What are the most effective ways to build resilience in case management?

In my experience it’s crucial to feel you have an element of autonomy and control over how you manage your work/life balance. Having choice over the size and type of caseload you hold and a good network of support in place that is instantly accessible is key to achieving this !

Based on experience, resilience can help case managers maintain their well-being, motivation, and performance, as well as improve their relationships with clients, colleagues, and supervisors. I often consider the followings when thinking towards build resilience in case management: practice acceptance-when I encounter adversity,I feel strong emotions, such as disappointment, sadness, anger, grief, or frustration, reclaim personal control, invest in a new goal, think optimistically and seek out support.These strategies enable case managers to advocate for clients or support systems,a key function I have seen overtime as paramount to achieving quality outcomes for clients.

As a Nurse Case Manager, first you have to understand your role. You are there to ensure that your patients are receiving the right care at the right time and to ensure that your facility gets paid for the quality of care provided. 1) You must be knowledgeable about your cases, know your patients. 2) Before you go call the doctor about your patient, get all the information you need to communicate professionally and knowledgeably. You are going to be the one sometimes teaching the Residents about the patient because you have done your homework. 3) Don't be intimidated, if you don't know something, ask.

From my vantage point in NCD strategic planning, recognizing stressors is akin to mapping out areas needing intervention. For instance, in assessing healthcare systems, identifying bottlenecks aids in crafting efficient strategies. Similarly, understanding one's stressors in case management lays the foundation for targeted resilience-building interventions.

Some of the most effective ways to remain resilient in case management along with minimizing compassion fatigue is to recognize the importance of self-care in ones individual practice. Recognizing your own personal biases and identifying them will allow you to provide your clients with the most effective and unconditionally positive therapeutic interventions possible. It is amazing to me that in our field of work, so many people will warn you of burnout and compassion fatigue. However, many of those same individuals fail to properly identify where those feelings truly come from. In your opinion and through your experience, where do you believe burnout and compassion fatigue derive from?

Self-care was always a something that others can incorporate in their routine, but not me. Once I started to find little ways to practice self-care, I began to feel better and energized and face the day as it comes.

I agree with this idea - self-care is essential to one being able to perform their job. If they are unable to care for themselves, they are less likely to be able to assist others. I have found that my watch helps with hourly reminders to drink water and to get up and move around. This reminder has done so much for helping me step away from my work to take small breaks. I come back from these small breaks more energized and focused on my case load. I also find that exercise is key to helping oneself not become overly stressed, to keep work at work, be calmer, able to sleep better, to have better moods and to have a clearer state of mind.

The practice of self care is a way of life. Life is constantly filled with change and some changes can be challenging. Identifying when stressed and using the techniques of sleeping for seven to eight hours a day, making healthy eating choices, and exercising all are beneficial. My secret sauce to staying resilient has been through identifying my joys-my hobbies, and engaging in them at the highest level. For me that was dance. What is it for you? Discover it and do the dance of life.

Take breaks and go for a walk. Even a 10 minute walk will help reset your mindset. Keep a gratitude journal and write at least 5 things that you are grateful for each day. This helps reset your perspective. Each night think about your wins from the day. Maybe you helped a client find a resource or maybe you just made it through the day. No matter how small your daily win is, it's worth celebrating. Consider adding a daily meditation practice to your routine. Even if it's just a couple of minutes each day to focus on breathing, it helps ground you and calm your emotions.

Delving into community engagement projects highlighted the indispensable role of self-care. Whether it's a community worker or a case manager, one can only pour from a filled cup. Regularly replenishing oneself ensures that individuals remain effective and compassionate in their roles.

The ability to learn from challenges and use that learning to adapt new skills is essential in case management. Tight regulatory requirement and the frequent changes, especially throughout the pandemic, can leave case managers feeling overwhelmed and confused. We need to give ourselves some grace when all metrics are not achieved, identify opportunities for improvement, and move forward with confidence knowing we learned a valuable lesson.

Adapting from setbacks is no stranger to me. When developing NCD strategic plans, not every strategy will be perfect from the outset. But every challenge faced offers a lesson, much like refining health information systems to better monitor NCD outcomes. Feedback, reflection, and iteration have been the cornerstones of my resilience strategy.

This is an essential learning for case managers. There are always ways to improve your practice. Of course each individual style and circumstances are unique, but the motivation that comes from lived experience is invaluable.

Collaboration has been at the heart of my work, whether it's working with academic institutions or grassroots community engagements. These interactions remind me that I'm not alone in this journey. Drawing strength from peers, learning from mentors, or just sharing a success story over a cup of coffee - these moments of connection are my anchors.

Every time I see a positive shift in data trends, or when a policy we advocated for gets implemented, it's a small win. These are the moments that fuel my passion further. Just as I evaluate the effectiveness of corporate wellness initiatives, I reflect on and cherish personal milestones, no matter how small. They are reminders of progress and the impact of persistence.

Acknowledgement and feedback! If your employee is speaking up about a workplace issue to you in your management role your feedback and the delivery of it is important.Acknowledgment then immediate dismissal does not build resiliency. Take the time to listen if possible face to face. At the very minimum respond in a way that your employee can feel heard even if you cannot solve the issue at hand immediately. For example “I’m hearing you and with time I will come up with a solution that works for everyone. Thank you (ex: Lisa/Jim) for having the courage to speak up and willingness to make our environment a better workplace” say their name! Remember personalization within your communication can make a difference and never forget to FOLLOW UP!

In my role I encourage honest and open dialogue from both sides. Employee and Employer. To facilitate any work issues I ask an employee to complete the HSE Stress health questionnaire so it identifies the cause or causes and then to give an example on the questions that show issues. Then meet and discuss with their manager and document via email so an auditable trail is in place for both sides . However both sides need to be prepared to engage in the process with an open attitude. The HSE form is impartial so balanced. Am engaged workforce is a attending and performing and settled contented workforce. Behaviour has to allow top to bottom and bottom to top conversations to avoid mistrust, unachievable expectations and collaboration.

In my experience as I caseworker, knowing my client's background and capabilities was essential . Setting realistic goals and realizing that those goals had to be broken down into small incremental achievements gave both my client and me a sense of achievement. Incremental success and positive reinforcement gave us both a sense of accomplishment. I had a group of ten women with severe mental illnesses and as one had success in getting either a part time job or involved in a church or community organization it spurred the others to do the same. We started with simple hygiene and beauty skill and went on from there. Meeting clients at their skill level level and seeing their improvements sets up a sense of resilience.