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“Case management services” refers to the range of assistance provided to a person, making sure that he/she has access to quality services and support systems in the areas of social, health care, education, and economic skills for gainful employment. The Case Management Society of America in its 2009 definition states, “Case management is a collaborative process of assessment, planning, facilitation, care coordination, evaluation, and advocacy for options and services to meet an individual's and family's comprehensive health needs through communication and available resources to promote quality cost-effective outcomes.” The focus of case management is to ensure “personalized” attention and support to an individual, leading to achievement of the intended purpose.

A wide range of contexts and issues may require such services, ranging from general to specialized care. Case management in the context of human services could be, for example (1) ensuring an autistic child is provided with the necessary educational, medical, and social support; (2) providing a patient admitted to a hospital with an ailment with the specific treatments needed for recovery; or (3) training an unemployed youth in the skills desired and necessary to ensure he/she has a better chance in the job market. Case management services is the process of service to the individual rather than a particular component of a specific service. This article explores the various characteristics of effective case management services and describes the generic process involved in case management and the group of people who are central to case management—the caseworkers.

Core Criteria for Successful Case Management

Goal oriented. A case management service must be focused on the overall goal it aims to achieve for the person, in due course of time and/or after the due processes and intended activities to support are completed. While it is possible that the intended goal may change in the process and duration of the case (depending on the individual's responses, which may vary from person to person), it is still worthwhile to set a clear and realistic goal at the beginning, which will determine the nature and extent of services the person will receive.

Beneficiar as the central focus The interest and benefit of the individual beneficiary (and his/her family, if relevant) need to be the core purpose around which the entire case management process and procedures should be designed. There is also a critical need for understanding the diverse needs and preferences of different population groups within the community based on their background and origin (e.g., gender, age group, race, culture, religion, sexual preferences, occupation categories, socioeconomic standards, geographic origins, urban or rural, etc.). Unless understood at the outset, these could become potential barriers in effective delivery of services. The case management service must be able to adapt to these different needs of the diverse populations it intends to serve.

Accountable. The case management system and the individuals operating it must remain accountable to the beneficiary. This is essential in order to achieve quality. Accountability could be enforced and measured both internally within the agency providing case management service through setting clear performance objectives and benchmarks for individuals and groups and review of the same at periodical intervals. Beneficiary satisfaction surveys or discussions are another effective way to elicit information from the clients about the services they received and feedback. Done on a periodic basis, these surveys and/or discussions serve as a transparency and accountability measure for the case service provider. Care has also to be taken to seek feedback from diverse population groups so that the case provider can know whether their services are meeting the specific needs of these groups.

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