CAADC Case Management and Service Coordination — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the PRIMARY purpose of case management in addiction treatment?
- To coordinate all services and support systems necessary for the client's recovery (Correct answer)
- To provide individual therapy sessions to the client
- To prescribe medication-assisted treatment on behalf of the treatment team
- To conduct group counseling sessions for clients in early recovery
Correct answer: To coordinate all services and support systems necessary for the client's recovery
Case management in addiction treatment focuses on coordinating the full range of services a client needs — including medical, social, vocational, and community supports — to ensure continuity and comprehensiveness of care. It is a coordinating function, not a direct clinical treatment function.
Question 2: Which of the following BEST describes a 'warm handoff' in the referral process?
- Sending a written letter to the referral provider outlining the client's history
- Providing the client with a printed list of community resources at discharge
- Directly introducing the client to the next provider and facilitating a real-time transfer of care (Correct answer)
- Scheduling an appointment on behalf of the client without their direct involvement
Correct answer: Directly introducing the client to the next provider and facilitating a real-time transfer of care
A warm handoff involves a direct, real-time transfer of care in which the referring counselor personally introduces the client to the next provider. This approach is evidence-based for reducing dropout between levels of care and is strongly preferred over simply handing a client a referral list.
Question 3: When making a referral for a client with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders, the counselor's primary responsibility is to:
- Diagnose the mental health disorder formally before initiating any referral
- Only refer to addiction-specific programs and avoid mental health referrals
- Ensure the referral resource is equipped to address both the SUD and the co-occurring condition (Correct answer)
- Defer all co-occurring disorder treatment decisions to the prescribing physician
Correct answer: Ensure the referral resource is equipped to address both the SUD and the co-occurring condition
Integrated or dual-capable treatment settings are preferred for clients with co-occurring disorders. The counselor must ensure the receiving provider can appropriately address both conditions, as fragmented care (treating only one disorder) leads to poorer outcomes for both.
Question 4: A client is being discharged from residential treatment and requires housing support, employment assistance, and outpatient follow-up. As the case manager, your FIRST step should be to:
- Contact the client's family immediately to arrange living arrangements
- Conduct a comprehensive needs assessment to identify priorities and resource gaps (Correct answer)
- Enroll the client in a vocational rehabilitation program without delay
- Discharge the client and leave future planning to the outpatient provider
Correct answer: Conduct a comprehensive needs assessment to identify priorities and resource gaps
Before making any referrals or arrangements, the case manager must conduct a thorough needs assessment to identify the client's current needs, the order of priority, and what resources are available or absent. Planning without assessment risks missing critical needs or duplicating services.
Question 5: Which of the following is the MOST appropriate reason to use a formal level-of-care placement tool in case management?
- To determine which staff member will be assigned as the client's counselor
- To match the client's clinical needs to the least restrictive, most appropriate level of care (Correct answer)
- To determine whether the client's insurance will cover inpatient treatment
- To decide whether the client is eligible for medication-assisted treatment
Correct answer: To match the client's clinical needs to the least restrictive, most appropriate level of care
Level-of-care placement tools such as the ASAM Criteria are used to systematically match the intensity and type of services to the client's clinical needs, placing clients in the least restrictive environment where their needs can be safely and effectively met. This is the guiding principle of client-centered placement.
Question 6: A case manager notices that a client has missed multiple consecutive appointments at a referred outpatient agency. The BEST course of action is to:
- Close the case and document the client as non-compliant
- Reach out to the client to assess barriers and collaboratively problem-solve obstacles to follow-through (Correct answer)
- Report the client to the court immediately if they are on probation
- Escalate the client to a higher level of care without conducting an assessment
Correct answer: Reach out to the client to assess barriers and collaboratively problem-solve obstacles to follow-through
Case managers are responsible for supporting continuity of care. When clients fail to follow through on referrals, the appropriate response is outreach to explore barriers such as transportation, motivation, childcare, or stigma, and to work collaboratively to address them. Closing the case or escalating without cause abandons the client.
CAADC Case Management and Service Coordination
What is the PRIMARY purpose of case management in addiction treatment?