Mental Health Case Manager

Summary/Objective:

Provide mental health case management services to identified adults with Serious & Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI) and/or children with serious emotional disturbance (SED). Services are designed to assist these individuals in gaining access to needed medical, social, educational, financial, and other services necessary to ensure stabilization of functioning and meet mental health needs. Case management services will be delivered either face-to-face or via telephone contact with the client, family, or other service providers. The Case Manager develops a functional assessment and individual community support plan. The Case Manager refers and assists the individuals in obtaining needed mental health and other services, coordinates the individual’s services, and monitors the delivery of services.   

Examples of mental health and community services which may be accessed include:

• Individual, family, or group therapy
• Helping manage medication issues
• Day treatment
• Home-based therapeutic services
• Education or health services
• Housing and related needs

Required Education and Experience:

• Must be at least 21 years of age.
• Must possess a bachelor’s degree in one of the behavioral sciences or a related field from an accredited college or university.
• Must have at least 2000 hours of supervised experience in the delivery of services to persons with mental illness or alternatively receive required DHS approved training upon hire.
• Needs to have knowledge of available services in the community and how they connect.
• Flexibility and responsiveness to client’s changing needs.
• Must pass a criminal background check.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license and maintain current automobile insurance.
• Must have a reliable car that can be used for work.

Essential Functions:

Primary Responsibilities

• Assessment: The Case Manager must review the Diagnostic Assessment at the start of services, then with the client, complete a functional assessment to identify strengths, resources supports, needs, functioning, health problems and conditions, safety, vulnerability and injury risk. The Case Manager will include family members, significant others and other providers in the information gathering process to the extent possible. The functional assessment should be completed within the first 30 days of service, and then every 180 days thereafter.
• Treatment Planning: Develop the client’s Individual Community Support Plan (ICSP) within 30 days of the first meeting with the client and then every 180 days thereafter. The ICSP should include goals, activities to achieve the goals, the schedule for each activity and the frequency of needed face-to-face contact with the Case Manager.
• Referral & Linkage: The focus of Case Management services is to help the individual become maximally integrated in the community through appropriate referral and linking activities. The Case Manager should work with the person and/or family to “break down” the walls which separate the individual from the community, replacing segregation with community integration.
• Monitoring & Coordination: Monitoring and coordination is often done via telephone. The purpose of these activities is to ensure program coordination; ensure that all providers are working in orchestration on behalf of the client, so as to avoid confusion and duplication; regularly determine the level of progress towards the goals of the ICSP; and to be alert to the emergence of new needs.
• Develop a crisis/safety plan for the client when appropriate, and assist in the management of client risk.
• Provide transportation for clients at times, in keeping with the ICSP.

Administrative Responsibilities

• Complete notes for services rendered in keeping with policy.
• Ensure compliance of charts, in keeping with DHS standards.
• Attend treatment team meetings as necessary.
• Attend training and supervision meetings as scheduled.
• Complete time and expense sheets bi-weekly.
• Submit accurate billing / productivity reports each week.
• Contribute to the development of agency policies and procedures as assigned.
• Maintain at least 20 hours per year of continuing education in the area of mental illness.

Professional Expectations

• Dress appropriately for the job.
• Work in a positive and cooperative manner with others.
• Resolve problems constructively.
• Take initiative. Be willing to pitch in. Be energetic.
• Communicate directly with colleagues.
• Be dependable with the schedule.
• Show flexibility when situations change, and re-prioritize work tasks when needed.
• Display a positive attitude about your job and the agency.
• Show pride in your work.
• Be patient with clients, co-workers, and other team members.
• Be willing to give and accept constructive feedback.
• Accept responsibility for your own behavior and decisions.

Work Environment and Physical Demands:

Under normal circumstances the employee will need to have the physical capacity to continuously use his/her hands for simple and firm grasping and fine manipulation.  Occasionally the employee will be required to do the following:

• Lift and carry 25-100 lbs.
• Push/Pull
• Squat/Kneel/Stoop
• Bend
• Twist upper body
• Climb a ladder

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work: This is a full-time position. Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday, hours will fluctuate based on workload and client schedule. Occasional weekend work will be mandatory based on client needs.

Travel: This position requires some local travel each day, between the office, school, home, and community training locations.

Additional Eligibility Qualification:

None

Work Authorization/Security Clearance:

None required

AAP/EEO Statement:

Solutions does not discriminate in employment with regard to race, creed, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, age, gender, sexual orientation, or number of dependents. As part of the Solutions team, no provider or staff member shall aid, coerce, or conspire to cause a termination or resignation of another team member because of illegal discriminatory factors.

Other Duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.