Country Services, Inc. has over 20 years of experience providing case management services, including Waiver Case Management, Rule 185 Case Management, and Vulnerable Adult/Developmental Disability Targeted Case Management. We strive to assist people with navigating systems, programs, funding, support and services, helping them to feel empowered, while ensuring that they are treated with dignity and respect. We are enrolled as a MHCP provider and currently provide case management services for Washington County, Goodhue County, and Lake County.
There are many models regarding the practice of case management and at CSI, we customize our case management based on the needs of the person we are working with. Our case management practices are primarily rooted in both the Strengths-Based Case Management Model and the Person-Centered Case Management Model. Strengths-Based Case Management is focused on empowering people, creating opportunities for growth, education, and skill development. This model provides emphasis on both formal and informal supports and encourages people to take the lead in identifying their own needs and wants. Person-Centered practices are very similar to Strengths-Based practices, with a more specific focus on utilizing words, language, and interaction that always assures that individuals receiving services are viewed as people.
At CSI, we provide a unique perspective and ongoing training and support on the difference between proactive case management and reactive case management. As case managers, if we are providing exceptional monitoring and support (proactive case management), we can often divert crisis and service failure, helping people reach their desired outcomes, while reducing the need for reactive case management. Case Managers at CSI are specifically and uniquely trained to focus on a proactive case management strategy.
At CSI, it is imperative to recruit and retain exceptional staff. At minimum, all case managers are required to have a bachelor’s degree in social work and LSW, or a bachelor’s degree in a related field such as Sociology, Psychology, Human Services, etc. All candidates must have at least 1 year of experience working in human/social services, excellent communication skills, excellent organizational skills, DEIB training/cultural competency, Person-Centered training, HIPAA/data privacy training, and overall computer competency with Microsoft 365 experience. All employees must pass background clearance. CSI is fortunate to have several bilingual case managers on our team.
Quality of service is a cornerstone of Country Services’ reputation. It is the end goal of every discussion, meeting, policy, and procedure. CSI values quality over quantity and will never grow at a rate that compromises our high quality of service standards. Our standards of practice that ensure quality of service include but are not limited to:
Accessibility
All people served by CSI must be able to easily access their assigned case manager, as well as the supervisor/CEO. Case managers will respond to all correspondence (phone, email, or text) within two business days. Case managers’ contact numbers are linked to a cell phone, which allows for a high level of accessibility as well as allowing them to receive texts, if that method of correspondence is preferred by the person/people receiving service.
Team Communication, Support, Collaboration
Effective team communication, support and collaboration are imperative in maintaining high quality service delivery. The CSI Case Management team meets at minimum twice per month to discuss and summarize any new lead agency expectations or program changes per DHS guidelines. Teams are structured with a supervisor, team leads, and mentors to ensure connectedness and support for every employee. We have a very robust training system in place for new case managers to ensure they build a strong foundation to uphold the quality of service that we are known for. We view our case management services as "community based" instead of "office based", prioritizing the environments of the people we support.
Employee Recruitment and Retention
High quality service delivery is only possible if we are recruiting and retaining a diverse pool of high-quality employees. CSI attracts top tier employees by offering robust salaries and a generous PTO policy. CSI offers flexibility in schedules, accommodating working parents and the needs of each individual employee. CSI takes employee morale very seriously and prioritizes work/life balance. Each employee has a comfortable rapport with the CEO and is encouraged to offer feedback, which is greatly valued. At CSI, we recognize that high employee turnover leads to low quality services, and we take every measure to prevent that from happening.
Quality Assurance Monitoring
CSI Case Managers provide the people we serve and their families/guardians a Quality Assurance Survey at annual meetings. Families are given the option to complete surveys via link, email, or they are provided a postage paid envelope to mail in anonymously. The surveys allow us to measure the quality of our case management services, affording us the ability to continually grow and improve.
Training
At CSI, there is no beginning or end date to training. From the CEO to the newest employee, our philosophy is that we are all “in training” in perpetuity. New case managers receive intensive training that is customized to their individual work experiences and skills. All case managers are required to adhere to the case manager training requirements put forth by the Minnesota Department of Human Services, with a minimum of 20 hours of education and disability related training each year. This training must include person-centered planning, informed choice, cultural competency, employment planning, community living planning, self-direction options, and the use of technology supports. CSI is a member of the Minnesota Social Service Association (MSSA) and all case managers are required to attend the annual conference every March which provides more than 24 hours of training in a wide array of areas, both in person, virtually, and in on-demand features.
