Required Core Staff: Case Manager

Case management provides the infrastructure for identifying barriers that may interfere with a participant completing the YouthBuild program, and then matching those needs to resources. A successful case management system advances the educational, employment, and personal goals of participants with the following activities:

• Intake interviewing
• Proactively identifying local partners and service providers for common participant needs
• Maintaining resources and contact information for participants who need supportive services in times of crisis
• Assessing and developing participant Individual Development Plans (IDPs)
• Researching additional local resources as needs arise throughout the program
• Identifying the personal strengths and skills of participants over time and applying that knowledge to IDPs and goal-setting
• Creating and maintaining case files, and case notes that are signed and dated.
• Monitoring IDP outcomes
• Providing allowable supportive services to graduates in their follow-up period

Encouraged Best Practices for Case Manager

• Case management and mental health counseling are distinct jobs, but they share many best practices, e.g., time and private space set aside for one-on-one conversation, interviewing techniques and goal-setting conversation, trust building, trauma informed practices
• Provide access to mental health services through a licensed professional on staff or through a partner. Sometimes, case managers are also health professionals, such as licensed social workers, and can fulfill both counseling and case management roles.
• Identify a network of local resources for case manager reference in the grant planning period (e.g., substance use counseling, legal aid, housing assistance, childcare resources, professional therapeutic counseling, etc.) and a clear sense of when it is appropriate to refer young people to these resources.
• Schedule regular one-on-one case management/counseling sessions and take timely case notes.
• Schedule peer group sessions that meet at regular intervals. 
• Incorporate life skills and professional skills classes as a part of the program's regular schedule.
• Collaborate with your program's job developer, classroom educators, and work site instructors to get a holistic idea of each participant's program progress, challenges, and growth.  
• Create a case conferencing system in which key front-line staff (i.e. case managers, job developers, teachers, and trainers) discuss the progress of each participant, and make plans for maximizing their success while respecting participant privacy.
• Check-in regularly with youth in the follow-up period and use supportive services to encourage successful transition into the workforce.  
• Work with the program director to create a program culture that fosters participants' personal growth.
• Keep paper case files and case notes locked in a file cabinet, or make sure virtual case files are protected by password. This helps protect participant privacy. 
• Utilize your coaches for feedback on your case management plan. Ask your Federal Project Officer case management compliance questions. And take advantage of the many tools and upskilling trainings here in the YouthBuild Community.

Some successful programs have assigned several participants to each staff member for ongoing individualized mentoring and support towards the goals they have set in their IDP or life plans. This strengthens the impact of the case management component, builds cohesion among staff, and deepens the program culture of commitment to participant success through relationships with caring adults.

Learn more about case management and supportive services: YouthBuild Case Management Resource Collection

Related Resources

• Sample Youth Individual Service Strategy
• Sections of a Case File and Sample Documents
• eCFR :: 20 CFR 681.570 -- What are supportive services for youth?

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• Posted by: YouthBuild TA
• Posted in: YouthBuild