Records & Case Management
What Is a case manager?
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According to the Case Management Society of America (CMSA), case management is a collaborative process that assesses plans, implements, coordinates, monitors and evaluates options and services to meet an individual’s health needs through communications and available resources to promote quality, cost-effective outcomes.A case manager is a healthcare professional whose role is to coordinate an integrated plan of care including the medical, rehabilitation, educational, vocational, and psycho-social issues for an individual with impairments or chronic illness.
The plan of care should maximize an individual’s medical stability, optimize physical and cognitive potentials and integrate the person into as normal a life pattern as possible. A case manager may come from a wide range of professional areas including nursing, psychology, rehabilitation counseling and social work.
A person certified to provide Case Management is a Certified Case Manager (CCM). These individuals must be licensed in their respective states in their professional practice area. (e.g. registered nurse, licensed professional counselor). Case Managers also obtain certification in other specialty areas. (e.g. certified rehabilitation nurse (CRRN), certified rehabilitation counselor (CRC), certified disability management specialist (CDMS), certified vocational evaluation (CVE). These additional certifications require significant continuing education that assures the professional has current knowledge and practice in their field.
Though many people provide case management services without a CCM, certification commits the individual to perform within certain national standards of practice and ethics.
Case managers are found within hospitals, rehabilitation programs, insurance companies, and the private sector. While case managers may interact with a family and the person with brain injury during a specific time, they often do not follow the individual long term. Insurers and families may choose to hire an independent case manager to assist them in coordination of services, acquisition of services and equipment, monitoring of services provided and long term care planning
The role of a case manager in a hospital or rehabilitation program typically focuses on goals and services provided while the person is participating in their program. Much of their effort revolves around coordinating payments for services and equipment from sources such as private insurance, worker’s comp and government funds.
Case managers with brain injury expertise may be found at www.cmrg.com.
Lu Rae Ahrendt is a certified rehabilitation nurse and certified case manager. She provides catastrophic case management services and life care plans for children and adults with disabilities and chronic illnesses and has extensive experience in the development, coordination and implementation of plans of care for individuals with brain injuries. Ms. Ahrendt presents to numerous professional and disability support organizations. She is a current board member and former board chairperson for the Brain Injury Resource Foundation.