Copy - Effective Case Conference Course 5.27.25

Effective Case Conferencing in Work Teams

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

Define case conferencing and explain its purpose in a team-based setting.

Using a case study, develop a case conference agenda.

Using information from a current participant’s situation, develop a case conference presentation.

Table of Contents

02 Purpose of Case Conferencing

01 What is Case Conferencing?

04 Summary of Effective Case Conferencing

03 Case Conference Framework

What is Case Conferencing?

A structured process where multidisciplinary team members collaborate to address specific participants or system issues.

Case conferences involve sharing information, assessing situations, and developing coordinated action plans.

Through case conferencing, teams build a strong, solution-driven approach focused on:

A Shared Commitment

Engaged Partnerships

A Unified Goal

Emphasizing “working with participants” to reinforce collective accountability in supporting each individual.

Prioritizing urgency in housing participants while ensuring no one is left behind.

Developing strong coordination points with partners and other outside experts.

Purpose of Case Conferencing

Minimize duplication of effort to:

Improve efficiency & effectiveness & Reduce the burden on participants

Elements of Case Conferencing

Strengthen

Engage

Collaborate

Apply

Analyze

Benefits of Case Conferncing

Phase 1

Phase 2

Preparation & Planning Phase

Gathering Information

Case Conferencing Framework

Participant-CenteredStrength-Based Solution-Focused Action-Oriented

Phase 3

Developing Solutions & Planning Actions

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Phase 1: Preparation & Planning

Creating an Agenda

Logistics

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04

Who should be at the table?

Creating Safe Spaces

Effective Practices for Leaders

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Case Conferencing Activity: "Who should be at the table?"

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Scenario 1

Background:

John (52) has been experiencing homelessness for 7 years. He shows symptoms of schizophrenia, frequently exits shelters, and has struggled with engagement. He was referred to your Housing Disability & Advocacy Program (HDAP) to help him with housing and applying for social security benefits. He has missed two program intake appointments.

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Scenario 2

Background:

Maria, age 28, is a single mother with two children. She left a violent relationship and stayed in a family shelter for the past 3 months. Child Protective Services (CPS) is monitoring her case due to past neglect concerns. She has been a part of your Housing Support Program (HSP) for two months and is working on securing permanent housing. She recently found a unit, but is struggling with paying her portion of the rent.

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Scenario 3

Background:

Derrick, age 21, recently exited foster care and is couch surfing. He has no ID, income, or rental history. He’s interested in going back to school but has been addressing his recent mental health diagnosis, of Bipolar 1, by using methamphetamines. Derrick was enrolled in your Housing Disability & Advocacy Program (HDAP) three months ago, but has been missing appointments and has not been working on his Housing & Services Case Plan goals.

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Scenario 4

Background:

Reggie, age 78, has been a part of your Home Safe Program for 6 months. She is being evicted from a shared housing situation. She has a fixed income and limited mobility. She’s overwhelmed by paperwork and has no family support.

End of the exercise!

Great Job!

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04

Preparing Case Presentations

You can write a title here

Phase 2:Gathering Information

03

02

Group Discussion

Presenting Participants

Effective Practices for Leaders &Housing Case Managers

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Activity Instructions:1) Download the Case Presentation Tool. 2) Complete questions 1-6 using a current participant situation. 3) Submit to your instructors for feedback.-How do we do this? 4) Practice presenting your participant using this tool with your supervisor or team.

Preparing a Case Presentation Activity

How do we do this?

Click Here for Example

Click Here: Case Presentation Tool

Phase 3: Developing Solutions & Planning Actions

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02

Identify Available Resources & Develop Action Plan

Next Steps

Effective Practices for Leaders &Housing Case Managers

Summary of Effective Case Conferencing

Focus on team accountability! "We are all responsible for supporting participants”

Tip 7

Tip 5

Tip 1

Tip 3

Identify action steps for each program participant

Follow-up on action items

Work from an agenda

Value and welcome team feedback through meeting debriefings

Provide ongoing feedback for continuous learning and growth

Tip 2

Tip 4

Tip 6

Celebrate successes! Every milestone counts

rEFerences & Resources

1. Changing The Way We Care (CTWWC) Kenya: https://www.changingthewaywecare.org/project/kenya/ favorite-meeting-of-the-week/

2. CTWWC, USAID, GHR Foundation, MacArthur Foundation (2020). Standard Operating Procedures for Case Conferencing.

3. Boston University Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health. (2019). A Training Curriculum for Using Community Health Workers to Improve Linkage and Retention in HIV Care. Retrieved from: https://ciswh.org/chw-curriculum.

4. Switchboard-Info-Guide-Consults-and-Conferences. Effective Case Consultations and Case Conferences Guidance for Case Managers and Other Refugee Service Providers (2022). https://live-irc-switchboard.pantheonsite.io/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Switchboard-Info-Guide-Consults-and-Conferences.pdf

5. Community Soultions-Built for Zero. What is Case Conferencing in Homeless Services (2020). https://community.solutions/built-for-zero-communities-learn-how-to-design-everyones-favorite-meeting-of-the-week/

Congratulations! You've successfully completed this course!

Strategies to gather information:

Ask Open-Ended Questions – Encourage detailed responses to gain deeper insights.Listen Actively – Pay close attention to each presenter and ask follow-up questions for clarity. Stay Focused on the Participant – Ensure discussions are centered around the participant's needs and goals. Encourage Collaboration – Involve all team members to share their expertise and perspectives. Document Key Points – Take notes to capture essential information and action items. Be Respectful of Time – Gather relevant information efficiently to stay on track. Summarize Discussion - Facilitator summarizes and confirms the strengths, barriers, and recommendations.

Tips: Delivering Effective Case Conference Presentations

Be Clear and Concise – Focus on key details and avoid unnecessary information.Strengths-Based and Person-Centered: Focus on recognizing participants' strengths and sharing their unique needs and goals relevant to the situation.Highlight Key Issues – Address the most pressing concerns and challenges faced by the participant. Identify Support or Resources: Ask the team for ideas or resources to help address the presented challenge(s) and help the participant achieve their goals. Respect Time – Keep presentations brief and to the point within the allocated time. Maintain Confidentiality – Ensure sensitive information is shared appropriately, in line with privacy standards.

Benefit: Support trauma-informed and person-centered planning through a holistic view of each participant’s situation.

Outlining the Purpose

Creating and distributing an agenda ahead of the case conference helps clarify the meeting’s purpose and set clear expectations for all participants.

Click here for Agenda template

Important items to include in an agenda:

• Welcome & Introductions

• Meeting goal
• Highlights: Celebrate Progress & Success
• Case Presentations
• Urgent or Emerging Situations
• Action Steps
• Wellness Commitment
• Debrief
• Next Meeting Agenda & Date

Benefit: Offer opportunities for peer learning and mentorship among staff at different levels of experience.

Identifying Team Members & Partners

It is important to consider which partners should be at the table to best support participants. These might be different at different meetings, depending on the program participants being discussed. Potential partners to include are:

• Substance Use Counselors or Specialists
• Mental Health/Behavioral Health Clinicians
• Housing Navigators
• Employment and/or Benefits Specialists
• Probation Officers
• Other relevant service providers or community partners

Tips for Preparing Case Conference Presentations

Tip 1: Review participant list and determine order. Each Housing Case Manager will come prepared to present the participant and area of support needed. Tip 2: Allocate time to present and discuss each participant. Average time is 3-5 minutes. It is important to start with participant situations that are more complex and may take more time.

Click to Dowload

Benefit: Provide regular opportunities for staff to reflect, debrief, and receive support around complex cases — helping to reduce burnout and compassion fatigue.

Two stratgies to creating safe spaces:

Establish Community Agreements:

• Community Agreements help build trust, promote transparency, and create a safe, inclusive space for everyone.

Establish and assign clear roles:

• Facilitator
• Notetaker

• Active contributor (all team members)

Establishing clear roles helps create a safe and supportive space by setting expectations, reducing confusion, and promoting trust, accountability, and respectful collaboration.

Benefit: Develop professional skills such as reflective listening, high-impact questioning, trust-building, and service coordination.

Benefit: Help participants get housed faster by reducing barriers and streamlining processes.

Getting Ready!

• Determine how often the meeting will be held (e.g., weekly, bi-weekly, monthly).
• Determine the length of time (e.g., 1 hour, 1 1/2 hours, 2 hours).

• Identify and secure a comfortable and confidential meeting location.

Benefit: Improve communication and transparency between multidisciplinary teams.