Working With a Mental Health Case Manager: What to Expect

Mental health care often involves more than appointments. You may be juggling prescriptions, insurance questions, transportation, paperwork, bills and several providers who do not always talk to each other. When life is already stressful, those practical pieces can become the reason care falls apart.

That is where a case manager can help. A case manager, sometimes called a care coordinator, focuses on the practical side of getting and staying well. This article explains what case management usually involves and how you can make the most of it.

What a case manager does

A case manager is part of your care team, but their role is different from a therapist's or prescriber's. Rather than providing therapy or prescribing medication, they help make sure the rest of your care works together and that everyday barriers do not get in the way.

At SOS Wellness, case managers help with things like:

• Coordinating between providers, so your psychiatric provider, therapist and other clinicians are working from the same plan
• Connecting you with community resources, such as help related to housing, food, transportation or benefits
• Assisting with medication access, such as working through practical barriers to getting prescriptions
• Helping you navigate insurance and benefits
• Providing crisis support within the care relationship and helping you connect with the right level of help

The specifics depend on your needs and situation. Some people work closely with a case manager for a period of time; others check in only when something comes up.

Who can benefit

Case management can help almost anyone in mental health treatment, but it is especially valuable when:

• You are seeing more than one provider
• You are moving between levels of care, such as after a hospital stay or when stepping down from an intensive program
• Practical problems like transportation, housing or paperwork are making it hard to keep appointments
• You are managing a long-term condition such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or a co-occurring substance use disorder
• You are a family member trying to help a loved one navigate care, and the patient has given permission for you to be involved

You do not need to be in a crisis to benefit from case management. Often, it works best when it helps prevent problems from becoming crises.

What your first conversations may look like

Early on, a case manager will usually want to understand your situation beyond your symptoms. They may ask about:

• Your current providers and medications
• Insurance coverage and any gaps
• Housing, transportation and income
• Work, school or caregiving responsibilities
• Support from family or friends
• Barriers that have made treatment harder in the past

These questions are not meant to judge you. They help the case manager see where support could make the biggest difference. You can decide what you are comfortable sharing.

How to make the most of case management

A few steps can make the relationship more useful:

• Be specific about barriers. "I keep missing appointments" is a good start; "The bus doesn't run early enough on Tuesdays" gives your case manager something concrete to work on.
• Bring paperwork. Letters from insurance, benefit notices or forms you do not understand are exactly the kinds of things a case manager can help with.
• Share changes early. If you lose a job, need to move, or your insurance changes, let your case manager know sooner rather than later.
• Ask questions. If you are unsure what a provider meant or why something is needed, your case manager can help you find the answer.
• Keep a contact list. Write down your case manager's name and how to reach the office, along with your other providers.

Privacy and permissions

Your health information is protected. If you want your case manager to communicate with people outside your care team, such as a family member, another provider or a community agency, you will usually be asked to sign a release that specifies what can be shared and with whom. You can ask what each release covers and how to change it later.

What case management is not

It helps to have clear expectations. A case manager:

• Is not an emergency service. If you are in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
• Cannot guarantee that a resource or benefit will be available, but can help you understand options and apply.
• Does not replace your therapist or prescriber. Clinical questions about medication or treatment are best directed to them.

SOS Wellness does not provide emergency or after-hours crisis services, so it is important to know which resources to use outside office hours.

Case management through transitions

Transitions are some of the riskiest times in mental health care. Leaving a hospital, finishing an intensive outpatient program, switching providers or moving to a new area can all create gaps. A case manager can help keep those gaps small by coordinating appointments, making sure records and prescriptions follow you, and checking in during the change.

If you are approaching a transition, ask your care team early how case management can support it.

Getting connected in Ohio

At SOS Wellness, case management is part of coordinated care, alongside psychiatry, medication management, therapy and intensive outpatient programs. It is available to patients who need coordinated support, whether they are seen at our Middletown or Norwood offices or by telehealth in Ohio.

If practical barriers are getting in the way of your care, or you would like to understand how case management could help, you can contact us or request an appointment. We are happy to explain how it works.