Clinical Context
A 38-year-old patient with alcohol use disorder and unstable housing is referred to outpatient behavioral health services after discharge from the emergency department for intoxication. The patient has difficulty attending appointments, lacks coordination of community resources, and needs linkage to housing, employment support, medication-assisted treatment, and benefits enrollment. A licensed clinical case manager (often a licensed clinical social worker, substance use disorder counselor, or case management specialist) performs an initial comprehensive needs assessment, develops a written care plan, coordinates referrals to detoxification or medication-assisted treatment, communicates with primary care and behavioral health providers, assists with scheduling, monitors adherence to treatment goals, and documents progress in the electronic health record. Services billed under H0006 are typically episodic and may include outreach in community settings, phone contacts, home visits, and coordination with legal or social services. Typical sites of service include outpatient behavioral health clinics, community-based treatment programs, residential treatment facilities, and patient homes or community locations when outreach is required. Workflow steps: initial referral and intake, assessment and care plan development, active case management contacts (in-person or telephonic), coordination of services (referrals, authorizations), periodic reassessment, discharge planning when goals met, and transition to ongoing outpatient or recovery supports.