Psychiatric Case Management HELP!!

Just apply. I got an inpatient psych CM job after being a psych nurse for about 5 years. I had about 1 yr of psych counselor assistance before that. I just got lucky. I applied and interviewed for a PD job and the FT person quit, so I was basically the only candidate that got offered the job! Community mental health jobs are great too. THere are positions consulting/overseeing med admin and doing other nursing stuff for group homes. Also working on community based support teams and PACT teams. NOt sure where you are, there are a ton of jobs like this in MA.

I just posted on another thread so I copied the post here . I'm not trying to discourage you or be a downer . Not all jobs are the same... but here's something to consider.

Psych case manager jobs can vary widely . If it's for an insurance provider for example, the duties will differ from working at a clinic or agency. Be prepared to wear many hats, not always nurse related. You may help with housing, vocational, substance abuse, etc . I spent at least 1/3 of my day filling out housing applications for pts and helping them collect social security checks. Prepare for pts to go missing, not show up for appts, be noncompliant with meds, and be very high acuity. I don't mean to sound harsh but some of the pts can suck you dry . And are quite manipulative. Prepare for hospital discharge teams and housing directors to blame you, the case manager, for everything . I'm being honest . The pay is low, the demands are very high, the turnover is frequent. One agency paid the nurses 30k a year .

I will say if you can work in that field for a while, you will have an excellent experience in public health and make sure to highlight those skills on a resume. You'll have insight that nurses just working inpatient might not have .

Is it safer than inpatient? No. You're often alone with a pt with no back up. You rely heavily on deescalation if a pt is agitated . CM's were assaulted and even threatened with death .

You will see the truth of community systems in shambles. You'll witness hospitals discharge unstable pts back to the community only to find out that the housing director evicted them (even though everyone is supposed to be on the same team). You'll witness homeless shelters turning away applicants , in fact you'll see some shoddy shelters with problems such as bedbugs and reports of assault and rape. You'll see pts use social security money to buy drugs and remain homeless. Youll see the many problems with the crisis line and wonder where to place someone who is suicidal when theres no vacancies . You'll never finish all the charting and be ready for audits .

Where you work as a CM may be very different. This may be worse case scenario, but be prepared just in case . The positive is, you will help those wanting help, and you will develop nerves of steel .