My Experience as a Case Manager

Introduction 

Internships are essential programs for students because it provides students with an opportunity to test careers by applying the theories learned in class in a professional setting, and also a right way of getting experience and workforce exposure to prepare students for full-time jobs in the future. Besides these, an internship also entails a lot of benefits such as enabling students to acquire professional skills, lessons, tools, and talents and help students to establish networks and relationships with mentors thus enhancing chances of negotiating for full-time jobs in the future. Therefore, it is a vital part of academic learning. On this background, this paper focuses on my internship experience as a case manager, and it will consist of three section. Then finally, a concluding paragraph. 

Part one 

During my internship, I worked with an organization called Carribean House Engagement and Supportive Services. This organization is an NGO that is dedicated to offering engagement and supportive services through getting permanent homes to the homeless, depressed, drug addict or mentally challenged patients. It also provides them with patient education and counseling, provides follow-up for post care, coordinate services with other providers of healthcare, skills development, advocacy with community and providers resources, and address systemic, personal and cultural barriers to care engagement among other related services. To perform this, the organization conducts an appointment and outreach programs to people with drug addiction, HIV and depression through collaboration with other agencies of social service and community providers to secure resources for conducting the program. The mission of the organization is to try to assist people with appointments and outreach programs. 

During my internship, I was assigned the responsibilities such as answering telephone calls, and I also work alongside the case manager and assist with the work. In this context, case management is a collaborative process which is tailored towards promoting the wellness and health of an individual. Therefore, the primary responsibilities of a case manager are to determine patients’ health situation, coordinating and planning for care for patients, and establishing a healthcare plan which is most economical for patients and their family, and I was assisting in all these areas. My supervisor was called Diana Watson, and she helped me to gain a lot of skills and experience in the professional background through learning in the organization. 

Part two 

The main duty of a case manager in the organization is to improve the health results of patients through ensuring coordination of and timely access to medical services and all other related services to those engaged in treatment and care. As an assistant case manager in the institution, I was involved in processes such as intake of patients, preliminary needs assessment, service plan implementation and development, service coordination, case conferencing, quarterly reassessment, follow-up and monitoring of patients care plan, case closure, and crisis intervention. I was doing all these processes with the help of my senior and my supervisor, and some point I could conduct them alone. 

To implement these processes, activities I was involved in a day include, checking the records of clients I was assigned to attend to. After reviewing records, I then make calls, send emails or text to some clients to check and remind them of appointments. Besides that, I also meet some clients to discuss their health conditions, special consideration or attention required for their treatment whether they want to change medication or care plan recommended for them or meet to talk with clients if they are in need of some essential information concerning their health. Also, I was engaged in advocacy of the best care plan for my clients, consistent contacts with the providers of care, service referral and linkage for my clients, referrals to resources of the community, and engage clients in activities which support the skills they learn through services of health education. At times, I was assigned by my senior to work as a peer navigator to conduct engagement and outreach efforts to clients, accompany clients on supportive services and clinical appointments, helps clients in self-management and self-advocacy, or assist my senior during particular interventions. In a day, I would handle an average of 5 clients with various needs that require full attention and understanding. I recorded each encounter of case management with the clients and documented them in a note of progress, and kept them in an order that is chronological in the chart of the client. 

Discussion of Representative Clients 

I met a 48-year-old female client after health education group. The client wanted to get her general education degree (GED) and find employment. The mood of the client was pleasant, and she was happy with the way I handled her during our meeting. As such, she felt free and open up during the discussion. After an extensive review of her requirements, I gave the client a list of free GED programs that would help her with her need. I also helped the client to set some of her personal goals regarding her need of getting a GED program, and she was grateful for the help. After a few days, I called the client to remind her of the appointment she had. We met, and she informed that she was going to begin the GED program at the end of May. She was also moving into her place in the following week, and I promised to go and confirm if she can get some assistance with fortune, which I eventually accomplished and was of great help to the client. 

After a few days, the client called because she lost her Truvada during her relocation to the new house. The Truvada got lost somewhere within the boxes she was using to move out, and the client wanted to know if can get a new prescription for the medicine. As a result, I notified the doctor of the client and requested a new prescription. The client got the new prescription and continued with her medication. The client sounded worried and confused when she called, but after I resolved the issue and getting her new prescription, she sounded relieved and was grateful because she was going to continue with her medication as usual. 

Second, I saw a client who was not adhering the rules of her medication. We discussed the dangers of failing to take her treatment and then I asked her if she would like to change pharmacy so that her drugs could be delivered. After an extensive review of the client’s case, I identified together with her help, the cause of the problem of failing to adhere to her medication. With the help of my supervisor, we were able to get permanent housing for the client. The client was now living alone in her apartment and could now have access to her and go for her treatment at her own will. Even though the client seemed to be in a low mood at first, she could smile and be thankful for the effort and dedication I put to help her get a private place. In the end, she was pleased with the way I handled her during the whole process and how I facilitated the process of getting her a new home, and the medication advice I gave her every moment she was in need. 

Also, I met a 38 years old male client. The client had HIV and other health issues, and he came to seek for some supportive services. When we met, the client was in a good mood and found my mood welcoming too. As such, he was able to open up and disclose all the information that was required pertaining his condition and other valuable information for her assistance and medication. I recommended a care plan for the client that worked very well for him, and he responded well. He was taking all his medication and making his appointments. The clients were thankful for my dedication to assisting him with his medication, and the medical and personal life advice he received from me during our meetings. 

Challenges I encountered 

I enjoyed my stay in the organization for the period I was doing my internship. However, I also faced some difficulties in the course of my duties especially the first weeks I joined the company. These challenges include, first, stress due to overwhelming work. Working with clients who have HIV, drug addiction, and depression is an engaging job as it requires the understanding and tolerance of every client you meet due to the different moods or situations the clients present. Some clients come with bad moods that working with them becomes very difficult and I get worked up in the process. Others also require particular attention because of their conditions, for instance, the individuals who are depressed or HIV positive and suffering pandemic diseases like tuberculosis. Even though I had been oriented in some areas of my work when I joined the organization, but because it was my first time working in this area, my early days in the organization were stressful coupled with the fear that I may also get infected in the process. Though I could not display any adverse reactions to clients at times, failing to deal with the stressful conditioned worked me up, and I used to have headaches at the end of the day. 

I informed my supervisor about the challenge I was going through, and she organized an education and training program to educate all interns in case management section how to handle clients and the skills that are necessary to perform the job effectively and efficiently. With the training, I gained knowledge and skills in dealing with clients, how to act professionally, and knowing our professional duties boundaries. As a result, I could then relate well with the clients, make friendship and assist them in every way possible. I could see the impact and change I brought to the clients that I served during my internship. Some patients who could not adhere to care plan/treatment schedules and appointments were now doing it better compared to the prior days before my encounter with them. 

Second, case management is an involving work as it requires handling of a wide range of services to be able to meet tracking standards for various clients and therefore, requires a high level of accuracy and accountability. However, sometimes when my seniors were not available or were few in the department, working on data concerning patients to meet their needs would take much time and would leave me with less time for patient leading to pressure. As a result, some clients complained that they were not well attended to. However, my supervisor first taught me the limits of my duties and roles that I take on a daily basis when she encountered the problem. Also, the organization introduced a comprehensive mobile platform for case management during that time, which help manage in collaboration-friendly, multi-specialty records of clients, and had a varied data analysis capabilities. This platform reduced time spent on data entry and collection and increased the time I spent with the patients. As such, I had enough time to attentively listen and discuss with my client on ways of improving the outcomes of their conditions and also addressing some of the challenges they brought to me. Also, I got enough time to carry out other duties assigned to me by my senior (supervisor) such as acting as peer navigator, work which I would mostly perform on errands outside the organization. 

Third, I had difficulty relating to some of my seniors because of their negative attitude towards other interns in general and me. Some even paid less attention to me when I needed an explanation at a time when my supervisor was not around. Some seniors also burdened us with a lot of extra work after finishing our daily duties. This also stressed me and altered my moods at times, but I received training and guidance on how to cope and live with such like situations within the organization. Through training I was able to maintain a good mood and balance work with personal stress, thus, attending to my client’s needs in the best way possible. With time, some of those employees with negative attitudes got used to as and they changed to be kind and good people because I learned to relate with them well as my elders in the organization irrespective of their conditions, moods or attitudes. 

Additionally, I experienced some form of physical harassment from clients who thought that I was too young and not fit to handle their situation. Some would shout at me to call my senior thinking that I was just a secretary to her, especially those who came in bad moods. This harassment mostly occurred during my earlier days in the institution with former clients who could not recognize me and were only familiar with my senior. I used to get tensed at some point but because I had received some training and orientation on how to deal with clients as a professional irrespective of the clients’ moods or attitudes, I was able to conduct myself professionally, and attend to my clients in the same level of my seniors even in the absence of my supervisor. In the end, the clients got fond of me as a professional who could assist them with any of their needs regarding the improvement of their general health and other assistance. They even addressed me as one of the employees in the organization, and as such, I was happy and willing to dedicate all my time and knowledge to help the clients. 

Part three 

Yes, my supervisor was very helpful and reliable. She answered all my questions and explained everything to my satisfaction whenever the need arose in the course of my duty. She was kind and supportive towards me and guided me where I found difficulties. During my internship, I learned a lot of things including the related social issues that individual as well as families who live with people suffering from drug addiction, HIV and depression face, and how to handle these issues/cases in a healthcare professional setting. Besides, I gained knowledge of the outreach and appointment programs and how it works for people with various ailments. This knowledge is very beneficial to my future carrier as it adds to my career value through the experience in the recommendation letter, and helped me integrate some of the classwork into practice. 

I would be interested in working with the Carribean House Engagement and Supportive Services if I am offered a job. I would love to work in the company treats their employees well through employee effort recognition and rewards. It also engages its employees in continuous training programs and seminars to enhance their knowledge and increase their productivity. Besides, I like the way the company treated its interns. We were recognized as part of the organization and even attended meetings. Therefore, working with this organization will help me grow my career due to the conducive and enabling environment. 

Yes, the employees welcome me and many of them treated us fairly except for a few who naturally had a negative attitude towards interns including me. The majority who warmly welcome me viewed as part of them and as one who can assist them in the course of their duty. As such, I was included in any training program or seminars relating to my work area. Additionally, most the clients I interacted with treated me except for a few who come moods because of their devastating condition. Some sounded rude when they met at the first time may be with a perception that I could not handle them professionally considering my age. If I were to do the case management assistant again, I would put more effort and make every day count as I deliver quality work and leave a memorable mark of an ambitious and determined intern to create an advantage over other interns. 

I enjoyed my internship and my stay in the organization in overall. We were taken for retreats, and interns were allowed to interact and get to know each other and their institution background. I also loved and enjoyed my interpersonal relationship with my supervisor Mrs. Diana Watson. She was so supportive, accommodative and welcoming and I could run to her for any help or guidance especially when things got tough for me, and this encouraged me to handle my daily duties with love; thus, I enjoyed each passing day as I got familiar with my roles. 

The new skills I learned during my internship include workplace interpersonal relationships, that is, how to relate to fellow employees and even seniors in a professional. This is different with how I interact back in school with teachers and fellow students. I also learned about time management, teamwork and collaboration, and professional communication. Besides, I also learned a few leadership skills when I was selected as the team of interns during the internship period. 

Yes, I was poorly treated with a few employees who never recognized my capability. A few employees also harassed me physically and sexually. I reported the matter to my supervisor who then talks to the senior management. Those employees were summoned and spoke to. I together with other interns received a specialized training program on how to handle such cases and cope up with stress level in an organizational setting. The skills I acquired during training helped me cope with negative colleagues. 

I will use what I have learned and acquired from the organization to grow my career and achieve my dreams of becoming a senior case manager in the future. I will also utilize the established networks and mentorship of senior leaders to search for jobs after I am done with school. 

Conclusion 

An internship offers excellent opportunities for students to explore their careers and determine if it meets the expectation of their passion for the profession they have chosen to pursue. Even though one may encounter difficulties during the internship period, learning ways of coping or overcoming the challenges are still part of the career because those challenges form part and parcel of a real professional setting hence giving students the necessary skills and experience to handle their jobs in the future after finishing school. Therefore, it is an essential part of learning coursework I schools. I enjoyed my internship in overall, and I would wish to work with the organization if offered a job after school. It was such a good organization which offers a warm and friendly environment to its employees, and thus, enhancing their productivity.