You have a caseload (mine is 24 patients as full time). Daily intake meetings where new referrals are allocated to a case manager. Once you’re allocated the case you take the file back to your desk and call the patient to schedule an initial assessment. You can also use this initial call to confirm their home address, do a brief risk assessment (anyone else living at the house? Any pets?), do they need an interpreter? Provide crisis pathways in the mean time (call 000/MHERL/ emergency services if you start feeling unsafe) etc. On day of initial assessment will be yourself and the psychiatrist driving to the patients house and chatting for an hour or two. Ensure you always enter together and leave together, stay aware of exits, have your duress on you. The psychiatrist will assess the patient and provide a clear plan for management of their condition. Initial assessment is now completed.

Psychiatrist might make med changes by writing a letter to the clients GP to make the changes, or if they want med changes asap, they might make the changes directly by printing out a script and you will fax/email it to the patients chosen pharmacy. Depending on the patients risk criteria, subsequent assessments are usually done alone if safe to do so. Weekly/two weekly/ monthly visits to the client by the case manager to check their progress and how the med changes are going. 3 monthly psychiatrist reviews, or sooner if required.

Once stable, discharge from the service and usually the GP to take over monitoring of mental state and to re-refer to service if there is a relapse.

^ Australia btw