Case Management 101 � September 16th, 2024

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In this session you will:

• Understand our “WHY”
• Understand what is Case Management
• Understand how Engagement and Assessment works
• The Intake Process
• Components of Case Management 101
• Best Practices in Case Management �

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Our “Why”

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The Opportunity & Resource Gap 

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�More than half of students in U.S. public schools—over  25 million children—live in poverty.

�Only 15% of students from low-income families earn a bachelor’s degree by age 24, compared to 77% of their high ­income peers (that’s 5x as much). 

�The impact is intergenerational: 65% of children whose parents have no more than a high school diploma live in poverty.

�People with college degrees earn about $1 Million more over their lifetimes than those who do not earn college degrees.

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Our “Why”

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The Challenges of Filling the Gap 

�There are many programs throughout the country addressing components of this problem — from early childhood literacy, to tutoring, mentorship, and after-school programs.

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But each of these programs tends to only stay with students for a short period of time, allowing for students to fall behind—and due to programs “cherry picking” students based on academic performance, many of the students with the greatest need fall through the cracks entirely.

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We see long-term, individualized commitment as the solution to holistic transformation in the lives of children and their families.

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What is Case Management?

• The ability to provide engagement, support and assessment to an individual or family on an ongoing basis until the desired goal is achieved.

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Desired goals and outcomes for Dreamers and their families:

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• Graduate high school
• Have a plan for post high school- college, vocational program, job, other interests
• Families are stable in the communities or have access to resources to support stabilization
• Social Emotional Literacy
• Be linked to a Mentor- become a Mentor �

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Four Models of Case Management

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• The Brokerage CM Model- a direct approach to support clients with access to services. Its short term and voluntary
• Clinical CM Model- provides direct counseling and support, and referral to individual and families whose concern includes mental health services, addiction recovery support or treatment for serious chronic health conditions
• Strengths- Based CM Model- this model focuses on empowering the individual and family to utilize community based resources and create client opportunities for growth, education and skill development. This approach is client lead.
• Intensive CM Model- this approach uses extensive, high-quality services in a certain amount of time. This approach works especially well for individuals and families with severe mental illness and or/ addiction.�

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Assessment

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Assessment- exploring and identifying the needs and current state of an individual or family during an interaction. In program, assessment can look like:

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• Identifying a need of a Dreamer based on their behaviors
• Identifying the need of a family based on their behaviors
• Surveys are a good way to assess Dreamers
• Observation of Dreamers’ interactions with adults and peers

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Please note: assessment is an ongoing process, which means you are always assessing your Dreamers and their families

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Engagement

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Engagement- the process where individuals or families become active participants working on a desired goal or outcome. In program, engagement can look like:

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• Parent meetings to support families
• Enrichment workshops for Dreamers
• SEL sessions (individual or group)
• Mentoring
• Collaborating with local providers to support Dreamer and their families

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The Intake Process

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This is an opportunity for you to get to know your family. During this interaction(s), assessment and engagement are happening simultaneously. During this process, you’ll want to:

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• Introduce yourself, including your role

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• Give a brief overview of I Have A Dream Foundation- what we do, and how we do it and what makes us unique

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• Obtain consent- is this program the right fit for the prospective Dreamer and their family

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• Complete the application/ intake with the family- this may need to happen in two sessions

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The Intake Process

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STEP 1 - Sign up to Participate in IHDF Program (Before

the program starts – have families complete the

following forms)

• Parent/Dreamer Application Form Parent Release & Consent Form
• Transportation Consent Form

��STEP 2 - Interview (Zoom or in Person) - (Within three to six months after enrollment, complete the following with your families)

• Parent/Dreamer Agreement
• IHDF-MKE Scholarship Commitment
• Scholarship Award Application and Distribution Procedure
• Parent-Caregiver Application/Interview

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• Complete the application/ intake with the family- this may need to happen in two sessions

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Case Management 101 and its Components:

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Case Management is not a linear process, but rather one that has many ups and downs and is contingent on what the Dreamer and/or their family wants. You’ll realize as you work with your Dreamers and their families from Kindergarten through 12^th grade, their needs change, they change and it will require your approach and solutions to change also.

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Here are the components of Case Management:

• Building a relationship- this is fundamental to the “I Have A Dream” approach. Relationships are built by the Program Director and staff and is a key factor in the work they do with the Dreamer and their family

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• Home Visits- this is completed by the Program Director and team at the beginning of the Dreamer’s journey into program. The goal is to assess and engage the family in their comfort setting and getting to know the family better. Home visits are continual

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Case Management 101 and its Components:

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• One on One meetings- individual conversations are critical to solidifying a personal relationship, and gaining access to a more complete picture of the Dreamer's life

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• Routine Interactions- the Program Director and team become part of the Dreamer’s daily life through after-school, support in classrooms, support at home, summer program, and other project based activities. The goal is to address Dreamer’s needs, build community and guide the Dreamer as needed.

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• Referrals- based on your assessment, or a need the Dreamer expressed, you should complete a referral to a community based organization/ agency. Referrals can included: medical, mental health, substance use, parenting classes, housing support, domestic violence, etc.

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Case Management 101 and its Components:

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• Coordinating drives and special occasions- this includes backs to school drive for supplies and holiday drive for toys. Why? It alleviates the financial strain on parents while still ensuring the Dreamers have a memorable experience

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• Case notes- this is documenting information gained through conversations with the Dreamer and others and/or significant information that need to be recorded and is entered in Salesforce at least once each quarter.

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Case Management 101 and its Components:

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Salesforce and Data Collection

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• SEL and Mentoring case notes- this should be completed every time there is an interaction with the Dreamer

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• Attendance- this should be completed in three areas: programming, SEL and mentoring in Salesforce

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Link: https://ihaveadreamboulder.lightning.force.com/lightning/page/home

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Case Management 101 and its Components:

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Progress notes

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On Wednesday, 3/29/23, (date) Social Work Intern (staff) met with the kindergarten group for their group session. Social Work Intern went over the kindergarten agreements and discussed kindness with the group. (the goal of the interaction) The kindergarten Dreamers lacked focus, so Social Work Intern had them move from a circle on a carpet to groups at tables, and they colored and discussed kindness within each pod instead, which gave the students much more focus. (what happened during the interaction)

�Alex had good participation and respectful behavior in all group activities.

�Anais had good participation. She was more antsy than usual, but still respectful.

�Artemis was not present for the group activities.

�C’maya had good participation. She did get flustered when told she could not color a different worksheet until she was finished with her first, and took some time to be fully redirected.

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Case Management 101: The Qualities of a Case Manager

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• Building relationships- with individuals or families, it is important you build a relationship. This often leads to building trust
• Time Management and Prioritization- everything is not an emergency, but some things are a priority. Focus on what needs to get done first, then carve out time to finish the rest

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• Communication- be sure to communicate clearly by saying what you mean and following-up. This includes engagement with Dreamers and their families, your team and/or Program Director, and community organizations

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Best Practices in Case Management

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• Identify the needs of the Dreamer and/ or their family and develop a plan to address those needs
• Do regular check-ins to monitor progress
• Provide resources and information to the Dreamer and/or their family- this can include a list of services in the community
• Teach the Dreamer and/ or family how to advocate for themselves
• Documentation- if it’s not written, it didn’t happen. Case notes are important for tracking progress and prevent liability. The more you document, the more you show how much work you have done with your Dreamer
• Data Collection- track attendance, SEL sessions, Mentoring sessions, home visits and other pertinent information in Salesforce. Not only does this “show” your work, it can also be a tool to use when pitching for funding. Remember, data is a powerful tool.

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