Case Management in Social Work: Planning, Practices, and Cases

This assignment comprises three sections: a scenario involving two Aboriginal teenage clients, a case study of an 8-year-old boy named Daniel, and a major project report on case management practices. The scenario focuses on providing guidance and support to the teenage clients who are expecting a baby, addressing their concerns about lifestyle changes and housing. The case study examines Daniel's behavioral issues, potential ADHD, and the mistakes made by his teacher and counsellor, highlighting the importance of a comprehensive approach. The major project delves into the case management process, including assessing client issues, conducting meetings, developing plans, ethical considerations, monitoring, and documentation. It explores the iterative and cyclical nature of case management, emphasizing the importance of effective communication, goal setting, and client involvement. The report discusses various aspects of case management, like screening, evaluation, planning, execution, and the significance of cultural considerations and ethical practices in social work.

Scenario – 250 words
You have two Aboriginal teenage clients (both 18 years old) who are due to have a baby in 2
month’s time. They are both completing Year 12 at High School and the male has a
wellpaying part time job, which will become full time very soon. They have been referred to
you by the hospital’s neo natal clinic, as they need guidance and support to plan for their
future. They are concerned that it will be difficult to give up “partying” once the baby is born
and how they will adapt their current lifestyle of eating junk food, sleeping late and hanging
out with friends. They want to move into their own place because the family home
environment is abusive and unsuitable. Describe the priorities and strategies to deal with
them. List a series of questions you will ask throughout the case management session? How
will you assist them to assess their parenting skills and coping strategies? Develop a
comprehensive case management plan including these points:  Your duty of care obligations
in regards to the clients and child protection  Goal setting strategy and action plan  Client
rights and responsibilities and venues of complaint  Behaviour change models, practices
and interventions  Cultural considerations and influence of family  Documentation,
monitoring and review of plan  Case closure or Inclusion of other support services
Duty of care obligations in regards to the clients and child protection
The care giver has the obligation of offering sound assistance to the clients with respect to
their safety as well as of the child.
Goal setting strategy and action plan
The overall goal of the care giver would be to ensure that both clients as well as their babies
are safe. The goal should be to offer assistance and help to the clients with respect to
effectively dealing with the situation.
Client rights and responsibilities and venues of complaint
The Aboriginal teenage clients (both 18 years old) are due to have a baby in 2 months time.
Both of them are completing Year 12 at High School as well as the male member holds a
well-paying part time job that would be full time very soon. Both the clients are worried that
it would be hard to give up “partying” when the baby will arrive and how they would adapt
their current lifestyle of eating junk food, sleeping late and hanging out with friends. They
want to move into their own place for the reason that the family home atmosphere is
unsuitable and abusive.

Cultural considerations and influence of family
Both the clients want to move into their own place for the reason that the family home
atmosphere is unsuitable and abusive.
Documentation, monitoring and review of plan
The plan would be properly documented and reviewed for its effectiveness on regular basis.
Case Study – 500 words
Daniel has been referred to a school based child and adolescent counsellor by his teacher.
Daniel is 8 years old, who lives with his mother and 4 younger siblings. His mother has
recently separated from Daniels’ father. Daniels’ behaviour is difficult to manage and his
teacher has indicated that he may have a learning disability. She suspects ADHD and shares
this with his Mother and suggests she sees a Dr and gets Ritalin prescribed for Daniel. His
mother seems keen to get Daniel medicated. His academic performance is poor and his
teacher reports the following: • Often disrupts the class by leaving his seat and running
around the classroom • Has difficulty waiting in line and taking turns • Interrupts others when
they are speaking • Frequently forgets things such as toys, pencils, books, and homework
Daniel tells the counsellor he has a lot of friends at school, but claims to dislike going to
school and “thinks it’s boring”. He says he is “tired all the time and would rather stay home
with Mum.” He tells the counsellor that Mum is going to take him to see a Dr because he is
“mental” and needs medication. The school based counsellor agrees and Daniel is prescribed
Ritalin. No other treatment is considered. What are your concerns for Daniel? What would
you do? What mistakes (if any) has the teacher and school based counsellor made? What case
management planning would you do and who would you involve? What are your statutory
requirements in relation to this case?
In the provided case of Daniel it is quite evident that he has been suggested to meet
adolescent counsellor by the teacher. Daniels’ behaviour is hard to deal with and the teacher
has specified that he might be having some learning disability. The teacher suspects ADHD
as well as shares the same with his Mother and the teacher suggests his mother to get Ritalin
prescribed for Daniel. His mother appears keen for getting Daniel medicated. Daniel informs
the counsellor that he remains tired all the time and prefers staying at home with his mother.
Daniel informs the counsellor that he has several friends in school, nevertheless claims for

disliking school and believes it is boring. He informs the counsellor that his mother is going
to take him to visit a Dr for the reason that he is “mental” as well as requires medication. The
counsellor agrees to this and Daniel is suggested Ritalin and no other treatment is taken into
consideration. So, it appears that Daniel is unable to focus in the class and he is unable to
adjust among other classmates. In such a situation it is highly suggested as well as
appropriate to properly understand the reason behind such behaviour of Daniel. He is being
repeatedly being told by his mother and teacher that he is unstable mentally and requires
medication and this might be actually making him believe this and thus, directing his acts
accordingly. Moving ahead, my views for Daniel suggest that rather than providing
medications to Daniel there actually exists the need for properly understanding why exactly
Daniel is showing such behaviour. There is no need to straightaway bring him to medications
when they are not even needed.
Moreover, the teacher and school based counsellor made few mistakes. First of all, the
teacher has been continuously stating that Daniel requires medications and treatment without
actually understanding Daniel’s condition and what might be the possible reason for such
behaviour. She simply wants him to visit the doctor and take medication without even
recognizing the need for it. Also, the doctor made a mistake by just simply prescribing the
medicine Daniel. Based upon what Daniel told him and what his mother and teacher believes,
the doctor simply came to a conclusion. Being a counsellor he should have made an effort for
better understanding Daniel’s condition. Effort must have been made to understand Daniel’s
behaviour and support him mentally, then just brining him on medicines.
I strongly believe that the doctor and the teacher followed the wrong. Me being in their place
would have followed proper case management techniques.to deal with Daniel than just giving
him medicines. I would first attempt to understand Daniel position by engaging in detail
description with Daniel. Rather than repeatedly telling him that he is unstable it is better to
help him settle down and make him feel comfortable among others. I would involve his
mother as well as teacher in managing this case. The statutory requirements regarding this
case involve suggesting Retalin without even considering other possible means.
Major Project - 1000 words
Do some research and write a 1000 word report on Case Management Practices. Make sure
you include information that explores 

Case Management Process basically refers to the context wherein case managers offer human
and health services to clients as well as their support systems (Snoddon, 2010). The
procedure actually involves a number of steps or sub-procedures, which are iterative,
recursive and cyclical instead of being linear in nature and employed till the time client’s
interests and needs are encountered. The steps take in screening, evaluating, stratifying risk,
planning, executing, following-up, transitioning, communication after transition and
examining results. The procedure involves special intervention through the case managers,
working together with clients along with their support systems for evaluating and
understanding the possible care options for the clients; identifying what is best for meeting
their requirements and instituting actions for achieving their objectives and meeting their
expectations and interests (Snoddon, 2010). An effective case management process involves
assessing client presenting issues, conducting case management meetings, developing a case
management plan, ethical and legal consideration, monitoring and reviewing the plan and
finally, documentation and record keeping.
Assessing Client Presenting Issues
It is highly essential to properly and precisely understand the client presenting issues in order
to ensure effectiveness in case management process (Snoddon, 2010). In case if the case
manager fails to effectively understand the issues affecting the client the entire process could
go waste and desired would not be achieved. It is also essential to decide if the patient will
actually benefit from Case Management procedure (Mullahy, 2010). At this point, all the
available information is properly reviewed for deciding the patient’s suitability for Case
Management. Moreover, the information reviewed may take in claims information, usage of
healthcare provisions, present health status and lastly, health record (Daniels and Ramey,
2004). Clients are generally screened because of
diagnosis and high utilization (frequent hospital or ER visits). As a result, it is highly
essential to properly understand the client situation so as to offer them suitable assistance and
help. In case if the counsellor will take steps without even completing understanding the case,
the client might come on incorrect medications or treatment (Snoddon, 2010).
Conducting case management meetings
It is highly necessary for the counsellor to organize regular meetings with the client to
understand them as well as their situation in a better way (Nagelkerk, 2005). The more they

interact and communicate with each other, the clearer picture the counsellor will obtain with
respect to client issues and present situation (Daniels and Ramey, 2004). It will also help in
determining the suitable degree of intervention through means of categorizing the client as
being at high or low risk. The meetings could greatly assist in keeping a track on client’s
progress and way they are responding to the offered course along with medications.
Developing a case management plan
After properly understanding the client situation and required assistance, the case manager is
required to develop an effective case management plan properly outlining all the practices as
well as procedures required to deal with the client (Snoddon, 2010). This would also involve
the procedure of deciding particular goals, objectives and actions developed for meeting
the client’s requirements as recognized during the assessment procedure. The care
management plan needs to be action-directed and time-particular. Additionally, both long-
term and short-term objectives need to be devised (Daniels and Ramey, 2004). The short term
objectives need to be directly associated with the long term objectives. The actions are
basically the services and treatments required for meeting the needs and goals of the client.
Moreover, the case management plan is basically a timeline for patient care practices along
with anticipated results of care, which address the care plan of every discipline engaged
during the care of any specific patient (Mullahy, 2010). It is generally devised prospectively
through some interdisciplinary healthcare panel with respect to a patient’s diagnosis, surgical
procedure or health problem.
Ethical and legal consideration
The care management plan must be set in a manner that all the practices involved are ethical
as well as lawful (Snoddon, 2010). This is also applicable with respect to recommended
medicines and medications.
Monitoring and reviewing the plan
Once the proposed care management plan for the particular client has been developed, it is
highly essential to regularly monitor as well as review the proposed plan (Mullahy, 2010). In
case if the proposed plan is not monitored properly, the desired results might not be achieved
and the supposed care might not be offered to the client. During this stage of monitoring
along with reviewing, the case manager collects useful data from the patient, caregiver along
with all other appropriate sources (Snoddon, 2010). All the gathered information is assessed

for determining the efficiency of the present and proposed case management plan, in taking
the client towards the preferred results. Changes are made in the plan as required and
continuing follow-ups decide the efficiency of the adjustments.
Documentation and record keeping
Apart from the above mentioned steps, it is also highly essential to properly as well as
regularly ensure documentation and record keeping. This is highly essential stage since if the
care giver does not maintains a proper track of all the procedures and practices considered for
the client, there might be confusion in the future course (Mullahy, 2010). A proper
documentation offers a clear picture of the client’s medical history to the care giver at any
needed time.

References:
Daniels, S. and Ramey, M. (2004). The Leader's Guide to Hospital Case Management.
Sudbury. MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. p. 277
Mullahy, C. (2010). The Case Manager's Handbook. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett
Publishers.
Nagelkerk, J. (2005). Leadership and Nursing Care Management. New York: Elsevier Health
Sciences.
Snoddon, J. (2010). Case Management of Long-term Conditions: Principles and Practice for
Nurses. Malden, MA: John Wiley & Sons Ltd. pp. 19–21