What does a case manager do?
A case manager is responsible for giving advice, handling plans for the client's recovery, and connecting with other human service professionals to ask for further options and recommendations for the client's concerns. Case managers should have excellent communication and listening skills to evaluate the client's needs, ensuring that they will have the utmost care and safety through efficient advocacy. A case manager should be able to provide a reliable support system for the client and monitor progress to achieve wellness and guarantee satisfaction.
Case manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real case manager resumes:
- Manage all programs operations in accordance with HRA and industry regulations, agency policies and HIPAA guidelines.
- Manage the care of patients with tuberculosis (TB) during their hospitalization and their discharge follow-up care.
- Provide clients support with basic ADL's (shopping, payee services, budgets, managing and attending appointments).
- Practice cognitive behavioral, DBT, motivational enhancement and structural family therapy.
- Practice excellent customer service and build meaningful, professional relationships with families and patients.
- Facilitate vocational rehabilitation and relate community services.
- Maintain statistical data and complete reports under HIPAA and HMIS policy.
- Organize and run the first MSW student program at the community hospital.
- Prepare accurate and objective documentation of ICM service provisions on a daily basis.
- Document and track case activity and client progress in HMIS system and hard copies files.
- Assess strengths, weaknesses, abilities, and preferences of veterans to develop treatment plan goals and interest.
- Respond to pager to see patients who are referred by the RN case managers or by attending MDs.
- Fulfill all training requirements in timely manner for this position, such as cpr and first aid requirements.
- Maintain case files, ensuring appropriate use of services, and completeness of documentation, per HIPPA and Medicaid policy.
- Utilize various counseling techniques including but not limit to person-centered, solution-focuse, motivational interviewing, CBT, and DBT.
Case manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 17% of Case Managers are proficient in Social Work, Patients, and Community Resources. They’re also known for soft skills such as Emotional skills, Communication skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Case Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Social Work, 17%
Co-facilitated group therapy sessions with social work staff to provide information/assess concrete needs of individuals within the group when necessary.
- Patients, 14%
Reviewed financial documents for Patient Assistance Program evaluations, and referred patients to charitable copay assistance organizations.
- Community Resources, 7%
Facilitated constant coordination of care by scheduling of aftercare appointments, participating in placement planning, and linkage to community resources.
- Substance Abuse, 6%
Administered housing case management services to clients suffering from mental and intellectual disabilities, alcohol and substance abuse addiction.
- Crisis Intervention, 5%
Provided mission-critical crisis intervention recommendations.
- Rehabilitation, 5%
Facilitated vocational rehabilitation and related community services.
Most case managers use their skills in "social work," "patients," and "community resources" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential case manager responsibilities here:
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform case manager duties is communication skills. Case managers responsibilities require that "clients talk to social workers about challenges in their lives." Case managers also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "directed communication with physicians, insurance case managers, dme vendors, pharmacies, ltcf staff and assisted living facilities. "
Interpersonal skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of case managers is interpersonal skills. This skill is critical to many everyday case manager duties, as "social workers must be able to work with different groups of people." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "group therapy to develop appropriate social, behavioral and interpersonal skills needed in community living. "
Organizational skills. case manager responsibilities often require "organizational skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "social workers must help and manage multiple clients, often assisting with their paperwork or documenting their treatment." This resume example shows what case managers do with organizational skills on a typical day: "supervised and trained program interns on peer support, customer service and organizational effectiveness. "
Problem-solving skills. Another crucial skill for a case manager to carry out their responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." A big part of what case managers relies on this skill, since "social workers must analyze their clients’ complex situations and develop practical solutions." How this skill relates to case manager duties can be seen in an example from a case manager resume snippet: "developed individual treatment plans, facilitated group therapy in anger management, parenting, thinking for change, and conflict resolution. "
Compassion. Another skill commonly found on case manager job descriptions is "compassion." It can come up quite often in case manager duties, since "social workers often work with people who are in stressful and difficult situations." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day case manager responsibilities: "provided compassionate care and case management to home health patients. "
The three companies that hire the most case managers are:
- Central City Concern850 case managers jobs
- The Salvation Army105 case managers jobs
- Molina Healthcare95 case managers jobs
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Compare different case managers
Case manager vs. Registered nurse case manager
A registered nurse is responsible for providing medical services to patients, assisting doctors in hospitals, clinics, and other health centers. Registered nurses' duties include monitoring the condition of admitted patients, operating medical equipment, responding to patients' inquiries, assisting on physical exams and medications, keeping medical records, and observing strict hygienic standards. A registered nurse must display strong communication and organizational skills, as well as the ability to multi-task, attend to patients' needs, and adjust to different conditions.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, case manager responsibilities require skills like "substance abuse," "crisis intervention," "customer service," and "mental health." Meanwhile a typical registered nurse case manager has skills in areas such as "care coordination," "quality care," "utilization management," and "symptom management." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Registered nurse case managers earn the highest salaries when working in the pharmaceutical industry, with an average yearly salary of $72,809. On the other hand, case managers are paid more in the insurance industry with an average salary of $50,652.On average, registered nurse case managers reach lower levels of education than case managers. Registered nurse case managers are 9.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Case manager vs. Case manager/program manager
Social services case managers conduct in-person appointments and phone intake assessments. They manage the organization's documents and report for non-federal grants and federal grants. These professionals counsel clients and their families, making it easy to develop life skills, service plan goals, and sustain financial stability. Social services case managers also conduct activities and monitor the service environment to maximize client well-being and success. Furthermore, social services case managers maximize client assistance by working with community partners.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that case manager responsibilities requires skills like "patient care," "home health," "customer service," and "child abuse." But a case manager/program manager might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "foster care," "social services," "management services," and "criminal justice."
Case manager/program managers may earn a lower salary than case managers, but case manager/program managers earn the most pay in the insurance industry with an average salary of $40,445. On the other hand, case managers receive higher pay in the insurance industry, where they earn an average salary of $50,652.case manager/program managers earn similar levels of education than case managers in general. They're 4.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for case managers in the next 3-5 years?
Virginia Schwindt
MSW Field Director/Associate Professor, Union University
Case manager vs. Social services case manager
Caseworkers are social workers who watch over the welfare of underprivileged individuals and at-risk families by counseling and providing them with assistance. Usually employed under the government or a local non-profit organization, a caseworker must conduct a thorough interview and house visits to determine the needs of the family. They then refer them to any programs or agencies that can give them the specific care and help needed. Furthermore, it is crucial to identify neglect and abuse signs, reporting them to the authorities right away.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a case manager is likely to be skilled in "community resources," "rehabilitation," "patient care," and "home health," while a typical social services case manager is skilled in "social services," "foster care," "face-to-face interviews," and "medicaid."
Social services case managers earn the highest salary when working in the finance industry, where they receive an average salary of $39,234. Comparatively, case managers have the highest earning potential in the insurance industry, with an average salary of $50,652.social services case managers typically earn similar educational levels compared to case managers. Specifically, they're 4.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Case manager vs. Case worker
Types of case manager
Updated January 8, 2025
