Case Management Overview

Case Management Overview

Case managers play a very important role in human services. They play thirteen roles that are all very important to getting the clients the help that they need. There are four theoretical models that can be used to identify problems and the causes of those problems. Also, when working with special populations there are going to be some issues that the case manager needs to be prepared to discuss.

There are thirteen roles that case managers cover. They are outreach worker, broker, advocate, evaluator, teacher-educator, behavior changer, mobilizer, consultant, community planner, caregiver, data manager, administrator, and assistant to specialist. The outreach worker detects people with problems, refers them to services, and follows up with them. The broker helps people get to their services and help them relate to their services. The advocate fights for services, policies, rules, regulations, and laws for clients. The evaluator assesses needs and problems and then comes up with a plan. The teacher-educator performs instructional activities for individuals or groups. The behavior changer has a range of activities that are geared toward changing behavior. The mobilizer helps communities get new resources. The consultant handles the problems, needs, and programs of agencies. The community planner ensures that community development minimizes emotional stress and strains on people. The caregiver provides services for those who need ongoing support. The data manager performs all aspects of anything data related. The administrator performs activities that are agency oriented. The assistant to specialist relieves burdensome tasks from specialists, such as taking blood pressure and escorting clients to agencies (Mehr & Kanwischer, 2011).

It is important to be able to identify problems and the causes of those problems using theoretical models. Knowing the cause of the problem gives human service workers some perspective into the world of their client. There are four approaches to conceptualizing the problem behaviors (Mehr & Kanwischer, 2011).

The first approach is organic causality. Organic causality suggests that a person’s abnormal behavior is a result of physical causes, such as genetic makeup, brain chemistry, infection, toxins, or brain trauma. One example is an elder person developing Alzheimer’s disease. This makes the person very forgetful and eventually they are no longer able to live on their own. They then need the assistance of human service professionals to help them find housing they can afford and they will be well taken care of (Mehr & Kanwischer, 2011).

The second approach is psychodynamic causality. Psychodynamic causality is similar to organic causality because they seem sick but they behave that way because of unconscious motivation. For example, a person who is an alcoholic may have started drinking years ago due to marital

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