Families who have children with serious emotional and behavioral difficulties often find themselves feeling overwhelmed and alone. Targeted Case Management (TCM) is a service that can help ease this burden. Targeted Case Managers are trained professionals who provide support and link families to resources, services, and other supports that can be used within the home, community, and school settings.

TCM can help families identify their child’s strengths and needs, develop goals for treatment, connect with appropriate service providers, and navigate the complex mental health system. In addition, targeted case managers can provide emotional support to families during this challenging time. If you are struggling to cope with your child’s challenges, please reach out to us for more information or to schedule an appointment.

TCM Services are offered in three different levels, based on your child’s needs.

1. The most intensive level is Intensive Case Management (ICM). The Intensive Case Manager has regular contact with you and your child, at least once every two weeks. This level of service is for children who need more frequent contact and support than what is offered in the other two levels of service. If your child is receiving ICM services, the Intensive Case Manager will work with you to develop a plan for meeting your child’s needs. This plan will be reviewed on a regular basis to make sure that it is working well for your family.
2. Resource Coordination (RC) is an invaluable service for children and teenagers who do not require the intensity of ICM. A Resource Coordinator has contact with you and your child at least once a month in order to provide support, assistance, guidance, and direction. This individual can help connect you and your family to resources in the community that could be beneficial, such as respite care, support groups, or counseling services. In addition, the Resource Coordinator can provide information about government benefits and programs that may be available to you.
3. Blended Case Management (BCM) is a care management model that is designed to be more flexible than other levels of care. The intensity of BCM depends on the changing needs of your child, which means that it can be adjusted as necessary. The Blended Case Manager has regular contact with both you and your child, typically meeting in person at least once per month. This level of care is also beneficial because it can be customized to meet the unique needs of each family.

As a parent, you play an essential role in your child’s treatment. You know your child better than anyone, so it’s important to stay involved in their care. One way to do this is by working with the Intensive Case Manager, Resource Coordinator, or Blended Case Manager to write your child’s service plan. This plan will outline the goals for your child’s treatment and the steps that will be taken to reach those goals. By collaborating with the professionals on your child’s care team, you can ensure that the plan is tailored to meet your child’s specific needs. And by staying involved in the process, you can help to ensure that your child receives the best possible care.

Targeted Case Managers (TCM) play an important role in helping children and families receive the services they need. They can help a family navigate the often complex web of social service agencies, and ensure that their child receives the resources they need to thrive. In addition, Targeted Case Managers provide ongoing support and monitoring, to help ensure that services are being utilized effectively.

Some of the ways a Targeted Case Manager can help:

• Refer your child to mental health and/or substance use disorder services
• Track your child’s progress in treatment
• Keep track of how your child is doing in school
• Coordinate the services that your child receives
• Be an advocate for your child
• Help your child establish and engage in a routine of healthy activities
• Link your family with local community supports
• Provide support for you to keep your child at home