theme of “transcending the horizons” (超越界限). Based on the findings, the researcher believes the proposed theoretical framework of reflective professional-managerial integrated culture model should consider the social workers’ affective domains. In addition, enhancing the learning of case management and reflective practice may be impactful strategies to promote CM. Lastly, other implications for social work education, disability services, and social workers are discussed.