Education-Application: Assessing Your Community

Application: Assessing Your Community

Advocacy plays an important role in the case management process. Case managers advocate for optimal conditions to help clients successfully reach their goals. Unfortunately, case managers cannot control all elements of the communities in which clients live. For example, suppose a case manager takes on an alcoholic client who is new to recovery. The client happens to live in a community where liquor stores outnumber supermarkets. The case manager cannot change the situation, and so might instead choose to look for strategies to help the client better approach it. When case managers assess and address challenges that arise in communities, the advocacy role evolves into active support on behalf of their clients.

For this Assignment, imagine that your client lives in your community. To complete the Assignment, assess your community and identify challenges that may affect your ability to advocate on behalf of your client.

To Prepare for this Assignment:

• Consider the needs faced by the community in which you live, and imagine each of your clients as a community member there.
• Review Chapter 7, “Additional Components of Case Management Intervention and Evaluation” from the Course Text. Consider the relationship between the responsibilities described and the advocacy role.
• Review the article, “Skills and Knowledge Needed to Practise as a Care Manager: Continuity and Change.” Consider the role of the skills described in terms of case managers’ ability to advocate for clients.
• Review the article, “Helping Older People Experience Success: An Integrated Model of Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Health Care Management for Older Adults with Serious Mental Illness.” Consider the needs of the population described.
• Review the code of ethics of the National Organization of Human Services. Think about the qualities of the various responsibilities outlined.
• Review the virtual client selected for the Discussion and how you might advocate for that client.
• Imagine your virtual client lives in your community. Consider challenges within your community that may affect how you advocate for your virtual client. Consider how you might address each challenge.

The Assignment (1–2 pages)

• Identify the virtual client you selected for the Discussion.
• Describe one way you might advocate for the client.
• Describe at least two aspects in your community that may present challenges to how you advocate for your client.
• Explain how you might address each of the challenges you described.