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Case Management

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Case Management Empty Re: Case Management

Post by pinger Sun 23 Nov 2014, 14:46

Tx for the clarity teen bearing in mind goc vac procedures change as we all know. A csa? The 1-866 receptionist is the only one I know short of calling my CM directly. Your explaination sounds like their filter between what they deem "active" and un-active or passive?
1,200 come 40. My DO consolidated with Windsor so I thought they'd be swamped. Didn't call. So maybe theres more csa's than cm's like 2400 come 40? However, I'm passive becoming kind of more active in my mind and body let alone vacs definitive fracking criteria. Rex, you sound like you require more active stuff, moreover, communicado and answers and not yesterday. It can get confusing.

9 offices closed. 5% vac cuts. 1.1 billion overbudget back to coffers for an overestimate? That's old SOP and the goc doesn't need to emphasize that in the media for their purposes or Joe Cdn. Their political, money footsie shellgames make me sick.

Think I'll approach my cm before xmas. Got updates for them. Stay v. well all brothers and sisters. Only fair winds. pinger.
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Post by Teentitan Sat 22 Nov 2014, 10:54

Not really Rex. A CSA is a "Client Service Agent" who is an assistant to your CM Case Manager in your DO (District Office)

Yes the people who answer the phone at the NCCN is the first person of contact. They will help you on your phone call, if they can, but it is always best to ask to speak to a CSA on ''your'' CM's team.

Each CM is supposed to have no more then 40 "active" cases on their case load. If they have too many the DO Manager will tell the CM to get their case load down.

This is how VAC gets away with their propaganda BS that each CM only has 40 clients.

In my DO each CM has roughly 1200 clients/cases but must only have 40 active ones on their desk. The CSA's are to "monitor" any problems and go to their CM for advice/consultation on what to do with the clients file. Now depending on the DO and how many overall clients there is determines how many CSA's are employed.

This is why the 9 DO's were closed. Their total case load's were small. So when the writ came down 3 years ago that ALL gov't departments will decrease their budgets by 5% it was VAC did, let's call it, a forensic audit and determined by not/not cutting benefits they can cut out the cost of "bricks and mortar" (maintenance, insurance, early retirement, salaries, janitorial etc).

It is believed the 9 DO's met the 5% reduction.

Now I know that everyone reading this is saying "but VAC gave back $1 billion so why close the DO's?" I asked myself the same thing and did some digging around.

Apparently it is SOP for all government departments to "over estimate" their annual budgets by 5%. A few years back the OVO discovered this and approached VAC about it. At the time they were 4% overbudget and the ADM (Assistant Deputy Minister) at the time said it was acceptable.

Don't know if everyone caught it but about 18 government departments gave back money this week. Here's a link to all the departments that gave money and how much


http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/recgen/cpc-pac/2014/vol2/intro-eng.html

And yes I totally agree if our government works on an overestimate on budget's it's no wonder our country is always running a deficit!
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Post by bigrex Sat 22 Nov 2014, 10:23

loggie, the CSA, or customer service agent, is basically an operator at VAC. They are the people who answer you first, and if they cannot help you, they refer you to a treatment specialist, or to your CM. the CM's only responsibility is to ensure that the needs of those whose files they handle are taken care of. Sometimes that means short tem needs, like completing applications, other times, it means long term, such as in my case. What found out after talking with my CM, is because my wife is looking at going back to school, since I cannot, the rehab program, and thus my CM, was switched to her, which to me makes absolutely no sense.

As for how many active files each CM has, that all depends on the office. I think one problem that has arisen, at least here in Halifax, is that even though they closed down the Sydney office, and transferred their files to Halifax, the Halifax office still knowingly laid off 5 CM's last year, to reduce spending, adding even more of a workload to the ones who remained.
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Post by loggie Sat 22 Nov 2014, 10:08

"The big question is how many 'clients' does a CM's team of CSA's have???"
Teen, what is a CSA?
And, my question is, how many people are there on a CM's team?
To me that could be a huge problem for if the CM's team is full of bureaucrats, and as we know, bureaucrats seem to love to say NO, then there now exists another layer of shite we have to crawl through.
BTW, thank you for all you do for all of us! I appreciate it and you!

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Post by Teentitan Thu 20 Nov 2014, 13:08

Here is the VAC definition of a CM's duties:

A client who makes an application and is a favourable decision for the client and said client is happy with the decision.
The clients file is closed...taken away from the CM's "active file" case load.
The file will then be handled by any CSA on the CM's team.


So two things here. If you do not have an appeal, or application in when you call the NCCN centre ask to speak to a CSA on your CM's team.
Also if for some reason you have an new health problem (or a terminal condition) then, again call a CSA and tell them your file needs to be changed to "active" for your CM to handle your file.

This is how VAC can justify that CM's only have 40 clients. VAC just forgets to add the word "active" in front of the word 'clients'.
The big question is how many 'clients' does a CM's team of CSA's have???
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Post by loggie Thu 20 Nov 2014, 12:18

I hear your frustration BigRex. I am going through the exact same thing at this time. Called my CM 3 and one half weeks ago and got her voice mail. No answer so called again today and was told that they are not sure if she is still working my file. They will check and have someone get back to me. Really makes me feel like a "someone"

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Post by bigrex Thu 20 Nov 2014, 11:14

I just had an eye opening phone call with Veterans Affairs. The Tories claimed that the VAC offices that were closed only averaged 40 case managed veterans, so one would figure that meant that they each controlled the files of 40 severely disabled Veterans, but apparently is not the case. I am assessed at over 90%, not including the disabilities not recognized by VAC, approved for PIA, PIA supp, extended ELB, and attendance allowance, but apparently I am not case managed. I have been in crisis, and when I tried reaching out to my CM, I was told that see who was free. I can understand putting a Veterans file on the back burner, if nothing new is happening, but once you are assigned a CM, that person should be always be a reliable contact at VAC. I shouldn't have to go through my entire history with someone new, every time I need something.
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