Interdisciplinary Case Management

Introduction

  • Speaker: Hannah Fry, doctoral student in Rehabilitation Counselor Education at UW Madison.

  • Brief background:

    • Graduated from undergraduate and master's programs at UW.

    • Familiar with the UW system, particularly in medicine and local agencies.

    • Completed practicum at Journey Mental Health with Clinica Latina program, focused on mental health counseling for Spanish speakers in Madison.

    • Internship at DVR in Madison, currently working at Yahara House clubhouse serving individuals with mental illnesses and substance use disorders.

  • Lecture focus: Interdisciplinary case management in mental health, community systems, and case conceptualization, including an assignment.

Overview of Interdisciplinary Case Management

  • Importance of understanding role within cross-disciplinary teams.

  • Types of cross-disciplinary teams to be discussed:

    1. Multidisciplinary Teams

    2. Interdisciplinary Teams

    3. Transdisciplinary Teams

Multidisciplinary Teams

  • Definition: Teams centered around a single consumer with one central case manager.

  • Role of case manager: Acts as the point of contact and conduits for communication between various team members.

  • Example: DVR setting, where a case manager connects consumers to other vendors (e.g., job developers, housing specialists).

  • Key characteristic: Vendors do not interact with each other; all communication is through the case manager and consumer.

    • Assessment Process: Separate assessments conducted by different professionals (e.g., benefits specialist vs. job developer) without sharing information.

Interdisciplinary Teams

  • Definition: Teams housed in one location with enhanced communication between members.

  • Roles: Team members can directly communicate and collaborate (e.g., rehab counselors interacting with social workers, nurses).

    • Example Scenario: A job specialist collaborating with other professionals on the team.

Transdisciplinary Teams

  • Definition: Blend of services from various professionals with overlapping roles.

  • Example roles overlap:

    • Social workers may engage in rehabilitation counseling tasks (e.g., job coaching).

    • Rehab counselors may take on generalized tasks (e.g., community support).

  • Importance: Allows for enriched service delivery through integrated expertise across disciplines.

  • Identification of team type can be challenging but essential for understanding one's own role and responsibilities.

Case Management Characteristics Across Team Types

  • Assessment Processes:

    • In Multidisciplinary Teams: Individuals conduct assessments separately (no shared access).

    • In Transdisciplinary Teams: Assessments are collaborative and involve all team members and the consumer.

  • Lines of Communication:

    • Multidisciplinary Teams: Informal communication may complicate coordination between professionals.

  • Real-World Examples from Madison:

    • DVR: Predominantly follows a Multidisciplinary model.

    • Yahara House: Functions as a Transdisciplinary team with staff collectively engaging in job support and case management roles.

    • CCS (Comprehensive Community Services) program allows consumers to customize their service team selecting from multiple agencies, leading to hybrid team functioning.