How to Become a Social Work Case Manager | BestColleges (2024)

FAQs

How do you start being a case manager? ›

Social work case managers act as care coordinators and managers. They evaluate the needs of clients (individuals, families, children, etc.), identify the services needed, and create a plan to provide that care. Case managers may also be responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of the care plan and services.

A social worker directly provides some needed services to clients and offers referrals for other services. In contrast, a case manager will act as a plan developer and coordinator to connect clients to the services they need to overcome life challenges.

Being a case manager is not exactly easy, but it is extremely rewarding. Case managers have a lot of responsibilities—from facilitating educational coping skills groups and having in-depth conversations, to doing fun and engaging activities with clients.

Knowledge of case management terminology and current practice are among the essential elements you'll need to pass the Certified Case Manager® (CCM®) exam. But earning the CCM is about more than book knowledge—after all, it's an exam based on what case managers do in daily practice.

CCM (Certified Case Manager)

This certification exam is administered by the Commission for Case Manager Certification and is considered the gold standard of case management certifications. It is also the most popular with over 45,000 board-certified case managers to date.

Yes, a case manager is a good job, and they typically earn a good salary and work to help people on a daily basis. There are a variety of types of case managers, and each position within the field reflects unique attributes about the career field. The salary of a case manager depends on many factors.

What is a case manager? Also known as case workers, case managers evaluate and plan the actions needed to meet a client's healthcare needs. Instead of offering therapy like a social worker, case managers coordinate their client's treatment program which involves getting them the right services and care.

What is the highest salary for a social worker? ›

The best Social Worker jobs can pay up to $99,000 per year.

Assistance may include food and housing subsidies, health care, and job training. Part of their duties involve crisis prevention; many of their clients deal with poverty, abuse, addiction, and unemployment.

The undergraduate degree is the bachelor of social work (BSW). Graduate degrees include the master of social work (MSW), and a doctorate (DSW) or PhD in Social Work.

The biggest cons are probably stress, coupled with low pay (in most disciplines). As a nursing case manager, you'll make about $61,000 a year, but most other case managers make closer to $45,000 annually. You may be able to earn more by earning certifications or a relevant master's degree.

A case manager will spend the majority of their day meeting with clients and families, filling out paperwork, communicating with health care providers and offices, making home visits and creating health plans.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, case management is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the country. In fact, case management jobs are predicted to grow faster than the average job, at almost 20% over the next 10 years.

In a rather simple form, a case manager is trained to help clients access “external resources,” whereas a therapist is trained to help clients access “internal resources.” Although case management can feel very therapeutic, it is not therapy.

Case management requires professional skills and a variety of soft skills to perform the tasks and serve the client in the best way possible. Taking on a role as a case manager requires being highly responsible.

Beyond certification, 98 percent have specialty experience in areas such as hospital case management, managed care and care transitions. Among CCMs who are supervisors, 99 percent have recommended the credential to others, and a strong majority (75 percent) prefer or require the CCM when hiring.

How much is the CCM exam? ›

How much does it cost to take the CCM exam? The application fee for the exam is $225, and the examination fee is $195, which is a total of $420.

Case managers working in provider settings (behavioral health facilities, home care, hospital or health systems, medical group/clinic settings, retail clinics, skilled nursing or long-term care facilities) consistently reported having an average caseload of 25-49 cases.

What is a case manager? A case manager, also referred to as a nurse case manager, is a healthcare professional who coordinates the overall care of individual patients.

What is the common career path for a Case Manager? For a lot of case managers, a common path involves working on, and /or getting a degree at some level in a human service field such as mental health, counseling, substance abuse, criminal justice. Very often, this is an entry-level, not very well paid position.

 Case managers should not allow their own personal problems, psychosocial distress, legal problems, substance abuse, or mental health difficulties to interfere with their professional judgment and performance or to jeopardize the best interests of people for whom they have a professional responsibility.

"Business casual looks more professional than scrubs." At one facility, case managers wear dress pants and shirts with hospital logo and "case manager" or "social worker" on the front.

Case management—whichever discipline you practice in—is a stressful job, fraught with compassion fatigue and physical, mental, and spiritual signs of burnout. If not careful, those feelings can spill into one's entire life.

Case management is often done by nurses, but not always. Depending on the setting, another type of professional may provide case management services.

Case manager roles and responsibilities

Finding appropriate clinical care teams best suited to each patient's needs. Coordinating care with a patient's clinical team. Assessing patients for necessary care or changes to current care plans. Coordinating with social services to aid in assessing and administering care.

Can you make six figures as a social worker? ›

Social workers have the potential to make nearly six figures in some segments of the career field. But they also have the potential for building up six figures of student loan debt. Here's a closer look at current social worker salaries, including breakdowns based on location and education level.

According to the Bureau of labor statistics, the median annual earnings of social workers are $51,760 per year. The highest 10% of earners can expect to earn $85,820 per year. Having a good and steady income is one of the most significant benefits of becoming a social worker.

74.5% of those who take the LMSW exam nationally pass on their first try; however, 90% of those who take the National Association of Social Workers' (NASW) course pass the exam on their first try. Below are some helpful study tips from the LMSW test prep class provided by NASW: Don't leave any questions blank.

Getting an MSW is worth it if you want to assume higher-level roles, such as that of a social work supervisor, and if you want opportunities to increase your earnings enough to offset the cost of a degree. In general, the social work industry is growing quickly.

The World Record of “YOUNGEST SOCIAL WORKER TO PERFORM MAXIMUM SOCIAL ACTIVITIES” is achieved by VAISHALI SHARMA on 2nd September 2022 from Haridwar (Uttarakhand) India.

Doctoral social work degrees are the highest degree for social workers to get in the field. They prepare students for academic jobs and high-level social work careers. It takes students about five years to earn a Doctor of Social Work (DSW) degree.

“Flexibility and work life balance.” “This is a great career for dynamic and high energy people.” “Very rewarding and every day is different.” “If you like a challenge, are good at planning and can think outside the box then case management can be a very rewarding career move.”

Burnout is something case managers routinely battle due to the excessive and extended amounts of stress that can come with the job. Accompanying burnout are emotional and physical exhaustion, cynicism and detachment, feelings of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment.

What are the three levels of case management? ›

There are four basic levels involved with case management – intake, needs assessment, service planning, and monitoring and evaluating – which will be analyzed here.

A - The exam consists of 180 multiple-choice questions. 150 are operational and 30 are pretest items. The exam is comprised of 5 major domains and 59 subdomains. You will have 3 hours to complete the content portion of the test.

Complete an internship in case management

While you complete a bachelor's degree program, apply for internships that allow you to work alongside case managers or social workers.

Case Managers are employed to facilitate the process of case management. Their duties include assessing a client's physical and mental wellness, helping clients achieve autonomy, and coordinating and providing safe, timely services to the affected clients.

Case managers' first duty is to their clients – coordinating care that is safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable, and client-centered.

It is possible to become a nurse case manager with a two-year ADN degree and a nursing license. Most employers require case managers to have experience in nursing to take on entry-level roles, but the minimum years of experience varies.

Yes, a case manager is a good job, and they typically earn a good salary and work to help people on a daily basis. There are a variety of types of case managers, and each position within the field reflects unique attributes about the career field. The salary of a case manager depends on many factors.

A successful case management process consists of four core components: intake, needs assessment, service planning, and monitoring and evaluation.

Are case managers in high demand? ›

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, case management is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the country. In fact, case management jobs are predicted to grow faster than the average job, at almost 20% over the next 10 years.

Case managers have a vital role in medical and social service accessibility. They are in charge of coordinating resources and services to help achieve holistic well-being for their clients. Individuals who are organized, meticulous and people-oriented may find case management to be a rewarding career path.

While policies vary from state to state, a registered nurse looking to become a nurse case manager must be licensed. An RN working as a social worker will need to have a social worker license as well as a nursing license. RNs working as administrators typically need to complete training and pass a national exam.

The average hospital case manager salary in South Africa is R 360 000 per year or R 185 per hour. Entry-level positions start at R 324 000 per year, while most experienced workers make up to R 466 500 per year.