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Comorbidity

Systems Theory

Integrated Bower Place Method

Case Management

Comorbidity

Comorbidity means the co-occurrence of one or more disorders in an individual.

In specialist mental health services a common presentation is schizophrenia and alcohol or other drug use disorders whereas in specialist addiction services comorbid anxiety and personality disorders are much more common.

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Case Study Malvern Place

Leah and her 2 children Jess (2 years old) and Molly (4 years old ) were referred to Malvern Place by Housing SA when Leah asked to have her tenancy terminated because voices told her she needed to get away from her violent boyfriend.

Leah was staying with her mother temporarily. Leah’s mother had helped her before by looking after the children when Leah went into a detox program.

Systems Theory and the

Integrated Bower Place Method

Systems Theory

System is defined in the Oxford dictionary as a complex whole; set of connected things or parts.

Systems Theory as the underlying theory in Systemic Family Therapy directs our attention away from the individual and individual problems in isolation and toward relationship issues between individuals .

(Becvar and Becvar 1996 p. 8)

Systems Theory …

The family is a natural system; a system of individual interacting members who stand in some kind of relationship to each other.

As a ‘whole’ the family system includes individuals who have set ways of interacting with each other and the wider environment.

Systems Theory …

An understanding of this perspective allows us to locate the problem, symptom or other human event in some form of social arrangement.

It intersects the individual and family systems with other systems that influence the individual.

System

Client Family Peers

Practitioner Agency Wider

Systems Theory …

The important aspects of Systems Theory are: Perspective is wholistic Focuses on present rather than antecedent

causes Travels freely back and forth between wholistic

and individual Descriptive not judgemental

Recommended further reading

Frankel A.J. & Gelman S.R.(2004) Case Management Lyceum Books Inc : Illinois

Gursanky D. Harvey J & Kennedy R. Case Management policy, practice and professional business Allen & Unwin: N.S.W

www.acwa.asn.au/ACWA/Publication/Casemanagement Casework.doc

www.woodville.org.au/community-development.htm www.cmsa.org.au/Final Casemanagement-

Discussion Paper.pdf

Bibliography …

Frankel A.J. & Gelman S.R.(2004) Case Management Lyceum Books Inc : Illinois

Gursanky D. Harvey J & Kennedy R. Case Management policy, practice and professional business Allen & Unwin: N.S.W

Becvar D.S. & Becvar R.J. (1988) Family Therapy. A Systemic Integration Allyn and Bacon: U.S.A

www.healthconnect.gov.au