Care Coordinators or Case Managers¹ are professionals working in Washington State public agencies whose job it is to coordinate and connect supports, services and resources for children with special needs and their parents at home, in child care, in school, and in health care and other community settings. The Association of Maternal Child Health Programs identifies at least four types of care coordination families need²:

• Family-Centered Care Coordination focuses on family needs and family satisfaction by providing an individual services plan for the family, negotiating for families, providing appropriate training and information for families, and monitoring family needs across time.
• Administrative Case Management provides referral to services, eligibility determination and claims processing in an attempt to ensure a smoother administration of services and protect against undue costs.
• Systems Improvement Model focuses on integrating services for families and the community to ensure that gaps in the service system are filled, that families are connected with community services, and that families don't have to repeat evaluations or treatments unnecessarily.
• Financial Case Management attempts to redesign service systems to reduce costs to systems and families.

This guide includes the following information about care coordinators:

• Job Requirements for Care Coordinators Working in Public Agencies
• Agency Definition of Care Coordination and Client Eligibility
• Services Provided

Search by care coordinator title or by public agency.


Care Coordinator Titles

• Family Resources Coordinator (FRC)
  
• Developmental Disabilities Case Resource Manager
  
• Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) Coordinator
  
• Mental Health Provider
  
• School Nurse

Public Agencies

• Infant Toddler Early Intervention Program, Division of Developmental Disabilities, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services
  
• Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD), Aging and Disabilities Services Administration, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS)
  
• Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) Program, Washington State Department of Health
  
• Mental Health Division, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services
  
• Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
  

Download the Guide to Care Coordinators in Washington State (215 KB)

For Professionals: Create your own Care Coordinator contact sheet (154 KB)

For Families: Download Finding Resources for Your Child with Special Needs worksheet to create a contact sheet of people who help support you and your child. (45KB)



¹Only people who work for public agencies, and whose primary job it is to coordinate care for children with special needs, are included in this information.
²Association of Maternal Child Health Programs, "Meeting the Needs of Families: Critical Elements of Comprehensive Care Coordination in Title V Children with Special Health Care Needs Programs", January, 2002, www.amchp.org