Have you ever heard the term "case management" ?

and what does this mean? within individual therapy?

[Kiya]

dunno dearie. doesn't sound too scary to me... can you give more detail? though similiar, my t said "if i were you i'd want my care coordinated". this seemed scary to me, but really wasn;t when the adult me looked at it and the kids stopped.

((((((((((((((free))))))))))))))))

Case Management - has been mentioned before - in terms of there is "no hope" for improvement - so.. you need to have someone to manage your meds.. but I have no hope that you can improve your depression... your PTSD... your DID...

just that you are to the point.. where you can be managed... with again no hope of improvement..

a "label".. that pdoc.. puts on me... and the T - that also work in the outpatient psych hospital..

it.. is discouraging to hear the "clinical term" - case management - and I had asked what it meant...

and it hurts..

it is why.. I sought therapist that would work with me - took months to find.. because they all wanted to send me to county... where they offer monthly check-in... with no real therapy...

and I saw my pdoc today.. and was.. triggered by the label once again..

Hey Free. Don't let it get you down. Everytime I have been in the hospital, they refer to the plan once released as part of "case management."

It is a label, but I don't think it is as bad as it seems. It is clinical crap for "what is going to happen with this client and how are we going to achieve it and who is going to be involved, etc"

hang in there.

[ECHOES]

I don't know about in psych treatment, but in medical treatment (for a strictly medical diagnosis that might include different organs or functions) it means coordinating the treatment team for the best treatment. Maybe in psych treatment it means the pdoc and T working together as a team?

Have you found out more since you originally posted, freewill?

it's tough freewill... the techno-terms and clinical babbledee-doo... they generally use it with each other and not us so much.. i don't like it either. Freaks me out too. but sugar.. remember that stuff is like shop talk... and for you it's... well... YOU. You aren't made up of shop talk, you're a person and it can feel like a judgement or put down.

i'm sorry this hurt you so... and i understand why it may have.. i shut down for two whole days the first time my pdoc said i was "unstable."

maybe management could be seen as establishing a baseline or foundation from which you can acheive improvement later. Maybe right now improvement isn't the appropriate goal.. i don't know that, just suggesting.

and one other thing.. i think the idea of case management is used more when there are two or more professionals involved in your care or case (see how one can interchange case with care?). Maybe you can ask that he/she say something else? like coordination of care? action plan?

remember sugar... this is about YOU.. so this is YOUR case, YOUR job to manage YOU...

[Fuzzybear]

[Slippers]

Case managers are sorta like...a combo of a life coach and a personal assistant. They are not therapists. They can help you organize your meds, get refills, maybe drive you to appointments, maybe help you keep up with medical appts, deal with insurance and/or public assistance, get groceries, etc. They help you out with the basics in life when things just get overwhelming.

This person can be VERY helpful. I'd never turn one down personally. Even if you just use them as a limo service!

Typically when you first meet, you develop a care plan together which is when you tell them what you need, and don't need. If you don't want certain help, they will stay out of your way.

S

[sunrise]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Slippers said:
Case managers are sorta like...a combo of a life coach and a personal assistant.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">Slippers, so if your care was complicated enough with multiple needs and professionals, you might want to hire one? Where do you find them? About how much do they charge?

[Slippers]

The ones I have worked with have been paid for through medicaid.

You might try asking at the office of your primary care doc or your pdoc if you might qualifiy, then ask your insurer.

They really can save money for insurance companies since your care is better organized, so your health is better. And frankly, they are pretty poorly paid so they don't cost the insurance company much money.

S

[PsyChris]

I don't like the term case management. It implies that the patient/client is a "case" to be worked on. They are however in practice remarkable programs.

In the outpatient setting it refers to something similar to a "social worker" who can help you in more aspects of your life than just your Mental Health. They may manage your finances, real estate etc., They can arrange housing, jobs and use the "system" to your benefit.

In an inpatient setting a case manager may facilitate your transition back into the community. They may be part of a team that makes sure you follow-up with your pdoc visits, are compliant with your medications and have a safe living condition.

[Slippers]

A social worker in the US is typically a licensed position (in many states it is a regulated title like "Psychologist") requiring a masters degree. In out patient settings, they are most likely doing therapy, or are in management positions in agencies.

Case managers can be high school graudates, although typically they have some college degree.

S

freewill didn't mention a case manager.. that is entirely different from just case management. Slippers is right, a case manager helps with life's daily grind. But case management is coordination of treatment/care/etc. ANyone in the treatment team can help with case management, although one person (pdoc typically) generally does.

So this is different in the US then? I'm a little confused. My first job coming out of undergraduate school was as a case manager for homeless families. I did things like link them with resources for mental heath, schooling, etc., took them to see prospective apartments, educated them in regards to daily living skills, helped them with issues regarding insurance, helped them make their medical and psych appointments, went with them to court, etc. etc. etc. Like Jello said, assistance with life's daily grind and basically giving them the assistance that they needed so that they didn't slip through the cracks, while taking care of a lot of the professional issues that they didn't need the stress of dealing with. We have case managers for all sorts of populations-- mental health, homeless, developmentally disabled, medical, etc. I am not sure I understand what case management is in regards to it being done by anyone on the treatment team, particularly the pdoc-- what do you mean? Teach me!

[Slippers]

Sometimes the pdoc will explain their handwriting to a pharmacist. I think THAT's case management!!

I knew a pdoc once who drove samples to a sick client. Now that's really case mgmt!

[embarassed]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
pinksoil said:
So this is different in the US then? I'm a little confused. My first job coming out of undergraduate school was as a case manager for homeless families. I did things like link them with resources for mental heath, schooling, etc., took them to see prospective apartments, educated them in regards to daily living skills, helped them with issues regarding insurance, helped them make their medical and psych appointments, went with them to court, etc. etc. etc. Like Jello said, assistance with life's daily grind and basically giving them the assistance that they needed so that they didn't slip through the cracks, while taking care of a lot of the professional issues that they didn't need the stress of dealing with. We have case managers for all sorts of populations--

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">
I'm a case manager and that's pretty much what I do.

[embarassed]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Slippers said:

I knew a pdoc once who drove samples to a sick client. Now that's really case mgmt!



</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

Wow, that's very generous of him/her. It's nice to know that there are doctors who do more than just sign the script pad and say, "Next!"

[PsyChris]

Actually everyone is correct.

The Case Management team is a term used to describe formal care by professionals.

In theory you should have a case management team. A team that knows you specifically. It's an idea of "continuity of care." in that you have one pdoc, one primary doc, one cardiologist etc.,

When it works it reduces the length and frequency of inpatient hospital stays in mental and medical health services. Insurance companies encourage the use of case management whenever possible.

Normally the only people that can benefit from true case management are people that have insurance. The non-insured often get shuffled from clinic to clinic.

[Slippers]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
PsyChris said:

Actually everyone is correct.


</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

Actually, we already knew that.

I hope the original poster found their answer in here somewhere!

S