This course is ideal for case manager consultants, case management assistants and case management specialists, or those aspiring to work in aged care, mental health, community care, or drugs, health, homelessness or alcohol support services.

The Certificate of Case Management will give you the knowledge and skills to perform effectively as a professional caseworker, across a variety of settings within the social and community services industries.

In this case management course, you will learn how to provide case management via a case planning framework to clients who have already been assessed and whose needs have been identified.

You will also study how to facilitate all aspects of case management planning, coordinate complex case requirements, provide advice on practical issues relating to case management, and learn how to manage complex and critical incidents and high risk situations.

Learning Outcomes

Outcomes achieved by undertaking a case management course include:

• Exploring the Case Management Society of Australia & New Zealand (CMSA)
• Gaining an understanding of case management standards and models of case management
• Examining models of case management
• Understanding formal behaviour support
• Attaining knowledge of services for families and carers
• Gaining insights into case management standards
• Learning about case action plans and exploring client goals
• Gaining an understanding of statutory requirements
• Studying community-based case management and case coordination
• Learning about standards of care
• Exploring care meetings and monitoring client progress
• Gaining an understanding of accessible service delivery and accountability to funding bodies
• Studying family structure and dynamics
• Examining how to plan, conduct and record case management meetings
• Understanding clients’ rights, organisational boundaries and disability legislation
• Attaining knowledge of defining and exploring individual, family and community needs and rights
• Gaining insights into Duty of Care
• Learning about implementing statutory requirements and developing a case management plan
• Exploring how to facilitate the setting of client goals and monitor case management
• Gaining an understanding of cultural consideration
• Studying rights of appeal
• Examining complex and high-risk situations, anger, anxiety and critical incidents
• Understanding how to manage casework activities and processes
• Gaining insights into the elements of negotiation and client preparation for closure
• Learning about the impact on the client and family
• Exploring promoting practice standards (CMSA)
• Gaining an understanding of the primary goals of consistent case management and continuous improvement
• Studying training and development strategies, casework and care plans and best practice principles
• Understanding support plans, casework meetings and coaches and mentors
• Gaining insights into law and ethics, cultural safety, customs, laws and expectations

And more!

 

Case Study: Mission Australia

Mission Australia is a national charity that provides a range of community services throughout Australia. The organisation specialises in the areas of children and families, youth, employment and skills, housing and homelessness, disability and mental health, alcohol and other drugs.

Principles of Good Practice Case Management

The following principles underpin “best practice” case management at Mission Australia, and are great examples of some of the content you will learn in a case management course.

1. Client-centred. A client-centred case management approach ensures the client is at the centre of the planning and decision-making process and encourages their active participation. It requires case managers to work collaboratively with clients to identify their needs, goals and strengths as they work to achieve them and to respond to and understand their choices and views.
2. Holistic and strengths-based assessment and planning. This approach considers the client’s values, resources, skills, supports and knowledge — not just their issues and needs. It considers all life domains experienced by an individual and uses seven Personal Wellbeing Index measures that include their standard of living (eg. income and housing), personal health (eg. emotional, mental and physical and the use of alcohol and other drugs), achievement in life (eg. education and employment), personal relationships (eg. partner/children and support network), community connection (eg. cultural/spiritual connection), personal safety and future security.
3. Goal-oriented. Good practice case management is based on planning and assessment, encourages clients to create realistic and achievable goals, and empowers them to develop the skills and knowledge to enhance independence and self-sufficiency. All case plan goals should be SMART:

Specific — is each goal well defined and focused?

• Measurable — what evidence will show the goal has been met?
• Attainable — is it possible for this client to achieve this goal in their present situation?
• Relevant — will achieving this goal move the client towards achieving their longer-term goals?
• Time–bound — will it be possible to achieve this goal in the timeframe available?

At appropriate intervals, progress towards achieving goals is reviewed, any obstacles or challenges identified and addressed and achievements celebrated. The celebration of achievements is an important step in the process as it supports motivation and resilience.

 

4. Dynamic and flexible. Case Managers should ensure the process of engagement is flexible and dynamic enough to adjust and/or respond to changes that may occur in their client’s life or in the broader context. This requires regular monitoring and reviews of the Case Plan, which is a “living document”, in conjunction with the client and their relevant support networks, and the development of alternative strategies to meet their client’s changing needs. This may include offering supporting outreach locations where the service has capacity. Where case management is transitioned to another worker, there should be a handover of key information to ensure continuous progress and a smooth transition for the client.
5. Collaborative. In developing the Case Plan, both the case manager and the client should identify any current support networks the person has, as well as professionals or agencies that may be accessed for support in achieving the stated goals in domains which are outside the scope of the service. Generally, no single case manager or service can provide all the resources or skills required to support a client who presents with a range of support needs. Case managers develop cooperative relationships with organisations, relevant services, professionals and community resources to enable “warm referrals” and hold regular case conferences to promote collaborative practice. They ensure appropriate information sharing consent is obtained from the client to promote coordination between all parties and avoid the client having to tell their “story” multiple times.
6. Culturally and socially safe. Good practice case management acknowledges and is sensitive and responsive to the strengths and needs of each client. This involves an awareness of what cultural safety means to different people, including those who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, are culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) or from a particular faith group. Case managers should also have an understanding of how faith identification, gender roles, cultural norms and differing abilities can impact on engagement and on the way in which a client accesses resources in the community. To support this, staff should participate in cultural competency and/or diversity training as required.
7. Evidence-informed. This involves decision making which is based on the integration of practitioner expertise, client values, and the best available research evidence to promote positive outcomes for clients. These include outcomes that enhance client competence, safety and capacity. Case managers should also reflect on their professional practice, consider new approaches and strategies, and support their own continuous learning, growth and improvement.
8. The right to privacy and consent. Good case management practice adheres to privacy and consent legislation, and the client’s right to confidentially is acknowledged and maintained at all stages of the process. Clients should be advised of the purpose for information being collected, and with whom it will be shared. This is particularly the case if it involves Duty of Care principles or Mandatory Reporting requirements.
9. Child and youth safe. Mission Australia is committed to continuing to ensure the highest standards of safety and wellbeing for the children and young people who engage with their services. This is the responsibility of everyone in the organisation, from executives and frontline staff to their valued volunteers.
10. Evaluation and continuous improvement. This involves processes that enable case managers to measure the impact of their work, monitor and evaluate the service’s effectiveness and invite and incorporate feedback from clients.

 

Gain the confidence to facilitate case management planning across a diverse range of social and community service industries with a case management course such as our Certificate of Case Management