What is case management?

Case management is a systematic way of ensuring that each client's needs are met at each stage over a period of time. Case managers track the needs of individual clients and do what needs to be done to help them.

Having one person plan, coordinate, and monitor progress results in an integrated service. It prevents problems such as people getting lost in the system, falling between the cracks, or being ping-ponged between various people who can't do what the client needs.

Lots of industries use case managers, in fact almost any industry that needs to make sure people get the help they need over a period of time. They include hospitals, legal firms, rehabilitation officers for the disabled and for industry accident victims, social workers, commercial disputes mediators, community care supervisors of the elderly, mental health workers, employment officers, schools with special needs students, and workers with alcohol and other drug victims.

What does a case manager do?

A case manager typically:

• assesses the client's needs when the client first comes into their care,
• plans care,
• coordinates the range of services that the client needs, including liaison with the people involved,
• keeps track of progress,
• evaluates the effectiveness and efficiency of services, and arranges improvements where necessary, and,
• oversees closure of the case.

Many clients don't have the skills to navigate the wide range of services they need, and clients often need the case worker to advocate on their behalf for many services.

The final effect is that the total care program is collaborative. Someone (you, the case worker) is clearly responsible to make sure everything happens and, as much as possible, the client has a seamless service across their range of needs. The case worker needs to keep a bird's eye view of the client's whole program. In some cases, other agencies will also assign case workers to your client, so you will sometimes also need to work with other case workers.

A simple example

Elyse, a new client at a women's refuge needs a case manager to help navigate the range of services she needs. Elyse client may have to deal with the following services:

• House rules of the refuge
• Centrelink (for social security)
• Lawyers and courts (for restraining orders, custody of children, and property ownership)
• Health care, including counseling
• Peer and extended family relationships
• Children's school enrollment
• Banks and financial advisors, to deal with debt problems

Later on, she may need to consider housing, getting furniture, and employment (including induction back into the workforce, transport, training, and childcare.)