Teachers and Case Managers from community colleges, libraries and community based organizations came together this week at the Borough of Manhattan Community College to think through how we give referrals to students, why they sometimes don’t make the call no matter how many times we write down the number, and how we can support them in accessing the services available to them.

For young students who are just starting to be independent from their parents, English language learners who struggle to communicate what they need, or students of any age who’ve been round and round a labyrinth of large bureaucracies, taking full advantage of community resources can be a big challenge. For the case manager, it’s not a simple process of writing down a phone number and sending the student on their way, but rather a multi-step process to support a student in understanding their needs, learning about the resources available to them, learning relevant vocabulary, making and preparing for appointments, telling their story effectively, asking the necessary questions, taking notes, understanding information presented to them, and taking follow up steps. These tasks look a lot like the tasks teachers are involved in and in fact,

Case Managers are teachers.

Case managers are teachers who teach the content of life skills and self advocacy. Referrals are most effective when the case manager teaches in much the same way teachers do, with a focus on acquiring new vocabulary, communicating an idea, revising and practicing it, asking clarifying or informational questions, taking notes, and analyzing the information received. When case managers address referrals as teachers, students can learn the skills needed to access resources.

This is not a simple process. The following seven steps teach students the skills they need to access resources and are done over the course of many sessions. Some of the work case managers do apart from students, like researching resources. Other parts the case manager does with students, such as helping them prepare to make an appointment. Drawing on teaching strategies helps to ensure the student will develop the skills needed to access resources.

Step 1. Researching Resources

The case manager researches resources. First, what are the common problems that students face in your program? Hunger? Housing issues? Health and mental health issues? Immigration? Labor violations? Domestic violence? Discrimination? Policing? Second, what information do you need to know about the resource? Hours, location, eligibility, services provided, contact people, how to make an appointment, etc.

Step 2. Assessing Student Need

What issues is the student experiencing? What have they disclosed to you? Have they disclosed this or other issues to the teachers or other program staff? What is the severity of their need – Are they in crisis? Do you know of resources that can alleviate the issue, or do you need to do further research?

Step 3. Describing the Referral

The case managers explains details of the resource to the student, drawing on what they learned in Step 1 – What services does the resource provide that can help address the student’s issue? Who is the contact person? etc.

Step 4. The Student Makes an Appointment

This can be a tough step for many students, and not necessarily one they can do alone. This is why writing down a phone number and sending a student on their way doesn’t always work. The student may need to write down what they are going to say, revise it and practice it. What questions will they ask? The case manager may rehearse likely scenarios with the student: What if you don’t understand the accent of the person who answers the phone, or the words they use? What if they speak too quickly? What if they’re rude? What if they say they don’t provide the service you thought you could access there? It may be helpful for the student to make the call in the presence of the case manager. How will the student record the information they are given?

What should the case manager’s role be in this process? What should the student’s role be? How can the case manager support the student, while letting her develop the self advocacy skills they need?

Step 5. The Student Prepares for the Appointment

To have a successful appointment, the student needs to be well prepared. What will they need to bring with them — documents? directions? questions written down? How can the case manager help them prepare — photocopying or scanning documents? Helping to write out questions? Helping to practice note-taking? Could the teacher lead a lesson on note-taking for the entire class? Anticipating how the appointment might go through a role play? Making a plan to manage emotions if it becomes stressful?

Step 6. The Student Goes to the Appointment

What should they do to have a successful appointment? What time should they arrive? Should they bring someone with them? What will they say and ask? What if they don’t understand? What if they get brushed off? What if the office is closed or the contact is not available? Regardless of the outcome of the appointment, going to the appointment may be a big accomplishment for many students and should be celebrated. Even if the student doesn’t make it to the appointment, the preparation that went into it should be celebrated. This is a long, complex process and not every step may be successful on the first try. Remind students this is not a once in a lifetime opportunity. There is always the option to course correct or try again.

Step 7. Following Up

What do you want to know from the student after their appointment? 1. Did they go, and how did it go? 2. What do they need to do next? Can the resource help alleviate their issue, or do they need to seek other resources? 3. How was their experience? Would they recommend this resource to a classmate? Do they have any tips about getting what they need from it? Record that information, so you can be sure you are referring students to high quality resources. Sometimes, we don’t have options, but if you do have a choice of providers, don’t be afraid to stop referring students to an unhelpful resource, or help prepare students to deal with a challenging one.

Case managers, how can you incorporate more teaching strategies into giving referrals? Leave a comment in the box below.