Be Your Own Case Manager: Tips We Can Share Here Community Group
I was talking to my therapist last week and she commented that a therapist's role in partis to teach their clients how to be their own Case Manager/Social Worker.Navigating the ins and outs of public services can be complex and difficultin a really big way. I was thinking this group could be a place where we can ask questions about how each of us has handled things as...
This is the first post in this group, I hope you guys see it. So it’s funny that this group started because the week before Mark invited me to this group I had my last phone call with my old case worker. She is retiring & said that it might take a while to set up another new case worker (it’s a long story) but she said that I’ve been doing good keeping up with my appointments & stuff so to try it for a little without & see how I do. but if I need anything she gave me a number to call to reach out for help or to set anything else up. Hope I’m making sense & not rambling because I’ve been in & out of dissociation.
One of my issues that that I have to keep on is that my ptsd is so severe that I sometimes feel scared of doctors & will get too scared & try rescheduling appointments. & I have a lot of injuries from when I escaped my ex & he tried to murder me, so it’s important to keep up with my doctor appointments. My trauma therapist is on vacation for two weeks but when she comes back I will discuss this stuff with her.
Im not really sure what I’m saying here. I guess I’m just reaching out for support to keep going. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed
-
And I hope everyone is having a nice weekend.We're going to the Squatch Fest! (Bigfoot)
-
Hello- I am new to the group
I hope if you need one, you will find another case manager asap.
Can I ask you how you found one to begin with?
What social service department did you call so that we might find one in our respective ’ neck of the woods.’?
Thanks and peace
The first case worker I found a couple years ago I actually found through calling a domestic violence helpline & I also found my trauma therapist through them too. But that case worker quit during the pandemic.
So for the second one I actually called my insurance program Fidelis Medicaid. They said Medicaid has a lot of associations with different case workers and programs. But then the lady on the phone said that they also offer Fidelis case workers & if I wanted them to place me with one & I said sure. A week later I had one, she was really nice & we would do phone call appointments & it was nice because since she was part of Fidelis she could just look in her computer and tell me different doctors in my areas that take my insurance.
But yea there’s definitely a lot of different programs affiliated with Medicaid.
When I see my therapist I’ll be interested if she thinks if i should get another case worker. I’ll let you guys know
Big hugs <3
just another quick question...: My therapist said Case workers
are really expensive...did you find that to be the case?
Same with the Fidelis Medicaid case worker was free for me too actually
I have been hospitalized 4 times for mental health breaks since 2003, and in those places, it seems you go through different mappings to get you stabilized with continued care. It would involve a social worker and many many assessments and follow up appointments with psychiatrists and therapists. Some of those went ok and some of them didn’t, but I finally felt like I made breakthroughs in the outpatient hospitalization and finally got onto a good path with more therapy and lessening my meds over time. I did art therapy and helpful workshops and support groups, and have made great strides managing stability long term.
But I never had a case manager…it was a multi-tiered approach.
In fact, looking back, I think I had too many outside people having so many opinions about my care that THEY were all trying to be my case manager…and so Mark’s comments about learning to be our own case manager resonates with me. I really had to figure out in therapy to learn how to be “me” again….after trauma, and grief and pregnancy loss and major surgeries and emotional abuse and coinciding depression with psychosis and major anxiety. My bipolar is listed in “remission” right now, but that’s only because I take the (finally) appropriate meds and have therapy check-ins every two weeks.
Managing mental health care can be tricky when too many people are stating their opinions, so I can see how a case manager could help to navigate that complexity out there. I feel I’ve been lucky with two good therapists who helped me assess the care and encouraged me to seek other opinions when I was an immobile voice. The dots started connecting and though I have to manage “all this” my whole life…..it can be done.
I hope you both have a wonderful weekend!
* I'm sorry everything you been through too
That’s so cool you did art therapy, I love art. I even do art when I’m in pain or my injuries are locking up (like la Frida Kahlo) because that’s how much art helps me mentally.
Mark - yea i wonder if they have any programs like that in Cali
Big hugs guys <3 <3 <3
Yes, lilmissy, art therapy was GREAT! I did it for two years on Monday nights and it really empowered me! I love Frida Kahlo and visiting Casa Azul in Coyoacan was one of the highlights of all my travels.
Also, regarding case managers and such, I can’t say enough good stuff about NAMI. They are really expanding services and programs and such and are a great resource when people are “just getting started” with this whole mental health thing. I used to go to support groups that brought together so many different people, have done a few walks, did workshops and spoke on some panels and still involved in focus groups in my city. I think staying connected to a mental health community is a powerful thing for your own healing and for advocacy for others.
I’m still not at a place where I would walk into work and be like “hey! Guess what!” but feel all this extra work of “being my own case manager” gives me sturdiness to tackle a job, even a challenging one at that.
Wows that’s so cool you went to Casa Azul in Coyoacan! I’ve always wanted to go there, I have lots of pictures of her chillin there with all her animals. I love Frida.
Yea I heard good stuff about NAMI, gotta check it out.
Thanks for your kindness & giving me hope
Big hug <3