When you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health challenge, there are numerous services available to help you navigate obstacles and move forward in recovery. Two key components frequently recommended by health care providers are case management and therapy. While both aim to help people improve their well-being and become more independent, the roles and goals of case management and therapy are distinctly different.
Understanding these distinctions can empower you to make more informed choices about your care and maximize the benefits of both services.
What Is Case Management?
Case management focuses on coordinating care and securing resources to help people stabilize their lives and connect with essential services. A case manager, often a social worker, counselor, or case worker, (or privately paid, such as the LifeSpan Care Management model utilizing experienced RNs) performs a comprehensive needs assessment to identify a person’s most urgent struggles. This might include financial stress, the risk of homelessness, health care coverage, food insecurity, employment issues, or a lack of education or training opportunities.
The case manager then develops a tailored care plan to connect the person with resources and support services in their community.
For the poor, this might include:
- Housing programs or rental assistance
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (food stamps)
- Healthcare coverage, medication, or dental care
- Educational and employment services
- Parenting resources or child care
- Support groups, community programs, or legal aid
For people of some means, LifeSpan Care management uses what we call a “rehab nursing model”. This means that the LifeSpan Care Manager takes steps to enable improvement of functioning and quality of life for our clients. The goal is to meet the client’s preferences and abilities, and our awareness of the local providers of all types enables us to use our best judgment to “manage” the successful recovery for our clients. Ultimately, a case manager plays a key role in helping people resolve these stressors and become more stable, which in turn can aid their recovery from physical or mental health disorders and help them move toward greater independence.
What Is Therapy?
Therapy, or counseling, focuses on exploring and addressing the internal struggles — thoughts, emotions, attitudes, and behaviors — that affect a person’s well-being.
A licensed clinician, such as a psychologist, marriage and family therapist, clinical social worker, or professional counselor, guides the person through this process in a safe, supportive environment. LifeSpan nurses do not hold themselves out to perform such therapy; however, we focus on the practical aspects of navigating the healthcare system to enable our clients to thrive.
Some key components of therapy include:
- Exploring emotions and experiences: A person can talk openly about their worries, doubts, anxieties, and past trauma without judgment.
- Developing coping strategies: The clinician teaches techniques to handle stress, regulate emotions, resolve conflict, and cope with difficult situations.
- Setting goals: Therapy focuses on identifying goals — whether it’s reducing symptoms of depression or improving relationships — and taking actionable steps toward those goals.
- Strengthening relationships: Certain therapies, like interpersonal therapy or marriage and family therapy, help people improve communication skills and resolve disputes in their relationships.
The Main Difference Between Case Management and Therapy
The key difference lies in their focus and role in care:
- Case management is service-oriented.
It aims to resolve external stressors — such as healthcare insurance coverage, health system dysfunction, record-keeping, and communication between healthcare providers— that can undermine a person’s ability to stabilize and progress in their recovery. - Therapy is clinical and insight-oriented.
It focuses on internal struggles — a person’s thoughts, emotions, beliefs, and relationships — that affect their ability to cope and grow.
Why Combine Case Management and Therapy?
For many people, combining case management and therapy is a powerful approach to recovery. Picture a person experiencing homelessness, financial stress, and symptoms of depression and trauma. A case manager might help this person find a place to live, apply for food stamps, and connect with healthcare providers, addressing their urgent external stressors first. Meanwhile, a therapist can help this person process their trauma, learn coping strategies, and work toward rebuilding their future, addressing their inner struggles.
Together, these two roles form a well-rounded team that helps the person move forward and become more independent and resilient. Contact Life Span Care Management for help with Case Management and creating a Plan of Care that works for your family.