Case Compass Guide
Introduction to case management
What is case management in the context of social services?
Case management is a client-centered, goal-oriented process that connects individuals and their families to the social services they need, based on an assessment of their situation.
As part of the case management intervention, a social worker (or equivalent) interacts with clients who need help resolving various individual or family issues. The social worker assesses client’s circumstances and provides support, linking them with benefits and services. This support comes in different degrees of case management intensity, depending on the complexity of the situation, the frequency of interactions with the client, and the type of support required.
Learn more about Case Compass’s definition of case management by exploring the framework:
As part of the case management intervention, a social worker (or equivalent) interacts with clients who need help resolving various individual or family issues. The social worker assesses client’s circumstances and provides support, linking them with benefits and services. This support comes in different degrees of case management intensity, depending on the complexity of the situation, the frequency of interactions with the client, and the type of support required.
Learn more about Case Compass’s definition of case management by exploring the framework:
How does case management work?
Case management follows a flexible, proven methodology. Social services can implement it with
varying degrees of sophistication, and in a variety of contexts, to serve various vulnerable
population groups. Case management almost always features the same general actions, activities,
and steps. These include assessing a beneficiary’s needs, defining an intervention plan with
the beneficiary, referring the beneficiary to other services (when appropriate), and evaluating
and monitoring the case over time. Eventually the case can be closed.
1
Intake and assessment
2
Planning
and preparation of action plan
3
Implementation and monitoring
of action plan, including provision of services
4
Evaluation and closing
While less intense forms of case management, like information and orientation or referral, use this
methodology, it applies at the most intensive level of case management (also known as case work).
Which social services can case management support?
Case management can link beneficiaries to a wide variety of social services. Countries have
implemented case management for conditional cash transfer programs, labor market activation,
and more. The benefit of case management comes in fostering linkages between beneficiaries
and services. Because the methodology is a flexible, it can accommodate many social protection
practices, and work in many contexts.
Examples of benefits and services
Who performs case management?
While Case Compass classifies case management interventions according to degrees of intensity,
in academic social work, case management is understood as the most in-depth type of support
(often called case work). In case work, a licensed social worker assesses the needs of a client
and their family and organizes, coordinates, monitors, evaluates, and advocates for a package of
multiple services over time. The goal is to meet the specific client’s multidimensional needs.
A licensed social worker is the primary provider of social work case management as defined above. *
Due to large caseloads and highly complex needs, some programs employ people other than social
workers to assist with case management activities. Final case approval and sign-off will always
be completed by the professional case worker, though.
*NASW Standards for Social Work Case Management,
https://www.socialworkers.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=acrzqmEfhlo%3D&portalid=0
Why build a case management information system (CMIS)?
Case managers need tools that help them improve service delivery and carry out their tasks.
They need easy access to:
- Catalogs of available benefits and services
- Assessments and other case forms
- Case histories and beneficiary information
- Data related to a case
- Manuals to support each phase of the intervention cycle
- Tools to refer clients and ensure successful linkages to other social programs
- Other resources for the daily practice of social work, such as self-care techniques
Case management information systems can bring all these tools together and facilitate the daily
work of social workers. Without a CMIS, social workers often must use many different software
programs, or pen and paper. With a CMIS, all tools and information are centralized. These software
programs can provide information about the beneficiary, support all phases of the intervention,
and report on the progress of any intervention or referral to other services.
Learn more about case management information systems
