We spoke with such a case manager in Washington.
Tell us a little about your current work and how long youve been at it.
We work with mentally ill people who are more symptomatic than average.
My job in a nutshell: I help my clients to meet their basic needs.
Im a combination taxi driver, professional grocery shopper, and tag-along to doctors appointments.
What drove you to choose your career path?
I really wanted to help these people so I decided to learn about psychology.
My first psych course was super interesting so I studied it in college as well.
Figured I could make a small difference in the world and get paid for it too.
How did you go about getting your job?
What kind of education and experience did you need?
Did you need any licenses or certifications?
you better be an Agency Affiliated Counselor in Washington state, which is actually pretty easy to get.
One would also need to have the agency that one works for approve said system.
What kinds of things do you do beyond what most people see?
What do you actually spend the majority of your time doing?
All client interactions have to be documented so that they can be billed for.
What misconceptions do people often have about your job?
That its really really hard and it drives us (the case managers) insane.
Thats true after a factthe job is stressful.
But its not that hard really.
Patience, patience, patience.
What are your average work hours?
I work a little over 40 hours a week on average.
Like I mentioned before, you need a lot of patience to do this job.
What personal tips and shortcuts have made your job easier?
I use the crap out of technology.
Anything that makes my job more efficient I am game for.
A tip for aspiring case managers: never take anything personally, ever.
You cant take it personally.
Most of them are yelling at their symptoms, not you.
Its bad news, and you cant take what clients do personally.
What do you do differently from your coworkers or peers in the same profession?
What do they do instead?
I dont do that much differently then my coworkers because our clients tend to thrive on consistency.
If I do anything differently then my coworkers its the tips and shortcuts I listed in the last question.
One thing that does come to mind that makes me different is my physique.
I am a very large man which I suppose would set me out from the crowd.
Ive been told its quite beneficial to have a man on team for this reason.
Whats the worst part of the job and how do you deal with it?
Im sure it takes an emotional toll when a client is struggling.
Doubt is the worst part of the job in my opinion.
You start thinking What could I have done differently?
Is it my fault this person is dead?
Thats hard to deal with sometimes, the raw nature of it.
Thankfully clients die pretty rarely.
I can drive them to the doctor but I cant make them get in the car.
Its tough when a client is struggling, especially when their struggle seems self-inflicted.
Substance abuse is a common co-occurring issue with clients, for example.
Another tough scenario is a the med-compliance spiral.
A client starts to feel paranoid about their medications and decides to stop taking them.
This makes their symptoms worse and they start to spiral out of control.
Finally, like any job, the bureaucracy involved can be a hassle.
The paperwork I mention above can take a very long time and is very tedious but ultimately necessary.
Whats the most enjoyable part of the job?
Those little victories are the best part.
As an aside, its very difficult to get someone involuntarily committed (detained) now-a-days.
Google it, call your legislature.
Thats always enjoyable too.
What kind of money can one expect to make at your job?
Or, whats an average starting salary?
Ive been at this for a while so I make somewhere in the middle of that.
How do you move up in your field?
Typically you have to get a Masters degree to be eligible to move up directly in mental health.
What do people under/over value about what you do?
For example, getting a client into a nursing facility can be pretty rough going sometimes.
From the outside that process can seem like this:
Declare client needs to be in a nursing home.
Client gets admitted to a nursing home.
It doesnt hurt that I get paid to be patient too.
What advice would you give to those aspiring to join your profession?
Read this entire interview and ask yourself: could I do this job?
Seriously, thats the advice I would give.
Also, practice good self-care.
This kind of job can take a lot out of you emotionally.
Its important to take time for yourself (get a hobby!)
and to leave your work at work.
Everything will get done, in time.
I could work 16 hours a day, seven days a week and still not get everything done.
Its important to know how to prioritize.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
