How To Become A Case Management Specialist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a case management specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Debra Minsky-Kelly,

Dr. T. Thao Pham Ph.D.

Case management specialists are tasked with reviewing and documenting cases and related applications, as well as communicating their research to both internal and external departments. They work with a variety of co-workers, including agents and other case managers in separate departments, and much of their work involves documenting and filing data.

Their duties and responsibilities in this capacity include overseeing case management policy and procedures; developing community resource referral relationships; and reviewing, evaluating, and modifying existing and proposed healthcare or social service programs. Case management specialists work with and evaluate cases for health care facilities, which involves a great deal of data analysis and requires basic knowledge of medical conditions and their outcomes. They must also be able to communicate this data both within and outside of their departments and work directly with clients, so strong verbal and written communication skills are important in this position. A high school diploma or a GED may suffice for the position; however, some employers may require an associate's or bachelor's degree in a relevant field.

The average hourly pay for this position is $23.10, which amounts to $48,040 annually. The career is also expected to grow in the near future and create new opportunities all over the United States.

What general advice would you give to a case management specialist?

Debra Minsky-Kelly

Director of Field Education / Clinical Assistant Professor of Social Work, Carthage College

I think there are two critical skills for social workers, whether they are first entering the workforce or seasoned professionals. These skills are humility and an appreciation for ambiguity in our work. A humble approach to our work empowers clients to become experts on their circumstances. Social workers are then positioned in a collaborative role to help clients use existing skills and resources to improve their situations. An appreciation for ambiguity is closely related to the idea of humility. It helps us to remember that practice situations we face in this field are often far more complicated than they appear on the surface. Thus, all social workers need to make a strong commitment to lifelong learning and ongoing consultation with colleagues to ensure that multiple perspectives are included as we work to solve complex problems.

ScoreCase Management SpecialistUS Average

Salary

3.2

Avg. Salary $41,553

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.9

Growth rate 12%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.89%

Asian 6.94%

Black or African American 11.85%

Hispanic or Latino 18.70%

Unknown 4.92%

White 55.69%

Gender

female 80.39%

male 19.61%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

8.9

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.1

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.2

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a case management specialist

Explore case management specialist education requirements

Most common case management specialist degrees

Bachelor's

55.6 %

Associate

20.7 %

Master's

14.3 %

Start to develop specific case management specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	18.64%
Social Work	14.87%
Mental Health	7.57%
Community Resources	4.35%
Patient Care	4.19%

Complete relevant case management specialist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New case management specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a case management specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real case management specialist resumes.

Research case management specialist duties and responsibilities

Manage caseload by providing care coordination to individuals with a primary intellectual/developmental disability diagnosis all of whom receive community-base waiver services.
Provide case management to give emergency financial assistance to veterans and their families during a financial crisis.
Complete admission, stay and discharge reviews utilizing Interqual criteria to evaluate medical necessity as indicated by corporate standards.
Fax documents to skil nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities.

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