INTRODUCTION TO CASE MANAGEMENT

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CHAPTER ONE:

INTRODUCTION TO CASE MANAGEMENT

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

I. Case Management Defined (NASW Standard 1: Knowledge, Ethics, and Values;

Standard 2, qualifications outlining C-SWCM credentialing standards; HSCB Competency 4. Case Management)

• Describe the context in which human service delivery occurs today.
• Differentiate between traditional case management and case management today.

II. The Process of Case Management (NASW Standard 1: Knowledge, Ethics, and Values; Standard 2, qualifications outlining C-SWCM credentialing standards; HSCB Competency 4. Case Management)

• List the three phases of case management.
• Identify the two activities of the assessment phase.
• Illustrate the role of data gathering in assessment and planning.
• Describe the helper’s role in service coordination.

III. Three Components of Case Management (NASW Standard 1: Knowledge, Ethics, and Values; Standard 2, qualifications outlining C-SWCM credentialing standards; HSCB Competency 4. Case Management)

• Define case review and list its benefits.
• Describe why there is the need for documentation and report writing in case

management.

• Trace the client’s participation in the three phases of case management.

IV. Principles and Goals of Case Management (NASW Standard 1: Knowledge, Ethics, and Values; Standard 2, qualifications outlining C-SWCM credentialing standards; HSCB Competency 4. Case Management)

• List the principles and goals that guide the case management process.
• Describe how each principle influences the delivery of services.

(Generalist Case Management A Method of Human Service Delivery, 5e Marianne Woodside, Tricia McClam) (Instructor Manual all Chapters) 1 / 4

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STANDARDS

Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION

ON CASE MANAGEMENT

NASW’s Social Work Case Management Human-Service Certified Board Practitioner Competency

Case Management Defined Standard 1: Knowledge, Ethics,

and Values

• Case Management

The Process of Case Management Standard 1: Knowledge, Ethics,

and Values

• Case Management

Three Components of Case Management

Standard 1: Knowledge, Ethics,

and Values

• Case Management

Principles and Goals of Case Management

Standard 1: Knowledge, Ethics,

and Values

• Case Management
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CHAPTER OUTLINE NOTES

Introduction • The world in which case managers function is changing rapidly. The time between policy development and implementation is much shorter.• Many human service agencies and organizations have chosen to limit the services they provide.• Service delivery is affected by the current economic downturn and related conditions.• Accounting for the role of Affordable Care Act in understanding coverage constraints and financial implications on care.• Current political climate and the role of government in human services may contribute to a sense of uncertainty.• Case management requires providing and coordinating services for the individuals and families served.• Accountability should be built into how services are evaluated.• All plans and services focus on and build on family strengths; the ultimate goal is for the family to manage its own case.• Treatment plans focus on needs, strengths, and interests.• Care varies from agency to agency, from helper to helper, and from client to client.• Case management is used to coordinate and deliver services, moving an individual through the service delivery process from intake to closure.

• Traditional Case Management
• In mental health service delivery in the 1970s, case management was a necessary

component of service delivery because clients with complex needs required multiple services.

• Began with assessment and continued through intervention.

ii. A shift occurred during the 1980s as many professionals and clients objected to the use of the word manage.iii. Terms such as service coordination and care coordination were viewed as more accurately reflecting a commitment to client involvement or empowerment.II. Case Management Today

• Many effective case managers have assumed the dual role of linking/monitoring

services and providing direct services.

• This intensive case management reflects the time and financial resources

committed to the client.ii. Current case management characterizes an accepted way of providing human services to clients and their families.iii. Principles of integration of services, continuity of care, equal access to services and advocacy, quality of care, and client empowerment guide case management service delivery.iv. Professional organizations and states have developed certification on roles, responsibilities, competencies, and skills.

i. Case management: a creative and collaborative process involving skills in

assessment, communication, coordination, consulting, teaching, modeling, and advocacy that aims to enhance the optimum social functioning of the client served 3 / 4

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and positive outcomes for the agency (Commission for Case Manager Certification,

2015).

ii. Case managers: the helping professionals who perform the responsibilities of case management. Their goal is to help those who need assistance to manage their own lives and to support them when expertise is needed or a crisis occurs.iii. Case management is defined and mandated through federal legislation, has become part of the services offered by insurance companies, and is now accepted by helping professionals as a way to serve long-term clients who have multiple problems.III. The Process of Case Management

• The ultimate goal is to empower clients to manage their own lives as well as they are

able.ii. The three phases of case management include assessment, planning, and implementation.iii. Due to increasing complexity, case managers need an extensive repertoire of knowledge, skills, techniques, and strategies.iv. The responsibilities of each phase will vary depending on setting and the case manager’s job description.

• The three phases represent the flow of case management rather than rigidly defined

steps to successful case closure.IV. Assessment

• Assessment: the diagnostic study of the client and the client’s environment.
• The Initial Contact

ii. The initial contact is the starting point for gathering and assessing information about the applicant to establish eligibility and evaluate the need for services.iii. The case manager begins to establish a relationship and learns about the client’s previous experience with helping, his or her strengths and perception of problems, the referral source, and expectations.iv. Some of the routine matters addressed during the initial meeting are completing intake forms, gathering insurance information, outlining the purpose and services of the agency, giving assurances of confidentiality, and obtaining information releases.

• Gathering and Assessing Information
• The client and case manager will become partners in reaching goals; therefore, it is

important to identify and clarify their respective roles and expectations.vi. The case manager must make clear that the client is to be involved in all phases of the process.vii. The case manager must determine what types of information are needed, then make sense of that information.viii. The client is often the primary source of information, giving historical data, perceptions about the presenting problem, strengths assessment, cultural considerations, and desired outcomes.

• The client is considered the expert, with self-reporting information being

central.ix. The client also participates as an evaluator of information, agreeing with or challenging information from other sources.

• Planning
• Planning: the process of determining future service delivery in an organized way.
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