PT. I of II: CASE MANAGEMENT TIPS IN SOCIAL WORK (Our Front Line Workers)

PT. I of II: 

CASE MANAGEMENT TIPS IN SOCIAL WORK (Our Front Line Workers) 

Social work is not for the faint of heart. Let’s be real, most individuals who go into “social work” are not looking for the big paycheck. Their passion and empathy to serve and assist their community is normally the driving force entering this field of work. I’m sure a lot of us have seen up close and personal the issues of families and individuals being unhoused/homeless. If you haven’t seen it you definitely have heard about it and it’s not just going on in Maricopa County but all around the country.

The social work demands it places particularly on case managers can be strenuous wherever and whenever socioeconomic decline occurs. Normally, there are certain prerequisites for case managers that seek employment in social work. There will be a huge need for tremendous interpersonal and intrapersonal skills to meet the demands of the job. 

Often, case managers can engage with their clients more than once a week. So, there can be a challenge in maintaining a balance between the personal and professional relationships with clients. Here’s some tips in maintaining those challenges and to assist with your mental wellness to continue providing the essential services needed.

1. Empathy

Building trust and creating a positive rapport. Clients need to feel this, and they can sense when it’s not there. Remember they may be going through some hiccups in life but that doesn’t mean they can’t feel authenticity. The ability to understand and feel the emotions of your clients, and to put yourself in their shoes can be the determining factor on how effective you are with providing services and helping them reach their goals. 

Empathy is important for understanding your clients’ needs, identifying their strengths and challenges, and developing appropriate interventions.

2. Resilience

Case management in social work can be demanding. It can take a toll on your physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing. Staying resilient in the face of these challenges is a key part of the job. You want to make sure you stay motivated for your client so that you can continue to provide quality assistance and support. However, let’s not forget about SELF-CARE to maintain resilience. You must take care of yourself. Finding things to do at work and away from work that support self-care. Reading your favorite book on breaks and lunch, going for a walk, working out, finding your favorite recipes, etc. But you MUST find the self-care you need to maintain your best self.

Resources not only help the client but help you to help the client. Make sure that you have resources on hand that can assist the client with therapy or counseling services, crisis intervention assistance, social service resources in the community such as food boxes, clothing and hygiene needs. You are continuing to build rapport and trust.

3. Communication

Strong communication skills are crucial for case managers in social work. Effective listening to assist your clients. Listen to hear exactly what’s needed. Not to listen to “think” you know what’s needed, but listening to assure that you communicate the needs of your clients for resources in the community, to communicate to your colleagues, and to be able to share that communication back to your client. This is building Trust!

In addition, your client should know how to engage or reach out to you. Make sure to express to your client about how they can reach you for questions or concerns. Explain how to communicate with  emails, phone calls, or if there is a special platform in your organization that you engage with. 

4. Cultural Competence

Case managers in social work will engage with a wide variety of clients with cultural traditions, practices, and values. By developing your knowledge of other cultures, you will gain the ability to service your clients in ways that respect and promote diversity.  Find out how your organization and community resources assist with cultural competences. Is there training that your organization offers for cultural competence? Remember social services are here for all individuals that in a lot of cases may not look like us or grew up like us. Again, having cultural competence builds trust and rapport.  

5. Being Organized

Managing large caseloads can be normal for case managers in social work.  It’s important to be well-organized to manage your time effectively. Creating an effective calendar (with reminders) that provides meetings with clients, staffing with colleagues, community meetings, etc. Documenting client meetings immediately after the meeting ends. This provides a true reflection of what took place and what is needed. Documenting hours or days later you will probably miss out on key issues/factors needed to assist that client. Remember case managers often have heavy caseloads and information about clients can start running together. We want to make sure if a colleague needs to assist us they have the correct notes to follow through with.