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Managing family expectations during case management

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Nicole Brown
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Managing family expectations during case management

What is the best way of managing family expectations during the case management process?

This question was raised during the recent webinar on case management for group input.

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Natia Partskhaladze
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The best way of managing family expectations during the case management process is to clearly articulate the roles and responsibilities and end goal of case management. This conversation should take place during one of the first meetings with the family and in particular when getting their informed consent. The caseworker can explain what the family can expect in terms of the case management process as well as what the roles and responsibilities of each actor (case worker, parents, children, others) will be throughout the process, including home visitations (case worker), follow through on activities outlined in the case plan (caseworker and family members), etc. Stressing that case management is a collaborative process and providing examples of how and what this might look like will give the family a better understanding of what they should or should not expect from the process. Part of a strengths-based approach which is a foundational principle of case management is helping families to understand, recognize and build off of their own strengths. Recognizing their own role in the process and engaging the family in the identification of the desired end goals of the case management process, from the earliest conversations, is the best way to keep expectations realistic and “owned” by the family.

* This response was provided by the Alliance Case Management Interest Group sub-group co-chairs Kelley Bunkers and Severine Chevrel.