Intensive case management for children and youth with serious emotional disturbance: an emergent role for nursing?

Since 1988 New York state's Children and Youth Intensive Case Management (CYICM) program has enrolled more than 1700 children. The program goal is to maintain children in the least restrictive environment appropriate to their needs. This linkage and advocacy focused program uses a small caseload (10) and flexible service money to meet its goal. This paper reviews the program model, describes the enrollees, and presents the outcomes related to hospitalization. It also presents a case study of an encounter between a nurse case manager and parents of one of her clients. Finally, it considers the role of case management as an emergent for nurses.