By Michael B. Garrett, MS, CCM, CVE, CPCHE
I have been involved with professional case management practice for more than 40 years. My experience has included workers’ compensation, long-term disability, employer sponsored plans (both fully insured and self-funded), Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare. I have always worked on the benefit plan side but never the provider side. However, all of these experiences have given me the opportunity to see how professional case management practice can be applied in a wide range of benefit programs and practice settings. Sometimes I describe professional case management as bridging the communications gap between insurance carriers and the health system. Professional case managers need to know clinical care as well as benefit programs. I have also worked with professional case managers from various disciplines, such as nursing, social work, occupational therapy, and vocational rehabilitation counseling. Through all of these experiences, I have gained the following insights from the decades of experiences in various roles and organizational settings that I thought were worth sharing with other professional case managers.
Prioritize Values: We have our Standards of Practice and Codes of Conduct that we must follow for case management and professional disciplines. In addition, we have our own values, that is the people and things that are important to us. As you make decisions on how to spend your time and talents, remember to view them through the lens of your values. For some people, spending time with family and friends is most important. To others, traveling, exercising, and/or sports are important. And others find that engaging with the activities and services of their faith community is very important. After you identify what is most important to you, then your behaviors and time should follow along those values. This requires the ability to say no to those activities that are not as highly valued to you. This may mean that your personal values (such as spending time with family and friends) are more important than work activities. For those of us who have been caught in the “squeeze generation” with children and aging parents, we know that balancing all of that can be very difficult. I would suggest to stay anchored with your values, since they will guide you to what is right for you.
Conduct Networking: For some people, networking with current and new colleagues comes naturally, and they find it enjoyable and even energizing. To others, social events like networking are painful and awkward. My experience is that networking is a great way to make connections for potential new positions as well as to learn about new initiatives and projects in professional case management as well as with other areas of interest. Network is not just for job searching. It is also a way to learn from others on new strategies and methods to enhance the practice of professional case management. You can also learn about hobbies and activities of interest outside of your career. I have made lifelong friends through networking for which I am forever grateful. Although networking does not always come naturally to me, the benefits from networking outweigh the negatives, so I engage in networking whenever I can.
Share Knowledge: As we get older (and even when we are younger), it is important to ourselves and to other professional case managers to share knowledge. This could be demonstrated by writing articles or blogs. It could be done through mentoring (providing guidance and support usually from an older colleague to a younger colleague) and reverse mentoring (pairing a younger colleague with a more seasoned colleague for specific skill development). Another option is to engage in sponsorship where one advocates for the expansion of duties or promotion of a colleague. It could also be done by giving presentations or lectures. The way you can accomplish this depends on your preferences and comfort with any of these activities. There are personal and professional rewards in sharing your knowledge with others.
Own Accomplishments: I tell professional case managers that they have difficult jobs with the most complex clients. Other healthcare professionals wonder sometimes on how we are able to achieve such great outcomes through case management interventions! I find it helpful to identify the positive aspects of what one did on a specific case as well as the opportunities for improvement. It is also helpful to identify on a daily, weekly, monthly, and/or annual basis all of the things you have accomplished for your clients, family members and friends, colleagues, and yourself. I find this helpful in countering our natural inclination to find and focus solely on our faults. You can also help to identify when to celebrate the contributions and results from the work of your colleagues. It is also great to identify the accomplishments of your clients as they progress through their care plan.
Remain Humble: While owning accomplishments is important, it is also essential to remain humble. This has several considerations, such as remembering you are part of a team providing support, navigation, and assistance to the clients you serve. It involves acknowledging that your colleagues provide guidance and insights on cases when you present those cases for feedback and recommendations. It incorporates honoring the choices, decisions, and actions clients take in their health journeys even when you do not agree with those decisions or share those values. It also means that you recognize that cultural humility is critical in providing culturally responsive services to all of your clients from various demographics and cultures.
Honor Differences: Professional case managers work with a wide range of clients from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and cultures. There can be conflicts between the client’s values and beliefs and those of the professional case manager. At the end of the day, the professional case manager needs to honor the choices of the client based on their lived experience and values, even when those are in direct conflict with the professional case manager’s beliefs. This issue of honoring differences also applies to colleagues who may come from a different discipline and who have different perspectives on providing professional case management services. This diversity of clients and colleagues can help the professional case manager to grow professionally and personally.
Keep Learning: We all know that the original education and training we received in school is not sufficient to remain current with providing the best professional case management services. Our field of practice is rapidly evolving and changing all the time. This requires the professional case manager to engage in on-going and continuous professional development. This can be accomplished through a variety of ways such as reading articles and books, listening to presentations and webinars, and participating in interactive workshops. As professionals, we need to go beyond the minimum of what the continuing education requirements are to maintain our professional licensures and certifications.
I have learned through making mistakes as well as from successes in my professional career and in my personal life. Sometimes, it is about taking risks that may be on the edges of your comfort level, and calculated risks can result in positive outcomes as well as learning opportunities. The field of professional case management is constantly evolving and the pace of change has escalated with new information and findings being discovered and communicated rapidly. I feel so honored and grateful for all of the opportunities I have had in working with clients and colleagues.
Resources
Case Management Society of America (CMSA™). Standards of Practice for Case Management https://cmsa.org/about/standards-of-case-management-practice/ Accessed 7/16/2026
The Commission™. Code of Professional Conduct for Case Managers https://yourcommission.org/ccmc-code-professional-conduct Accessed 7/16/2026
Charles Schwab. Career Tips: How to start building your professional network
https://www.schwabjobs.com/career-tips-networking Accessed 7/16/2026
Mentorship Moment. Mentorship vs. coaching vs. sponsorship – Finally explained https://www.mentorshipmoment.com/blog/mentorship-vs-coaching-vs-sponsorship-finally-explained Accessed 7/16/2026
Psychology Today. Stop minimizing your accomplishments: You may be your worst critic https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/you-are-enough/202402/stop-minimizing-your-accomplishments Accessed 7/16/2026
Skill Path. Being humble at work and why it matters https://skillpath.com/blog/need-humility-workplace Accessed 7/16/2026
Solu Technology Partners. The importance of honoring diversity in the workplace: What does it mean to have good diversity practices within an organization
https://www.solutechnology.com/the-importance-of-honoring-diversity-in-the-workplace/ Accessed 7/16/2026
Center for Employment Training. The role of cultural competency in healthcare. https://cetweb.edu/blog/the-role-of-cultural-competency-in-healthcare Accessed 7/16/2026
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC professional development practices.
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Bio: Michael Garrett possesses more than 30 years of progressively responsible experience in managed care, care/case management, utilization management and review, chronic condition management, health information technology, healthcare quality, and population health management services. He has served in operational management, business development, product development, and strategic planning roles. His experience includes developing and implementing value based care models, such as patient centered medical homes and accountable care organizations (ACOs). Michael has experience working in a range of benefit programs, including fully insured medical plans, self-funded health plans, workers' compensation, Medicaid, government employee plans, and long term disability. He served as the leader in the successful development, implementation, and on-going maintenance of quality management programs for care management programs He has also worked with health plans and healthcare providers in evaluating, improving, and optimizing health information technology and healthcare quality programs. His commitment to the healthcare industry is demonstrated by leadership roles in key organizations, including serving as a member and chair on the Commission for Case Manager Certification, a committee member and chair of URAC's clinical accreditation committee, and a member of the Case Management Society of America's Task Force for the Revision of the Standards of Practice for Case Management. He has served as an author, editor, and contributor on six case/care management books as well as the author of numerous journal articles in the field of care/case management. Michael's professional credentials include a Master of Science degree from the University of Idaho in clinical psychology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and religious studies from Gonzaga University. He is also a Certified Case Manager, Certified Vocational Evaluator, and a Certified Professional in Clinical Health Equity.