Case Management

Print Case Management.pdf

Background –

Case Managers coordinate with agencies and organizations to facilitate the best resources and supports for their clients. Case Managers cannot counsel their clients. They are required to refer them to a licensed professional such as a social worker or counselor. Generally they work together with clients and community resources to promote overall client wellbeing and mental health. Identifying the client’s problem as well as their goals, strengths and plans is an important part of the career. Usually a case manager will identify a specialty they work within. These specialties can include child welfare, immigrant status, health care, addictions, long term care, HIV/AIDs, etc.

What do people earn in this career?
     1. Community Health Workers – Average Salary of $38,860*

What are the average salaries for those with a degree in Social Work?
     1. Child, Family and School Social Workers - $47,480
     2. Healthcare Social Workers - $55,260
     3. Mental Health & Substance Abuse Social Workers - $49,420

What classes at GVSU may help me in my career? Discuss with your advisor which courses among those on this list, along with other courses not listed here, would best serve your career goals.

     1. PSY 360 – Social Psychology
     2. PSY 381 – Group Dynamics
     3. PSY 303 – Psychopathology
     4. PSY 310 – Behavior Modification
     5. SW 150 – Human Needs in Complex Societies
     6. SW 333 – Community Work with LGBTQ Community

What minors could I explore based on my interests?

     1. Minor in Sociology: Courses in child maltreatment, deviance and social control, families in society, sociology of work, drug use and abuse, and class, race, gender and sexuality
     2. Minor in Juvenile Justice: Courses in criminology, youth culture & crime, juvenile correctional counseling, children and child welfare services, child maltreatment & family law
     3. Minor in Aging and Adult Life: Courses in health care management, perspectives on aging, therapeutic recreation with the elderly

What skills do Case Managers generally have? Strong interviewing skills, communication (written and oral), critical thinking skills, advocacy, cross cultural competency, and organizational skills are all very important for a case manager to acquire.

Employer Possibilities – Employed by public or nonprofit organizations, schools, hospitals

*Salaries from bls.gov (2016)