3 minute read
Case Manager Insights
The Tools to Fix the Problems
Jennifer Zentner, BA, CCM
What is case management…if we are honest with ourselves, the answer changes depending on the day. Case management is advocacy, empowerment, facilitating autonomy, and assisting people in attaining their goals whether medically or personally. Case management can be a whirlwind of excitement, frustration, fulfillment, and reward all in the same day. A colleague of mine frequently describes case management as the junk drawer of the care team because “everything gets dumped on the case manager.” When I think of a junk drawer, I think of the half pack of birthday candles, the random assortment of batteries that never seem to be the type I need, the pen that doesn’t work, and the random thumbtack I don’t need. I think of a drawer of useless possessions that don’t have a place anywhere else. I don’t think of case management as the junk drawer; I prefer to think of case management as the toolbox.
A toolbox is often stuffed full of random items, much like a junk drawer, but in the case of the toolbox, each item has a specific purpose. A well-organized toolbox is essential for resolving issues. Having the tool you need improves efficiency, increases productivity, and lowers frustration. A toolbox is put together with inten-
tion, each tool playing a part in fixing a problem. Sure, sometimes after a complicated job, the tools get thrown back in and don’t look as pretty, but everything still has a useful purpose. As case managers with the toolbox, we are prepared for anything because on any given day, anything can happen. From suicidal individuals to sudden homelessness, we must adapt our tools to meet diverse needs.
Have you ever seen someone that fixes things for a living? Have you been in their workshop? Every tool has a home, every machine is well kept, and they can make seamless movements from one tool to another based on the need. An effective case manager has a strong organizational system and has all of their resources at their fingertips. We are responsible not only for managing whatever administrative requirements are placed on us given the field in which we work, but we are also responsible for lives. Lives that are at risk due to barriers to health, barriers to work, and often barriers to safety.
A case manager may often feel that they are being “dumped on,” but in actuality they are being recognized as the essential person for the task at hand. Some days are harder than others. Some days our toolbox feels empty and filled with inadequate tools, but the beauty of case management is that those days are balanced with days where our tools are able to help fix barriers and make progress. Case management requires flexibility, resilience, patience, tenacity, and sometimes a nice margarita.
Case management looks different depending on the field or position in which the case manager works. Years ago, I was a case manager for adults with developmental disabilities. In that position, advocacy was 99% of my job. I advocated for their human rights. I advocated for their wants and needs. And in one instance, I advocated for appropriate legal counsel. In that situation, I had a 22-year-old young man with the cognitive capabilities of an 8-year-old who stood accused of a crime he did not even know about. He was arrested, questioned without a lawyer, and as a product of the foster system, had no family support to assist him. With no law degree, I had to open my toolbox and reflect on what I could do in order to assist this young man. With the support of my supervisor, we created a fundraiser to raise money for him to hire a new lawyer that could advocate for him
Jennifer Zentner, BA,
CCM, has 10 years of case management experience and works primarily with the Medicaid population and specifically waiver programs. She is currently working as a LTSS Case Management Supervisor at Molina Healthcare.
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