National case management standards in Australia--purpose, process and potential impact.

The use of case management has been increasing within Australia. The Case Management Society of Australia was established in 1996 to promote the developing case management profession and the viability of the service model in coordinating care and resources for clients with complex needs. In an effort to unify the debate around what is expected of a case manager, the Society has reviewed its interim standards of practice. This paper explains the purpose, process and potential impact of the National Standards of Practice for Case Management. The intent of this article is to describe a process that unifies a diverse range of professionals and non-professionals who practise under the banner of case management. The Standards are not described in detail in this article but are available at <http://www.cmsa.org.au>.