-There are many roles of case managers, including demonstrating leadership, building relationships, advocating for clients, and coordinating services for clients who need them. Case managers use leadership skills to motivate disparate parties toward achieving a common goal. By establishing professional relationships within the community, case managers coordinate comprehensive treatment and intervention plans for each of their clients.
-Advocacy is one important role in case management. Many case management clients may have difficulty navigating government agencies, and they may have trouble finding resources to help with struggles they face in their day-to-day lives. Another important role of case management is working to determine the services that these clients need to help them live healthier lives. For example, some clients may have a traumatic history of family hardships. The ways in which these clients attempt to cope with their experiences may leave them out of touch with reality, homeless, or living with a drug addiction. Such populations may require assistance in accessing mental health care, securing safe living environments, and locating suitable employment.
To Prepare for this Discussion:
Review Chapter 1, Overview of Case Management Skills. Focus on the definition and description of case management.
Review Chapter 3, The Roles of a Case Manager. Think about the texts descriptions of the different ways that case managers assist and empower their clients.
Think about what might be the most challenging role of a case manager.
– Write a brief description of the most challenging role for you as a case manager (DRUG and ALCOHOL) and explain why. Then explain how you might manage that challenging role. Finally, explain which aspects of case management might best suit your personality and why.