Care Managers: A New Professional Role

Care managers in integrated service programs function in a hybrid fashion combining community mental health case management and medical case management. This hybrid form of case management involves not only the coordination of community services for seriously mentally ill clients but also a collaborative process with medical providers to facilitate recommended treatment plans to assure appropriate medical care is provided. As is the case with all types of case management, the care managers’ tasks include assessment of need, care planning, implementation and regular review. Their case management is clinical, or therapeutic, in nature, requiring that they establish therapeutic relationships with their clients and that they are actively involved in their clinical care. They also evaluate clients’ medical conditions, coordinate medical resources, communicate healthcare needs to clients, monitor their progress and promote cost-effective care.