Case and Program Management Terms - Defined
Have you ever read through the comments of a Youtube video and realized you have no idea what teenagers are saying these days? Sitting in on a case and program management meeting without being familiar with the terms can feel the same way. These meetings can be important when determining the needs, wants, and pain points of your organization, so it is essential for both sides to have a mutual understanding of the terminology. As a CRM consulting firm, we don’t want the language to be a barrier to your organization’s growth and development. To help your future meetings be more efficient, and most importantly, easy to digest, we’ve put together a short list of the most commonly used terms within the case and program management industry:
Case Management: The management of case files which may span various clients. For example, files that may pertain to a volunteer at an organization.
Program Management: The management of specific programs within your organization. Some examples of programs include volunteer initiatives, community based services, and charity events.
Use cases: Business or organizational processes that enable individuals to function in their roles.
Caseload: The cases or client files that a case manager is responsible for.
Referral: The initial entrance into a program. This could be through a referring agency, physician, or self-guided.
Intake: The process in which referrals are deemed eligible for a program. This is the initial onboarding phase which may include consents, service agreements etc.
Service Delivery: The stage in the lifecycle of a client in which they are delivered specific service. This could be one or more services, and can spread across a variety of service providers.
Discharge: The process in which a client no longer receives services from the organization. This could be due to a variety of reasons including aging out of a program, no longer being eligible for services, or completing their service plan.
Consultation/Intervention: Every meeting you have with the service providers, consultants, coordinators or case managers.
Screening/Screening Assessment: The process conducted to see if clients are fit for the program.
Waitlist: The queue process to get funding/to get into the program.
Support Contract/Service Authorization: The agreement between two parties that states one will provide IT services.
We understand learning a new language can be difficult, with case and program management jargon being no different. With these definitions, you can feel confident with navigating meetings and making recommendations regarding the future of your organization’s programs! If you ever get confused, feel free to come back to this article and share it with others who may benefit from this easy to access educational guide.
