Jill Lamontagne Shares Important Professional Skills for Adult Case Managers
May 28, 2025
A community-focused social worker, Jill Lamontagne serves as an assistant supervisor of adult case management at Waypoint in Sanford, Maine, where she helps coordinate care and resources for adults with disabilities. This entails helping case managers create personalized plans with a person-focused, strengths-based approach; reviewing case records and notes; and monitoring the health and safety of clients. Ms. Lamontagne has been with Waypoint since August 2022. Outside of work, Jill Lamontagne regularly volunteers for environmental causes, participates in annual Maine Coastal Cleanup efforts, and volunteers at the Harvest Cafe soup kitchen. She also supports various community programs as a member of the local Rotary Club, and coaches youth softball, basketball, and field hockey. Ms. Lamontagne holds a master of science in education from the University of New England and a bachelor of arts in science and health sciences from the University of Southern Maine. Her extensive background in social work, combined with her commitment to community service, positions her as a knowledgeable authority on adult case management.
An adult case manager, a case manager focused on working with adults, is a mental health professional. In the United States, case managers work closely with a diverse range of clients. The overarching mission of a case manager is to assess a client’s needs, develop a comprehensive, highly personalized treatment plan designed to meet these needs, and adjust the treatment plan as needed. Equally important is a case manager’s work making referrals to other professionals and community services that can better treat specific needs. Case managers not only organize a list of these referrals and help clients get in touch, but also communicate directly with other agencies to ensure they are complying with their role in the client’s treatment plan.
Adult case management is a demanding, time-consuming field of work. Individuals who begin pursuing a case management career will need a range of professional skills to thrive in the position.
Communication is a critically important skill in many disciplines, particularly those in the field of mental health, and case management is no different. To begin, case managers must establish a communicative relationship with their clients. Professional case managers may encounter several barriers to establishing a good rapport with clients, including an overbearing workload that minimizes time with individual clients. Other challenges may include their own behavioral issues, an unstable home environment, or a lack of cultural competence and diversity training. Counseling and conflict resolution skills are helpful when it comes to communicating with clients.
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