Case Management in New York Social Work

In New York, of all states, social work case managers can be the critical difference for people in need.

As one of the original states in the Union, government here goes back as far you can go in the US. And sometimes it seems like some of the rules for public assistance were originally inked into the books with quill pens during the term of George Clinton – no, not that George Clinton, and not that Parliament. We’re talking 1770’s not 1970’s, though it’s likely that some of the folks working at the Division of Housing and Community Renewal may date back to the P-Funk era.

What that adds up to is a lot of paperwork for almost every kind of government assistance program or exemption under the sun. Phone line help trees are a nightmare that ordinary people struggle to cut through. Complex regulations contain enormous pitfalls, such as Social Security asset requirements… one Deer Park man has been told for years that an unsaleable timeshare keeps him over the limit for assistance he needs.

Those stories should make your blood boil. And the best role in social work to give them a happier ending is in case management.

What Do Social Work Case Managers Do in New York?

Case managers are social workers who help clients navigate that bewildering social services system in New York.

They bring extensive inside knowledge of how wheels turn within social services systems to bear on individual problems. You need strong organizational skills and attention to detail to do well in case management work.

The objectives for case managers are the same as any social worker: find ways to enable clients to have fulfilling, meaningful lives in the face of misfortune or obstacles.

They accomplish that by performing services such as:

Conducting intensive intake assessments to provide a picture of client needs and abilities
Helping to develop individualized care plans in collaboration with clients, their families, and other human services and healthcare providers
Performing advocacy, treatment coordination, and referrals to other service providers
Facilitating support groups and other peer-support resources
Generate and file documentation, including progress notes and service plans
Monitor client progress and adjust plans and resources as needed
Deliver or arrange for crisis intervention and additional supports when they are most needed

It’s easy to see why case management is so critical in New York social work. Even the best clinical counselor can’t get far if they can’t get the resources their client needs. Case managers make that happen for the entire human services industry.

When Poor Case Management Only Makes Things Worse

Jazmine Headley was a hard-working office cleaner who relied on NYC childcare benefits to take care of her son while she was on the job. Without warning, those benefits were dropped. Ms. Headley took time off work and went immediately to the Human Resources Administration (HRA) public benefits office in Brooklyn to find out what had happened.

After being made to wait for four hours without speaking to a supervisor, she tired and had to sit down… on the floor, since no chairs were available. Instead of helping her, office security called the police who proceeded to tear her son from her arms, arrest her, and throw her into notorious Rikers Island.

It wasn’t an isolated incident, but it was caught on video. The public outcry shocked the city. Charges were dropped and Ms. Headley eventually received a $625,000 settlement for the treatment by police and HRA security.

But both the city and Ms. Headley would have been better served if competent case managers had been on the job to simply explain what was happening with her benefits, or keeping them from being cut off in the first place.

Expertise in New York Case Management Can Be Applied in All the Various Concentrations in Social Services

While case management is a specific role in social work, it’s one that has plenty of opportunities for specialization. There aren’t just generic case managers who handle random paperwork for clients. Instead, they focus on a particular aspect of social services.

These typically line up with the more bureaucracy-heavy areas of human services:

No matter what the specialization, most case workers spend their days in much the same way: looking at paper or computer records and burning up the phones with client calls, provider coordination, and referrals.

Other case management jobs have special qualifications that depend on the field they are in or the population they serve. For example, it’s not unusual to find foreign language abilities required for serving immigrant populations.

Getting Started in Case Management Roles in New York with a BSW

Case management jobs in social work are some of the most mezzo roles you will find. That means they are one of the social work positions you can take on here with only a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree behind you.

Even graduates with associate degrees in social work may be able to find positions delivering some rudimentary and supervised case management services.

With four years of both general humanities work and focused study in social work history, theory, and execution, you come out with the ideal mix of skills to knock on any door in New York and handle yourself in any conversation it takes to get your clients the services and benefits they deserve.

Most BSW grads, however, will put that degree to good use as qualification for an Advanced-Standing Master of Social Work program. These give you an extra year of specialist study you can use to hone your skills specific to case management work.

Specialized Concentrations in MSW Degrees That Apply to Case Management

While the daily tasks of many case management jobs don’t rise to the level of master or clinical social work, there are positions that combine those duties and that do call for a LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) or LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker) license. Often, you may be able to start in these jobs pre-licensure and work your way toward the credential along the way.

There are some case management positions that require a Master of Social Work (MSW) even when they do not require a social work license.

Unlike BSW degrees, almost all MSW programs have specialization options that you focus on during your final years of study.

Because case management applies in all kinds of practice, you’ll get some coursework to help build your skills in systems and records in every specialization. You also won’t find any concentrations in case management itself, since it’s such a broad area of expertise.

But certain specializations may offer better preparation than others. Master of Social Work programs in New York that can give your case management skills a boost include MSW concentrations in:

National Certifications Showcase Your Skills in Case Management

Case management is so important that it gets its own national certification credentials from the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).

The Certified Advanced Social Work Case Manager (C-ASWCM) goes above and beyond state licensure and zeroes in on specific qualifications and capabilities in case management. To earn it, you’ll need:

A Master of Social Work degree from a CSWE accredited program
Documentation showing at least two years of supervised, paid post-MSW case management work (note that this experience does not need to be gained while you are licensed, just after you earn your degree)
A current LMSW or LCSW credential, or proof of passage of the ASWB Masters exam
Compliance with the NASW Code of Ethics and Standards for Continuing Professional Education

NASW also offers a bachelor’s level case management credential, the C-SWCM, but it’s less common in New York because one requirement is passing the BSW-level licensure exam… and since BSW-level licensure doesn’t exist in New York State, it’s not aligned with state licensing here.

Earning a C-ASWCM isn’t a critical requirement for jobs in this role, but it does show both other social workers and potential employers that you have mastered the concepts and skills necessary in case management work.

Case management social workers in other specialized fields may also be eligible for other national case management credentials. This is particularly true in health care, a complex specialization with its own knowledge and practices that are outside the typical social work education.

The Commission for Case Manager Certification (CMMC) offers the Certified Case Manager® credential aimed mostly at healthcare workers. Social workers with a degree in a human services field, such as an MSW, and a year or two of supervised case management experience are eligible.

There is also the Accredited Case Manager (ACM) certification from ACMA, the American Case Management Association. It’s designed specifically for case management in the areas of healthy delivery systems and transitions of care, but is also open to social workers with a valid license (or who hold a BSW or MSW), and have accrued at least 2,080 hours of supervised paid work experience in case management. You’ll also have to pass the ACM Certification Exam.

What Kind of Organizations Hire Case Management Social Workers?

One thing that all case managers have in common is that they work for established organizations. There are no freelance case management professionals. In New York, it’s a social work job that is born and lives within the same social services system that it’s committed to untangling.

That means a large proportion of case management jobs are government jobs. Federal, state, and local agencies, such as the Housing Resources Administration, the New York state Office of Children & Family Services, or the NYC Department of Social Services (DSS) have a more or less constant need for qualified social workers with case management skills.

Many non-profit and independent social service organizations also hire case managers. In some cases, these organizations are contracted to help administer government programs. In other cases, they may be private healthcare or rehabilitation companies, charity organizations, or outreach services. Their focus can be anywhere within the broad range of healthcare and human services work that social workers take on today.