Outpatient Care Manager

Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital•Grand Rapids, MI

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Outpatient Pediatric Care Manager provides comprehensive care management services to pediatric patients and their families in an outpatient setting. This role focuses on promoting optimal functioning and quality outcomes throughout the rehabilitation and recovery process. The Care Manager collaborates with patients, families, and interdisciplinary teams to ensure continuity of care, adherence to treatment plans, and compliance with healthcare standards. Staying current with clinical best practices through continuing education, research, and program development is essential.

Requirements

Must have earned a degree in one of the following: Masters in Social Work, Masters in Counseling or related field from an accredited school.
At least 3 years of experience as a care manager in a health care setting.
Current professional license with the State of Michigan in the area of practice is required.
Possesses and demonstrates competence in an identified area of clinical expertise.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, expressing self in a clear, concise, and professional manner.
Ability to work collaboratively and effectively with the interdisciplinary team members and family.
Excellent time management and organizational skills.
Function in a self-directed manner.
Ability to make quality, collaborative decisions in short timeframes.
Analytical and strong problem-solving skills.
Ability to work effectively and efficiently under tight deadlines, high volumes and multiple interruptions.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in pediatrics, acute rehabilitation or outpatient setting is preferred.
Experience in interdisciplinary team management.

Responsibilities

Provides care management services to pediatric patients and families across outpatient programs.
Conducts initial psychosocial assessments to evaluate family functioning, coping skills, health literacy, and adjustment to disability or chronic conditions.
Develops and implements individualized care plans that address medical, psychosocial, and educational needs.
Educates patients and families on treatment plans, community resources, and evidence-based practices for managing chronic or complex conditions.
Promotes patient and family engagement in care planning and self-management strategies.
Coordinates transitions between outpatient services and other levels of care (e.g., home health, school-based services, vocational rehabilitation).
Ensures timely access to follow-up appointments, medications, and supportive services to prevent gaps in care and reduce risk of hospitalization.
Identifies and addresses barriers to care, including financial, transportation, and equipment needs.
Assists families in accessing funding sources and community resources for non-covered services or equipment.
Serves as liaison between patients, families, providers, and external case managers to optimize quality and cost-effective outcomes.
Facilitates communication between interdisciplinary, family, other healthcare providers, and other relevant providers (e.g., foster care agencies, CPS, school).
Facilitates family conferences when needed to align goals and interventions.
Maintains accurate and timely documentation of assessments, care plans, progress notes, and outcomes in accordance with organizational standards.
Ensures compliance with healthcare regulations and confidentiality requirements.
Ensures that patient information is current in the EMR surrounding complex family/custody situations.
Functions as a patient advocate, promoting self-determination and informed decision-making.
Supports program development and quality improvement initiatives to enhance outpatient care delivery.
Participates in orientation and training of new staff.
Supervises student interns as appropriate.
Engages in continuing education and research to maintain clinical expertise.
Demonstrate excellent customer service and standards of behaviors as well as encourages, coaches, and monitors the same in team members.
This individual should consistently promote teamwork and direct communication with co-workers and deal discretely and sensitively with confidential information.
Contribute by identifying problems and seeking solutions.
Promote patient/family satisfaction where possible; participates in departmental efforts to monitor and report customer service.