Case Manager Interview and Paper (20 pts)
Assignment: Student will make arrangements with an individual who is currently working as a case manager for a social service agency or facility and conduct a face-to-face interview. Following the interview, the student will write a 2-3 page, double-spaced paper describing what the student learned about being a case manager and the case management process.
Spend some time reviewing any information you can find on-line about the agency before you arrange for an interview, such as the mission, types of clients, etc. Don’t burden the person who has agreed to let you interview him or her with having to explain things that you should have taken the time to find out on your own. Again, you don’t ever want to burn your bridges so present yourself as a professional (including how you are dressed).
To help give you some ideas of what to ask about, consider the following questions:
What are the needs of the clients you work with?
What type of treatment goals do you develop with your clients?
What are the types of services you provide to your clients?
What are typically the client’s responsibilities with their plans? What are yours?
How many clients do you work with? Do they come to your office?
How did you become a case manager?
What do you like best about your job? What do you like least?
Do you have a particular ethical code you have to adhere to? How do you resolve any ethical
conflicts? Can you describe what type of ethical conflicts might arise in your work with clients?
What skills and knowledge do you think a person should have to work as a case manager?
What advice might you have for someone who is looking for a job as a case manager?
These are just some suggestions to get you started. Remember you’re not interrogating the person, you’re asking relevant questions appropriate for the setting and type of population the person serves. If you start out your questions with “Could you tell me….” or “Could you describe for me….” then the person is free to answer with more information and details.
Assignment to be submitted: After your informational interview, write up a 2-3 page paper (no less than 2 pages, no more than 3; double spaced, 1” margins, 12-pt font) describing what you learned from your interview. Points will be awarded based on how well you are able to present an articulate, organized, and focused description of the insights you acquired from the interview (i.e., it should not be a transcript of the interview). Your paper should not have any spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors so look it over carefully before you submit it.
