Occupational Therapy News OTnews November 2019 | Page 50

FEATURE CAREER DEVELOPMENT Me, a case manager? F Michelle Mason talks to OTnews about her challenging but successful move into case management work Michelle’s official title is case manager, and she says of the key aspects of the role: ‘I have had to view the client from a case manager perspective, but I continue to use my clinical knowledge and occupational therapy assessment skills and treatment planning to deliver the high-quality work with my clients that I strive to provide. ‘Being an occupational therapist is part of me and I will always use my wealth of experience to case manage my clients. ‘The highlights of my first year include developing good rapport and therapeutic relationships with both clients and their families; effective communication skills have rewarded me with the opportunity to engage well with the wider multidisciplinary team.’ report within the 21-day deadline.’ As Michelle reflects on her first year working in case management, she notes ‘the increased consumption of coffee’, but more significantly, the immense pride in her achievements. ‘Yes, there have been many moments where my “to-doˮ list has spiralled and my plans changed with the sound of a new email in my inbox,’ she muses. ‘I have spent much time looking up the legal terms and asking what it all means, and wondering if the solicitor likes me, or does my email read well? ‘There have been breakthrough moments when I have facilitated a client’s goal plan and seen them engage in an activity that they believed they would never be able to undertake and captured a client’s thoughts and feelings and translated this successfully into the written form. ‘I have enjoyed report writing more than I could have imagined and though challenging, I have relished the steep learning curve, which this last year has presented.’ She adds: ‘An invitation to a Gala Dinner with a solicitors’ firm was somewhat unexpected, but it’s satisfying to think that my individual work with a client had earned my attendance. ‘I have been fortunate to join a case management company where my own learning needs and supervisory requirements have been protected and I have been well supported by my peers. Regular clinical and peer supervision are prioritised and I am appreciative of their team working ethos.’ And what does Michelle hope to achieve over the next 12 months? ‘I hope to continue to build on my confidence as a neuro- case manager and I am committed to develop my learning within this field,’ she says. ‘I am feeling excited at the prospect of implementing my clients’ goals over the forthcoming months and reassured to know that the support from my company will facilitate this. It has been enthusing to take a leap into a new career direction and it will be encouraging to see what the second year brings.’ Michelle Mason, case manager, Circle Case Management, email: [email protected] 50 OTnews November 2019 s/nc or occupational therapist Michelle Mason, having worked as a neurosciences occupational therapist in the NHS for more than 15 years it felt ‘somewhat surreal’ leaving behind her team and service, which had ‘become deeply embedded’ in her daily routine, to take up a new direction in her professional life. ‘The opportunity to undertake an exciting new challenge in my career, despite the anxieties of the unknown and a loyalty to a service of which I was extremely fond and proud, paved the way for a move that in the end proved difficult to decline,’ she explains. ‘Before I could hesitate, I was driving to Cornwall to undertake an Immediate Needs Assessment and I was delighted to complete my