Back to the Basics:

Effective Case
Management Strategies
Presented by:

Carol Guertin, WorkSource Atlanta Regional-Rockdale

Sheron Morgan, WorkSource Coastal
Chidinma “Chi-Chi” Okonkwo, WorkSource Atlanta
Chelsea Waters, WorkSource Atlanta Regional-Clayton

WorkSource Georgia Academy  August 13th, 2018  Classic Center-Athens, GA

 Case Management
• How do you define Case Management?
Case Management is a process to plan, seek, advocate for, and monitor services
from different social services or organizations and staff on behalf of a client. The
process enables workers in an organization, to coordinate their efforts to serve
a given client through professional teamwork, thus expanding the range of
needed services offered. Case management limits problems arising from
fragmentation of services, staff turnover, and inadequate coordination among
providers. (Barker, 2003).
Knowledge and Cultural Competency
• Knowledge- Due to the client population we serve, it is very critical for all
individuals performing case management duties to be WIOA knowledgeable. This
includes knowledge of the State's policy as well as your agency's Policies and
Procedure, processes, and internal (one-stop)/external partners.

• Cultural Competency- includes knowledge, attitudes, and skills that support

providing appropriate services for people from different backgrounds and cultural
groups. Culture influences your organization and program performance.

• Being knowledgeable and culturally competent:

 Establishes trust between clients and their Advisors
 Promotes client engagement and buy in
 Assessments
• Assessment is an ongoing process of gathering information that is applicable to the client, which
helps to evaluate concerns, identify strengths, challenges and create goals.

• WIOA Assessments/planning includes but not limited to:

1.
Application
2.
TABE
3.
Prove IT
4.
O*NET Interest Profiler
5.
Objective Assessment Summary
6.
Individualized Service Strategy (ISS)
7.
Individual Employment Plan (IEP)
Case Note Documentation Standards
• Why is good case documentation necessary?
• Case notes document the chronology of events and activities through the “life” of an open case
record.
• Case notes may serve as a legal record of the organization’s efforts to serve a customer as well
as the customer’s responses.
• Case notes allow multiple staff to handle issues as they arise because all can reference the
current status of a given case.
• Case notes are invaluable to reviewers in monitoring case activity; usually, the case notes are
reviewed first by monitors to frame the case and reference other important case record
contents.
• “If it is not documented, it did not happen!” Case notes allow staff to demonstrate the level
and intensity of services provided to customers.
• Consistency within and among a series of records increases the professionalism of overall case
management.
Case Note Documentation Standards
(cont.)

• Who should document?

• Any staff having contact with the customer or case should document that activity, even if the case is not assigned to that staff person.

• What should be documented?

• All case activity and interactions should be noted in the record concisely, objectively, thoroughly, timely, and accurately indicating the
following:
• Telephone calls, emails, office visits, field visits, letters, staffing notes/discussions
• Summary statements:
• Closure statements should explain why the case was closed.
• Transfer statements should explain the progress to date and the reason for transfer; should be a snapshot for the receiving staff
person.
• Keep in mind: “Is the case note specifically relevant to this case record?”
Case Note Documentation Standards
(cont.)
• What should not be documented?
• Personal impressions, biases, perceptions should be avoided; instead, document concrete observations.
• Other general rules of documentation:
• Third person voice should be used, with the Career Advisor referenced “CA”.
• Hand written entries should never be whitened out or blackened out;
instead, a single line should be placed thru the entry and the entry initialed
by the staff deleting the entry.
• Entries should be thorough but not flowery or redundant.
• Entries should lean toward being more formal than familiar.
Case Note Documentation Standards
(cont.)

• When should case records be documented?

• Case records should be documented when activity occurs, but no later than two (2) business days after
the activity occurs. (use post it notes to jot down main points as reference for later noting)
• In cases of transfer or closure, the recipient staff or closing reviewer should document the date of
receipt and relevant activity.
• www.workreadyga.org - VOS every 30 days as a minimum.

• Where should case records be maintained?

• Case records should be kept accessible to all staff that may need to access them.
• www.workreadyga.org - VOS under Staff Profiles → General Profile → Case Notes
 Workload Sustainability
• Workload sustainability is the pace at which an individual
handles for a long period, without compromising the
quality of the work produced.

It is based on a pace that is “doable” for the

Case Manager, hoping is doesn’t lead to burnout.
 What is BURNOUT?
"A state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by long term
involvement in a emotionally demanding situations." – Ayala Pines and Elliot Aronson.

Specific symptoms of burnout include:

• Having a negative and critical attitude at work
• Dreading going into work, and wanting to leave once you're there
• Having low energy, and little interest at work
• Having trouble sleeping
• Being absent from work a lot
• Being irritated easily by team members or clients
• Having thoughts that your work doesn't have meaning or make a difference
• Feeling that your work and contribution goes unrecognized
• Blaming others for your mistakes
• Thinking of quitting work, or changing roles
 Stress vs. Burnout
So, what's the difference between stress and burnout?

Although the two share some characteristics, there are distinct differences.

• Stress is often relatively short-term, and it is often caused by a feeling that work is out of control. You
might experience stress several days in a row, if you are working to meet a deadline.

However, once the situation changes, stress often lessens or disappears entirely. Stress can affect
you over the longer-term, however, it is consist.

• Burnout often takes place over a longer period. You might experience it if you believe your work is
meaningless; when there's a disconnect between what you're currently doing and what you truly
want to be doing; or when things change for the worse –your workload increases beyond a
sustainable point.

You go through "the motions" instead of being truly engaged. Over time, this leads to exhaustion
and sometimes, poor performance.
 How Did You Do?
• Score 15-30—OMG!... The good news is that you have a great opportunity to
improve your effectiveness at work and your long term success!
• Score 31-45—Hmmm!...You are good at some things, but there is room for
improvement elsewhere.
• Score 46-75—Well, Well, Well…You are managing your time very effectively!!!!
Goal Setting
• To start managing time effectively, you need to set goals. When you know where you're going, you can then figure out
what exactly needs to be done, in what order.
• A little time and effort put into setting goals (now) saves a lot of time, effort and frustration in the future.

Prioritization
• Prioritizing what needs to be done is very important. Without it, you may work very hard, but you won't be achieving the
results you desire because what you are working on is not strategic.
• Most people have a "to-do" list of some sort. The problem with many of these lists is they are just a collection of things
that need to get done. There is no rhyme or reason to the list and, because of this, the work they do is just as unstructured.
So how do you work on To Do List tasks – top down, bottom up, easiest to hardest?
• WORK ON WHAT’S MOST IMPORTANT!!!
Managing Interruptions
• Having a plan and knowing how to prioritize it is one thing. The next issue is knowing what to do to minimize the
interruptions you face during your day. There are phone calls, information requests, questions from co-workers,
and a whole host of events that crop up unexpectedly. Some do need to be dealt with immediately, but others
need to be managed.

Procrastination

• "I'll get to it later" has led to the downfall of many good Case Managers. After too many "laters" the work piles up
so high that any task seems impossible. The best way to beat procrastination it is to recognize that you do indeed
procrastinate. Then, you need to figure out why.
• Once you know why you procrastinate then you can plan to get out of the habit.
Scheduling
• Much of time management comes down to effective scheduling of your time.
When you know what your goals and priorities are, then you can create a schedule
that keeps you on track, and protects you from stress.

• By creating a robust schedule that reflects your priorities and well as supports your
personal goals, you have a winning combination:
 One that will allow you to control your time and
 Keep your life in balance.
Workload Sustainability 
Time Management 
Organizing the Tasks

Keeping your work under control, improves your

performance and mistakes at a minimum!
 Performance and Professional Development

• Case Management Performance and Programmatic/LWDA Performance

• Professional Development:
• Training, Training, Training…
• Read, Read, Read…
• Organize, Organize, Organize…
 Questions

Carol Guertin, WorkSource Atlanta Regional-Rockdale—Email: cguertin@rockdalecrc.org

Sheron Morgan, WorkSource Coastal—Email: smorgan@savannahga.gov

Chidinma “Chi-Chi” Okonkwo, WorkSource Atlanta—Email: cjokonkwo@atlantaga.gov

Chelsea Waters, WorkSource Atlanta Regional-Clayton—Email: cwaters@claytoncrc.org