A day in the life of a mental health case worker

Who is a mental health case worker?

A case manager is an individual appointed to help people with their mental health recovery while they are a client of public mental health services. The case manager will prepare an individual service plan with a client, setting out their goals and strategies to attain the goals.

A mental health case manager is a psychiatric professional who collaborates closely with patients to develop treatment plans to improve their well-being and recover from any mental health conditions. They conduct thorough assessments of patients to identify any psychological needs, triggers and strengths and use these results to build informed and effective treatment plans. If they learn that the patient needs a specialized or more advanced service, they may provide additional resources or recommendations to outside providers.

A treatment plan will be developed by the client and their case manager in collaboration. A client’s nominated person, family, or career may be consulted if they are a young person, or if the client consents to their involvement.

A case manager may look at areas causing stress in the client’s daily life and how clients can manage them.

What kind of assessments do case workers do?

The case manager will make sure clients receive a full assessment: which includes a mental state examination, a physical examination, co-occurring mental health, and a substance use assessment of their need for services.

The assessment will also include an analysis of a client’s emotional and mental well-being, how they deal with stress and illness, their safety and the safety of others, their friendships and relationships, their work, leisure, and education, and their daily living skills. The assessment must also consider the client’s physical health, income and housing, and their rights and advocacy.

How do case managers prepare treatment plans?

A case manager and other members of the treatment team will work with a mental health client to prepare a treatment plan that is designed to meet the client’s specific needs. The client and their nominated person: family, career, or advocate will be involved in planning their treatment.

A client can also make an advanced Statement, which informs the mental health service of the client’s preferences. For instance, if they have dependent children, then clients can talk to their mental health service case manager to help them to plan for the services and support that clients’ families may need.

 

What skills must a case manager possess?

Since they work with patients daily, mental health case managers should hold impressive communication, listening, and interpersonal abilities. This allows them to connect with and understand the needs of clients, accurately assess patients’ mental health states and create effective individualized treatment plans. Advanced analytical abilities also help them determine the right treatment option for patients according to their symptoms, actions, and needs.

Some patients with severe mental health conditions may experience unexpected crises and mental health breakdowns, so mental health case managers must be quick problem solvers, and composed individuals who can stay calm and make rational decisions to resolve and de-escalate the situation. Other essential skills mental health case managers should have to succeed in their role include verbal and written communication skills and research skills. They must be analytical and data-driven, have attention to detail and possess advanced knowledge of mental health conditions.

What does a typical day look like for a case manager?

The variety of responsibilities carried out by a case manager means that there may not be such a thing as a typical day in case management. Some days will be filled with meetings. Some meetings will be with coworkers or care providers. Other meetings will take place between the case manager and clients. Team meetings often include participation by clients, and these meetings regularly require mediation or advocacy by the case manager on behalf of the client.

Paperwork, note compilation, and data entry are also important aspects of case management and must be done as part of daily routine. Government jobs have many specific requirements for documentation to be completed by case managers, and case managers who are licensed by the state must also meet certain specifications. Moreover, grant-funded case management often requires careful documentation as well, and careful note-taking is integral to providing the best possible service to clients. So, a case manager’s day is composed of several significant tasks and interactions with many different people.