You will be responsible for ensuring that they are referred to the most appropriate therapeutic services, that they are encouraged to attend those services, that any barriers to their participation in services (i.e. lack of transportation, daycare issues, fears, and concerns) are resolved, and that they are benefiting from the services (if they are not benefiting, you may need to refer them to a different therapeutic intervention). Furthermore, while you won't be acting in the role of therapist, you will still be continuously using your interventions skills and you may be the most consistent service provider for many of the children and youth on your caseload (due to placement movement and turn-over among other contracted service providers). Each interaction you have with each child, youth, or adult gives you the opportunity to engage them in services, offer support and resources, and offer compassion for their particular circumstances. .
Myth.
Being a case manager isn't really all that important. In order to really make a difference, I'm just going to put in my time at CPS and then get a job as a therapist or counselor. .
Reality.
As a CPS worker you will have significant power in lives of highly vulnerable children and families. You, along with your team, will make decisions about family constellations and about what is in the best interests of children. This is an awesome and profound responsibility and should not be taken lightly. Your approaches and interventions with families may set the tone for the outcomes of the case. Indeed, worker turnover and worker attitudes have been shown to be significantly related to permanency outcomes. You may also spend more time with some children and youth on your caseload than any other service provider. For example, if you have a youth on your caseload who is frequently disrupted from placements, you will likely spend a lot of time in the car with that youth and will have multiple opportunities to talk to him/her about many aspects of his/her life.
