The Texas HIV Medical Case Management Certification Project

The Texas HIV Medical Case Management Certification Project Spring/Summer 2010

Since the passage of the 2006 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act, HIV case management has undergone a nationwide transformation, as the legislation included medical case management as a core medical service and any other type of case management as a support service. This new language, combined with the requirement to spend 75% of funding on core services, necessitated a shift in the field of HIV case management to focus on medical, rather than social, support services. In response to this sea change, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) spearheaded a comprehensive assessment of the state’s HIV case management services. This assessment, as well as the input of an Expert Panel, revealed the need for key changes to improve services throughout the state, including increased standardization of skills and knowledge among medical case managers. DSHS and the Expert Panel envisioned a training and certification program for HIV medical case managers as a tool for strengthening the profession while maintaining sufficient local flexibility and, above all else, improving the quality of services to individuals living with HIV/AIDs. To that end, DSHS hired the Center for Social Work Research to establish consensus among stakeholders about key elements of the training program; to consult experts and counterparts throughout the country; and to develop a “roadmap” of the entire training program.

The process of creating an HIV medical case manager training program has always been envisioned as participative in nature. The chief outcome of this approach is the creation of a program that will support and serve existing and future medical case managers in all contexts across the state. Certification will identify persons who have demonstrated a required level of competency, and who will be able to apply their skills as team members within the context of local culture, resources, and requirements.

Since the March 1st inception of its contract with DSHS, the UT Team has collaborated with stakeholders to begin to shape a Texas certification program for HIV Medical Case Managers. With the enthusiasm, wisdom, and dedication of the Action Research Advisory Group and a range of other stakeholders—including administrators, case managers, and clients—this project is designed as a truly collaborative effort.

To learn more:

Visit the blog or contact Michele Murphy-Smith, PhD, RN, RD at [email protected].