• “I need counseling services, and I can’t afford my co-pay.”
• “I wish I could have a therapist to help me process everything that has happened in my life, but I don’t qualify for assistance because I don’t have any kids.”
• “I want to learn how to make better choices. Counseling would be really helpful, but right now, feeding my family is more important.”
• “I don’t have the gas money to drive to a therapy appointment.”
• “My counselor was really helping me, but then I lost my insurance. Now I can’t afford the sessions.”
• “I am a single parent and can’t afford childcare. I can’t take my 3 little ones to a counseling session.”
• “I really want to work on my issues in therapy, but finding a place to live has to happen first.”
• “How on Earth can I focus on dealing with my issues in counseling?
• I work 8-5 and I can’t find an agency open after typical business hours.”

Case Management is an important part of helping clients become self-sufficient in other areas of their lives.  The combination of counseling and Case Management has proven to be effective with clients all over.  Case Management is designed to help empower clients and guide them along a path to become independent.

• We LINK people to resources and opportunities for things that they need help accessing.  This can include food, shelter, resume building, educational opportunities, vocational training, transportation, pet care resources, legal resources, spiritual resources, etc.
• We REFER people to other experts who can help them become independent and self-sufficient
• We ADVOCATE for people when they need help being heard.  I advocate with other agencies who do not always hear the needs of the clients who need their help.  I advocate in court for these clients.  I have one family who I have personally been able to work with biological mother and guardian so that they can work together to create a healthier situation for 3 little kids who DHS was going to put into the system.  Mom is now getting help and counseling and becoming self-sufficient.  Guardian is working with her so that these kids have a support network and a better life to eventually come home to.  I advocate landlords when clients are living in unfit conditions and they are being taken advantage of…these are just a few examples.
• I help people learn about other resources out there.  I teach them about insurance and how to find affordable care.
• Parents who struggle to be fit parents often lose their kids to the system; we teach the skills that they need to become healthy parents and connect them with parenting classes.
• We teach them life skills to make them more functional adults.  This includes rehab services like time management, cooking, budgeting, resume building, hygiene, how to take care of their mental, physical, and spiritual selves.
• We teach people how to be safe

Case Management is all about helping people in the areas of their lives that meet their basic needs and with counseling, can guide them toward a more fulfilling, well rounded recovery.  In essence, a Case Manager takes care of showing clients how to meet their most basic human needs so that they can use the skills they learn in counseling to become not only healthy individuals, but so that they have lasting change that can impact the people and community around them in a positive way.