How To Become An Intensive Case Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is an intensive case manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Meredith Bertrand,

Sabrina Sullenberger Ph.D.

The main duty of an intensive case manager is to assist clients in accessing medical, psychiatric, social, residential, financial, and other services that they need. Usually, they also coordinate and monitor clients' treatment or rehabilitative services.

The typical duties of an intensive case manager revolve around completing mandated paperwork, creating client outcome reports, assessing the needs of new clients, developing client service plans, and monitoring service delivery from various programs or providers. They may also provide 24/7 emergency coverage on a rotating basis to ensure that clients can receive immediate care. Many intensive case managers also help clients form a support system outside of their mental health services.

To become an intensive case manager, one must have at least a bachelor's degree in human services or a similar field. Certification in case management can be an advantage but is not always necessary. Moreover, an intensive case manager must have exemplary skills in communication, time management, and organization, as well as a high level of compassion and patience. Intensive case managers earn an average of $45,000 per year. Case managers with at least one to two years in mental health services or other relevant job experience tend to get higher offers.

What general advice would you give to an intensive case manager?

Dr. Meredith Bertrand

Chair of Education; Associate Professor of Education, Elms College

History is ever-changing, and teachers must clarify how current events are just as much a part of the study of history as any other socio-political period or event. If you are not comparing the civil rights movement of today to the ongoing civil rights movements of the past, and if you are not supporting the campaign against oppression and institutional racism upon which our nation was built, then you are doing continuous harm to those who need you to act and disrupt the cycle. History teachers better be ready to be activists, not just teachers, or else you are perpetuating the status quo.

ScoreIntensive Case ManagerUS Average

Salary

3.1

Avg. Salary $40,015

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.9

Growth rate 12%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

10.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.69%

Asian 6.45%

Black or African American 11.48%

Hispanic or Latino 17.79%

Unknown 4.73%

White 57.87%

Gender

female 72.95%

male 27.05%

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 an intensive case manager

Explore intensive case manager education requirements

Most common intensive case manager degrees

Bachelor's

68.0 %

Master's

21.8 %

Associate

7.8 %

Start to develop specific intensive case manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Rehabilitation	10.65%
Social Work	10.16%
Crisis Intervention	9.60%
Community Resources	9.34%
Behavioral Health	7.14%

Complete relevant intensive case manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New intensive case managers 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 an intensive case manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real intensive case manager resumes.

Research intensive case manager duties and responsibilities

Provide clients support with basic ADL's (shopping, payee services, budgets, managing and attending appointments).
Coordinate services while teaching life skills promoting goal attainment, crisis management, recovery, rehabilitation and resiliency to underprivilege populations.
Encourage and counsele patients to follow through with drug rehabilitation and continuous psychiatric therapy.
Participate in the assessment, development and implementation of services to mentally ill patients in accordance with their individualize service plan.

Prepare your intensive case manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your intensive case manager resume.

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Choose from 10+ customizable intensive case manager resume templates

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