INTENSIVE CASE MANAGER

(Community Mental Health)

Distinguishing Features of the Class:  The work involves responsibility for providing a more advanced level of case management activities and services to the most seriously mentally ill clients, whose severe mental disability disrupts their ability to function without intensive intervention by mental health providers.  While this position performs all the duties of a Supportive Case Manager (Community Mental Health) it is distinguished from it by the fact that the incumbent carries a minimal caseload of approximately 12 extremely difficult clients and requires a minimum of four monthly contacts.  The incumbent must work closely with the family and support systems to allow the individual to sustain life outside of the institutional setting.  The incumbent must be available on call on a 24-hour basis and works under the direct supervision of a qualified mental health professional and exercises no supervision.  Does related work as required.

Typical Work Activities:

• Identifies clients in need of supportive case management services by completing initial intake and assessment forms with the client applying for mental health services;
• Aids the individual client in achieving objectives and maximizing independence and productivity through support, training and assistance in use of personal and community resources;
• Develops an integrated individualized service plan for clients and plans its implementation;
• Works very closely with family, friends, and others to develop formal and informal community supports and networks;
• Assures assessment of clients on their caseload in order to have their goals, strengths and skill deficits identified;
• Coordinates the complete assessment of clients on their caseloads by arranging for clinical evaluations, psychiatric consultations, psychological testing, functional assessments, rehabilitative and social needs;
• Maintains frequent contact, monitors and follows up the implementation of the written service plan by linking clients with necessary providers, assisting in gaining access to needed medical, psychiatric, social, educational, and other services, maintaining contact throughout the course of treatment;
• Prevents and/or resolves developing crises to avoid unnecessary use of emergency rooms and re-hospitalizations;
• Reduces inpatient treatment by providing whatever services or support is necessary to prevent or resolve crises in their own place of residence;
• Assures medication regimen compliance through teaching and interpreting to clients the importance of prescribed medications, monitoring usage and refilling of prescriptions and being aware of and alert to side-effects;

• Assists clients in learning to use fiscal resources through budget planning, monitoring and instruction in spending and assisting with applications and entitlements;
• Provides outreach to clients who are in need but are not currently using mental health services by identifying options that are responsive to their needs and preferences;
• Provides outreach to engage clients and helps clients to achieve their own goals concerning where and how to live;
• Maintains contact with emergency services;
• Identifies problems that prevent clients from accessing or attending needed services and develops strategies for solving their problems and avoid unnecessary use of costly services;
• Provides substitute 24-hour emergency service coverage by serving as a member of the “On Call” team;
• Participates as a member of the emergency crisis intervention team on call after normal office/business hours.

Full Performance Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Personal Characteristics:

• Thorough knowledge of case management techniques;
• Thorough knowledge of the problems of the chronically mentally ill;
• Thorough knowledge of human behavior;
• Thorough knowledge of the community resources available for the client population and how to effectively access them;
• Thorough knowledge of counseling and crisis intervention techniques;
• Ability to provide emergency crisis intervention services;
• Ability to analyze and organize date and prepare records and reports;
• Ability to understand and interpret complex oral instructions and/or written directions;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others;
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing;
• Physical condition commensurate with the demands of the position.

Minimum Qualifications: EITHER:

• Graduation from a regionally accredited college or university or one accredited by the New York State Board of Regents to grant degrees with a Master’s Degree in a human services field* and two (2) years of experience in providing direct services to persons diagnosed with mental disabilities** or two (2) years of experience in linking persons diagnosed with mental disabilities ** to a broad range of services essential to successfully living in a community setting (e.g. medical, psychiatric, social, educational, legal, housing and financial services); OR
• Graduation from a regionally accredited college or university or one accredited by the New York State Board of Regents to grant degrees with a Bachelor’s Degree in a human services field* and (4) years of experience in providing direct services to persons diagnosed with mental disabilities** or four (4) years of experience in linking persons diagnosed with mental disabilities** to a broad range of services essential to successfully living in a community setting (e.g. medical, psychiatric, social, educational, legal, housing and financial services); OR
• A New York State teaching certificate for which a Bachelor’s Degree is required or New York State Licensure and registration as a registered nurse and a Bachelor’s Degree and four (4) years of experience listed in (B) above.      

*For purposes of qualifying for this title a human services field shall include social work, psychology, nursing, rehabilitation, education, occupational therapy, physical therapy, recreation or recreation therapy, counseling, community mental health, child and family studies, speech and hearing.

**For purposes of qualifying for this title the term mental disabilities refers to persons properly diagnosed as suffering from mental illness, mental retardation, alcoholism or substance abuse.

1/6/98

2/5/03