Summary
Lanie Rosado is a 22-year-old female student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She is an Afghanistan veteran who retired from service with honors after four years. Her dominant right hand was severely injured on a roadside bomb, which led to limited mobility in the extremity. Currently, she experiences morbidity and attends physiotherapy for her right arm. Lanie experiences changes in her mood, which led her to alienation from schoolwork and her boyfriend. She also experiences problems with her studies, even in her first semester of college.
The client experiences problems which are widespread among combat veterans. According to Fortney et al. (2016), more than 25% of veteran students experience the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, and 31% of veteran students experience depression. Thus, the client needs to be screened for mental disorders. Additionally, substance use disorder is also prevalent among combat veterans (Teeters et al., 2017). Since Lanie’s arm had been injured, she is likely to have gone through pain management therapy, which usually means opioid treatment. Opioids are highly addictive substances, and changes in her mood can be signs of substance abuse. Thus, it is crucial to refer Lanie to a mental health counselor and a substance abuse therapist for screening. As a case manager, I would need to make the appointments and discuss whatever preliminary procedures should be done be before the visit. Then, I would explain the information to Lanie and check if she makes all the appointments. In case the client does not make her appointments and think of additional methods to encourage her.
Description of the Client
Lanie Rosado is a 22-year-old female student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She is an Afghanistan veteran who retired from service with honors after four years. Her dominant right hand was severely injured on a roadside bomb, which led to limited mobility in the extremity. Currently, she experiences morbidity and attends physiotherapy for her right arm. Lanie experiences changes in her mood, which led her to alienation from schoolwork and her boyfriend. She also experiences problems with her studies, even in her first semester of college.
Case Management Plan
Presenting issues: The client experiences changes in mood that obstruct her communication with her family, boyfriend, and classmates. Her academic achievements are low, which may lead to her failing the semester. The client also experiences moderate morbidity in her right arm due to an injury during her service in Afghanistan.
Assessment: It is recommended that an assessment for mental conditions (depression and PTSD) and substance use disorder (alcohol and opioids) is conducted. Preliminary screening for the above-mentioned conditions may also be beneficial.
Strategies/Interventions to be used: A strength-based case management approach is to be utilized to build on the successes of the veteran. The client may also benefit from cognitive-behavioral therapy or the twelve-step approach in case of substance use disorder.
Action to be taken: The client needs to be referred to a mental health care provider and a substance misuse counselor for a thorough assessment. In case of positive findings, the client should be provided with therapy options. After selecting the therapy path, the case manager is expected to ensure that Lanie completes the entire course of therapy sessions to ensure positive outcomes.
Individual’s desired outcomes of support received: Lanie desires to make her mood swings less frequent to restore positive relationships with her friends and family. She also wants to avoid failing the semester in college.
Other information: The client’s primary strengths are family, success in her military service, positive relationships with her boyfriend, and the desire of classmates to help Lanie in her studies.
Evaluation of Case Management Plan
Even though the case management plan is rather brief, there are certain strengths that should be mentioned. First, the case management plan is based on sound assumptions. According to Fortney et al. (2016), around 30% of veteran students experience symptoms of mental conditions, while Teeters et al. (2017) report a high prevalence of substance misuse among veterans. Second, there is a significant body of evidence that the offered interventions can be beneficial for the client (Brun, & Rapp, 2001). Additionally, Moore et al. (2016) report that cognitive-behavioral therapy helps to address substance use disorder in all populations. Finally, the plan outlines the client’s major strengths that can help in therapy.
Some weaknesses of the case management plan also need to be acknowledged. First, rather than taking a personal approach, the plan uses general information to make decisions. In particular, the interventions are offered based on the general background rather than on a thorough assessment. Thus, the management plan may need to be revised in the future. Second, the plan does include stakeholder management, which may be crucial for providing support. Finally, the plan lacks details.
References
Brun, C., & Rapp, R. C. (2001). Strengths-based case management: Individuals’ perspectives on strengths and the case manager relationship. Social Work, 46(3), 278–288.
Fortney, J. C., Curran, G. M., Hunt, J. B., Cheney, A. M., Lu, L., Valenstein, M., & Eisenberg, D. (2016). Prevalence of probable mental disorders and help-seeking behaviors among veteran and non-veteran community college students. General hospital psychiatry, 38, 99-104.
Moore, B. A., Fiellin, D. A., Cutter, C. J., Buono, F. D., Barry, D. T., Fiellin, L. E.,… & Schottenfeld, R. S. (2016). Cognitive-behavioral therapy improves treatment outcomes for prescription opioid users in primary care buprenorphine treatment. Journal of substance abuse treatment, 71, 54-57.
Teeters, J. B., Lancaster, C. L., Brown, D. G., & Back, S. E. (2017). Substance use disorders in military veterans: prevalence and treatment challenges. Substance abuse and rehabilitation, 8, 69.