Free Case Manager Job Description Templates
Free case manager job description templates: healthcare, social work, mental health, insurance, and legal. Download as DOCX and customize.
Case Manager Job Description Templates
6 free templates by setting. Download as DOCX or copy-paste.
A case manager assesses what a client needs, builds a plan, coordinates the services and resources to deliver it, and advocates for the client along the way. Below are six templates for the most common versions of the role. My advice to anyone making this hire: pick the template by setting, not by title.
The role shows up across very different organizations: home health agencies, nonprofits, behavioral health clinics, insurance offices, and law firms. The job description you write sets the setting, the credentials, and the expectations, and it is your first filter for the right case manager.
At FirstHR, we build for small organizations where a director or owner handles hiring directly. The six versions are general, healthcare/RN, social work, mental/behavioral health, insurance/workers' comp, and legal. Fill in the bracketed fields, adjust to match your organization, and post.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template that matches your organization and setting. The core structure is the same across all six, but each one emphasizes the responsibilities, credentials, and language that fit a specific kind of case manager role. Use this guide to choose.
6 Free Case Manager Job Description Templates
Download all six as separate Word files in one ZIP, or copy individual templates. Each one covers the job summary, key responsibilities, qualifications and credentials, compensation, and how to apply; the General template also opens with an organization overview. Fill in the brackets before you post.
Template 1: General Case Manager
The universal, all-purpose version for any organization hiring a case manager. Assessment, care planning, coordination, advocacy, and documentation. Start here if the role is broad or you are not sure which setting fits.
Template 2: Healthcare / RN Case Manager
For home health, clinics, and hospice. Adds an active RN license, care plans, discharge planning, EHR, and CCM or ACM certification. Use this for a clinical care-coordination role.
Template 3: Social Work Case Manager
For nonprofits and social-services agencies. Adds BSW or MSW, community-resource linkage, crisis intervention, and government-program navigation. Use this for a community-focused role.
Template 4: Mental / Behavioral Health Case Manager
For behavioral health and outpatient centers. Adds psychosocial assessment, treatment-support planning, a defined caseload, HIPAA, and substance use support. Use this for a behavioral health role.
Template 5: Insurance / Workers' Comp Case Manager
For insurance offices and TPAs. Adds return-to-work coordination, adjuster and provider liaison, care guidelines, and claim cost control, with an RN background often preferred. Use this for a claims-side role.
Template 6: Legal Case Manager
For small law firms and personal injury practices. Adds client intake, docketing and deadlines, case files, legal research, and case software. Use this for a law-firm case management role.
What Does a Case Manager Do?
A case manager assesses client needs, coordinates services to meet them, advocates for the client, and tracks progress. The work centers on assessment, planning, coordination, advocacy, and documentation, connecting clients to the right care, resources, and support.
Because case management spans many fields, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not list it as a single occupation. Much of the work falls under social workers, who help people prevent and cope with problems in their lives.
The role varies sharply by setting. A healthcare RN case manager handles clinical care and discharge planning; a social work case manager links clients to community resources; an insurance case manager coordinates return-to-work. That is why the job description should describe the role for your specific organization.
Case Manager Duties and Responsibilities
Case manager duties fall into four broad areas. A strong job description selects the specific responsibilities from each area that apply to your setting rather than listing every possible task. These are the responsibilities most often expected of the role.
The weighting shifts with the setting: a healthcare role puts clinical assessment and discharge planning first, while a social work role puts community resources and crisis intervention first.
What to Include in a Case Manager Job Description
Every strong case manager job description includes the same core sections: a job summary, key responsibilities, qualifications with the license or certification your setting requires, the reporting line, compensation, and how to apply. The templates above are built around them. Within those sections, write concrete duties rather than generic ones; the table shows the difference.
| Weak bullet | Strong bullet |
|---|---|
| Help clients | Assess client needs and develop individualized plans |
| Coordinate care | Coordinate services, referrals, and resources |
| Track clients | Monitor client progress and adjust plans |
| Advocate | Advocate for clients and connect them to support |
| Keep records | Maintain accurate, timely case documentation |
Specific, concrete duties attract candidates who understand the work and signal a serious employer. Keep the language neutral and inclusive too, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on protected characteristics. For a fuller framework, the SHRM job description guide advises one company-wide structure built from standard components such as the job title, salary, and functions.
Licenses and Certifications
Case management is often a licensed or credentialed role, so the qualifications section carries real weight. The right credentials depend entirely on the setting, so name them clearly for the role you are hiring for.
Beyond credentials, look for strong assessment, organization, communication, and documentation skills, plus comfort with the relevant software or EHR. Whether a case manager role can be salaried and exempt depends on the setting, so review the Department of Labor FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) rules when you set pay and classify the role.
The credential matters here too. The learned professional exemption (29 CFR 541.301) applies only when the primary duty of the job needs advanced knowledge in a field of science or learning, usually gained through a prolonged course of specialized study. Registered nurses generally meet that duties test, while paralegals and legal assistants generally do not.
The exemption does not cover jobs that customarily need only a general academic degree in any field. On top of the duties test, an exempt case manager must earn a salary of at least $684 a week (DOL Fact Sheet 17A).
Case Manager by Setting
The case manager role changes with the setting: both the focus of the work and the typical credential shift. Picking the right template keeps your posting accurate and helps the right candidates recognize themselves in it.
| Setting | Focus | Typical credential |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare / RN | Clinical care, discharge planning | RN license, CCM or ACM |
| Social Work | Community resources, advocacy | BSW or MSW, state licensure |
| Behavioral Health | Mental health and substance use | Relevant degree, certification |
| Insurance / Workers' Comp | Return-to-work, claims | RN often preferred, CCM |
| Legal | Case files, deadlines, intake | Paralegal or legal experience |
A small organization usually hires for one setting at a time and may add specialized case managers as it grows. Match the template to your setting rather than to a larger structure you do not yet have.
RN Case Manager Job Description: What Changes
The RN version differs from the general template in three places: the credential, the clinical work, and the record. Name the active registered nurse license for your state as a requirement rather than a preference, and say whether you expect CCM or ACM certification, because those are the lines an experienced clinical case manager reads first.
The duties shift as well. Discharge planning, transitions of care, and coordination with physicians replace the community-resource work a social work case manager does, and documentation happens in your EHR rather than a paper case file. Write those into the responsibilities so the posting screens for care coordination experience rather than general case management.
Case Manager Salary
Case manager pay varies widely by setting, credentials, location, and experience. Start from the closest government benchmarks below, then adjust for the role you are hiring.
The federal Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) says registered nurses may provide case management (2018 SOC definitions). Registered nurses earned a median of $97,550 in May 2025 (BLS), so an RN case manager posting needs a far higher range than a social-services one. Decide up front whether a CCM moves a candidate up your range.
Always publish a salary range. A growing number of states require one in job postings. In SHRM research released in 2023, about 70 percent of organizations that list pay ranges in job advertisements said it led to more applicants, and 66 percent said it raised applicant quality.
How to Write a Case Manager Job Description
A strong case manager job description comes together quickly if you follow a clear structure. Here is the process the templates are built around.
Hiring a Case Manager for a Small Organization
A large hospital or agency hires case managers through a recruiting team with defined processes. A small nonprofit, clinic, or agency does not. A program director or owner writes the posting, screens applicants, verifies licenses, and onboards the new hire, often while carrying their own caseload. Here is how to write the posting for that reality.
From Hiring to Onboarding
The job description is step one. Once a candidate accepts, the same document becomes the basis for the offer and onboarding. Because a case manager works with vulnerable clients and sensitive information from day one, verifying credentials and running a thorough onboarding matters more than for most roles.
Work through those four steps and a new case manager gets confident with your systems, privacy procedures, and caseload quickly. FirstHR keeps the e-signed offer letter, the new hire's documents, and the onboarding workflow in one place, so a small organization can run onboarding from one system.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a case manager do?
A case manager is the professional who works out what a client needs, puts a plan in place, and makes sure the services in that plan reach the client. In practice the job runs as a loop: assess the situation, write an individualized care or service plan, arrange providers and community resources, speak up for the client, check how things are going, revise the plan, and keep the case record current. The setting shapes the details. An RN case manager in healthcare concentrates on clinical care and discharge planning. In social work the focus is connecting clients with community programs, in behavioral health it is a caseload of mental health clients, and at a law firm it is case files and deadlines.
What should a case manager job description include?
A case manager job description should cover a short job summary, the key responsibilities, the required qualifications, the licenses and certifications, the skills you expect, compensation, who the role reports to, and how to apply. Give the qualifications the most care, because the right license or certification is often a hard requirement for this role. Name the exact degree, license, and certification your setting calls for, such as an RN license, a BSW or MSW, or the CCM. Tailor the responsibilities to the actual work, whether that is clinical discharge planning, community-resource work, or return-to-work coordination. Add a salary range and mention any travel or fieldwork. The templates on this page give you that structure, ready to customize.
What are the duties and responsibilities of a case manager?
A case manager's duties fall into four areas. Assessment and planning: evaluating client needs, developing individualized plans, and monitoring progress. Coordination and advocacy: coordinating services and referrals, connecting clients to resources, and advocating on their behalf. Documentation: maintaining accurate case records and meeting reporting requirements. Collaboration: working with providers, families, agencies, and care teams. The exact mix depends on the setting. A healthcare case manager weights clinical assessment and discharge planning, a social work case manager weights community resources and crisis intervention, and an insurance case manager weights return-to-work and care coordination.
What licenses and certifications does a case manager need?
It depends on the setting, because no single credential covers every case manager role. Healthcare and RN roles start with an active registered nurse license, and employers often add CCM (Certified Case Manager) or ACM (Accredited Case Manager) certification. Social work roles typically ask for a bachelor's or master's in social work (BSW or MSW) and may require state social work licensure. Behavioral health roles usually call for a relevant degree, sometimes with state certification. Insurance and workers' comp employers often prefer an RN background plus the CCM. Legal roles usually rely on paralegal or legal experience rather than a clinical license. Whatever your setting, write the exact requirement into the posting so candidates can tell whether they qualify.
What is the difference between a healthcare and a social work case manager?
A healthcare or RN case manager focuses on clinical care: assessing medical needs, developing care plans, managing discharge planning and transitions of care, and coordinating with physicians, usually requiring an RN license. A social work case manager focuses on social and community needs: linking clients to resources and government programs, providing crisis intervention, and advocating for clients and families, usually requiring a BSW or MSW. Both assess needs, coordinate services, and document progress, but the clinical depth, credentials, and resources differ. When you write the job description, use the healthcare or social work template that matches the role so you screen for the right background.
How much does a case manager make?
Case manager is not one standardized occupation in U.S. government data, so pay depends on the setting and the credentials. The nearest Bureau of Labor Statistics benchmarks for May 2025 put social workers at a median of $61,780 a year and social and human service assistants at $45,930. Nursing is a separate band: the federal definition of registered nurses covers nurses who provide case management, and their median was $97,550, so RN case managers sit well above the social-services figures. Pay also varies by region, employer type, and experience. Always include a salary range in your posting, because 2023 SHRM research found that most organizations listing pay ranges reported more applicants and stronger ones.
How do I hire a case manager after writing the job description?
Post the job description, screen applicants for the license and setting experience it asks for, and interview the strongest candidates on both skills and how they work with clients. Once you choose someone, use the posting as the outline for the offer and the onboarding plan. Put the offer in writing, gather the signed paperwork, and confirm each credential, such as the RN license, social work licensure, or the CCM. Onboarding should then cover your documentation systems, HIPAA and privacy rules, the caseload you expect, and the people they will work with. A new case manager deals with vulnerable clients and private records from the start, so give this step real time. FirstHR handles the offer letter, e-signatures, document storage, and onboarding workflow in one place.