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 Case Management Self Assessment  Time Management  Time Management Myths  10 Time Management Tips  In Basket-Five Easy Steps  Case Management Challenges and Strategies  Tools for Case Management  Compliance Requirements

1. I do not have phone conversations with irate individuals. _____ 2. At the beginning of each day I review what tasks need to be performed _____ 3. Because of where a case is filed, I can tell you its current status without reviewing it. _____ 4. I never have to process overdue tasks, due to missed deadlines on my part. _____ 5. I never have overdue tasks and always process daily tasks paperwork within one day _____ 6. On a daily basis I see the bottom of my in-basket. _____ 7. I never have to meet with my supervisor to discuss my caseload management skills. _____ 8. When I am absent another worker can easily find information at my desk and make sense out of it. _____ 9. Individuals never have to replace paper work they have already given me. _____ 10. I do not wake up in the middle of the night thinking about case work I am behind on. _____ 4

 I never have enough time to do what is really important!  Other people make demands on my time!  If only I could work more hours every day, I could finish what I need to do!  I'm too busy to plan my activities!  Some of my assignments are so hard I don't know where to start!

 Make your calendar part of your right hand.  Go to work.  Find lost time.  Do the hard stuff first or ASAP.  Return phone calls ASAP.  Take five before work.  Take your breaks.  Exercise.  Plan pre-day and pre-week.  Move beyond your good intentions.

Step One – Spend fifteen minutes each morning dividing contents into 4 piles 1 Can throw out 2 Low priority, only need to file 3 Needs future action 4 Needs immediate action Step Two – Either throw out or place in one of three in-baskets. Place immediate action items in top basket. Step Three – Strive for goal of an empty top in-basket everyday. Step Four – Work future action items as you can until they move up to your top in-basket. Step Five – Do low priority filing during work gaps.

 Using Effectively  Preventing Interruptions  When They Walk In  Prevent Them From Staying

“Best Practices” for a well managed caseload

 I want to be effective with my time and caseload management.  I need to organize what tasks need to be performed at the beginning of each day.  I want to see the bottom of my in-basket/task list on a daily basis.  I want to be effective with my time and caseload management.  I want to organize my work area so that when I am absent, another worker can easily find information and make sense out of it.  I want to efficiently manage all the paperwork that comes across my desk.  I don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night thinking about case work I am behind on. 12 Challenges

There are many tools both in and outside the CSE system that can be effective in assisting you in doing your job including – Telephone – Establishing a Relationship Over the Phone – Attending to the Participant’s Needs – Weekly/Daily Planning – Activity Logs – Events – Tasks – Action Required vs. Action Needed – Production Tracking

Intake Locate Establishment/Paternity Interstate Enforcement Wage Assignment Medical Support Review & Adjustment Collection & Distribution Closure

Telephone contact can be the most efficient way to contact participants and gather information need to process cases. It is important to the gathering of this information that you establish a good rapport with the participant. First impressions can make a big difference. Introduce yourself and state the overall purpose of the call. Explain the process, be very precise about what you can and cannot do for the participant at this point. The style in which you greet the participant will impact the entire conversation. A successful greeting will make your job much easier.  R efer to the participant by her/his surname (Mr. Witherell) unless you have previously established a first nameexchange.  S tart out with warm-up conversation (“How’s the weather there?”). This prepares them for answering questions.

Understanding the basic needs of the participant is vital to a successful interview. There are four key participant needs that we should strive to meet. The Need to be Understood. – People need to feel that they are communicating effectively. The Need to Feel Welcome. – The first part of any human contact is critical in setting the tone for what will follow. The Need to Feel Important. – Ego and self esteem are powerful human tools. Treat the participant and the interview as an important event. The Need for Comfort. – Give the participant confidence that you will handle their case in a timely and accurate manner.

Action Required Action Needed Tasks related to compliance timeframes or critical steps required to continue with case processing. Created solely by the CSE System. If tasks not completed by their due date, they remain on the list as an overdue task. To accommodate any outstanding issues, change the due date of an Action Required task not associated with a compliance timeframe for any length of time and for any reason based on the business need. Tasks associated with a compliance timeframe have a predefined due date and reason. These tasks cannot be extended past these predefined due dates and reasons Tasks not related to compliance timeframes, but provide a resource for managing cases and participants. CSE creates tasks based on system activities. You can create Action Needed tasks for yourself or another Child Support Professional, and associate them to a case or participant. The task must be deleted to remove it from the task list. If tasks are not completed by their due date, they remain on the list as an overdue task. To accommodate any outstanding issues, the change a task’s due date and provide a reason. Create new Action Needed tasks based on business needs Action Required and Action Needed tasks are similar in structure but serve different purposes. It is important to recognize this difference in order to prioritize and work tasks in an efficient and productive manner

 The production tracking system is an effective tool to track case actions and task completion on both a team and individual level.  Data gathered through production tracking is used by management, supervisors to evaluate progress, set goals and allocate resources.  In what way might you use production tracking information?