Case management to enhance AIDS risk reduction for injection drug users and crack cocaine users: practical and philosophical considerations.

The AIDS intervention model described herein represents a new "mixed" model of case management, one that combines AIDS risk-reduction education with a modified version of the traditional broker of services model. The case management component of the model is designed to heed and address those immediate needs that may distract a person from attending to the AIDS risk-reduction messages. The educational component of the model can help a person develop interest in the case management services. The result is a model that, theoretically, can have a greater impact than either component alone would have. The advantages of the model are its flexibility, its ability to quickly assess and address clients' concerns, and its short duration that enhances the likelihood that drug users will complete the process.