Mental Health Case Management for Adults in Minnesota: Services & Eligibility

Jemma Strain
Published: 11/12/2026
Authored by: Jemma Strain, BS
Edited by: Emma Loker, BSc, PgDip

Having a mental illness can be as much of a logistical problem as it is a clinical one. A person dealing with poor mental well-being often needs a psychiatrist, stable housing, a way to get to appointments, help with their insurance, support finding work, and a family that knows how to help — all at the same time.

Mental health case management helps take care of these logistics.

It’s worth being clear that case management is not therapy, because it does not address your symptoms. A case manager simply helps you access practical resources to allow therapy to work.

On this page, you will learn all you need to know about how mental health case management works in Minnesota, including:

  • What mental health case management in Minnesota is.
  • The services case management can provide.
  • Services not covered by case management.
  • Eligibility factors for case management.
  • How to access services, including whether services can be provided online.
  • Where to find professional support.

Please note: The information on this page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If you have questions about mental health care laws in Minnesota, please consult a qualified attorney regarding your specific situation.

Man smiling during therapy session with female practitioner
Table of Contents

What Is Mental Health Case Management in Minnesota?

In Minnesota, mental health case management is a state-recognized service that connects people with mental health needs to the support they require. Mental Health Targeted Case Management (MH-TCM) is a state program.[1]

The Adult Mental Health Targeted Case Management (AMH-TCM) is for individuals aged 18 years and older who deal with serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI). AMH-TCM helps adults access necessary medical, social, educational, and vocational services.

The Minnesota Comprehensive Adult Mental Health Act, enacted in 1987, established mental health targeted case management as a mandatory mental health service for adults.[2]

Mental Health Case Management vs. Therapy

Both case management and therapy can be part of a person’s mental health care. But they each serve different purposes.

The purpose of therapy is to treat mental health symptoms so that a person’s emotional or behavioral functioning improves. Case management, on the other hand, helps you access services you need while in therapy.

Here is a comparison chart of the two:

 

Mental Health Case Management

Therapy

Purpose

Connecting you to services and coordinating your care

Treating mental health symptoms

Who provides it

A case manager

A licensed mental health professional

What it includes

Help with housing, benefits, school/work issues, transportation, linking to a psychiatrist, monitoring your plan

Regular sessions that explore your emotions, thought patterns, coping skills, trauma, and relationships

Setting

Community-based

Clinic-based

What Services Does Mental Health Case Management Provide?

Minnesota law breaks mental health case management down into four core services. They apply to both Adult Mental Health Targeted Case Management (AMH-TCM) and Children’s Mental Health Targeted Case Management (CMH-TCM).[1] Below, we provide a more detailed outline of what each of these services involves.

1. Assessment

The first major service of Minnesota’s mental health case management is assessment. It requires developing a functional assessment (FA) with the person receiving services and, when appropriate, their support system. The functional assessment is different from the diagnostic assessment used to establish a mental health diagnosis. The diagnostic assessment determines what mental health condition a person has, while the functional assessment looks at how that condition affects the person’s everyday life. The assessment is intended to describe the person’s current situation. The person receiving services should have an active voice in this process. For an adult receiving AMH-TCM, the functional assessment considers 11 components:
    • Mental health symptoms identified in the diagnostic assessment
    • Mental health needs
    • Drug and alcohol use
    • Vocational and educational functioning
    • Social functioning, including how the person spends leisure time
    • Interpersonal functioning, such as their relationships with family
    • Independent living skills
    • Medical and dental health
    • Financial assistance needs
    • Housing and transportation needs
    • Other problems affecting the person’s functioning
      The functional assessment must be completed within 30 days of the person’s first meeting with the case manager. It should be repeated every 180 days after the development of the individual support plan.

      2. Planning

      Once the person’s needs have been assessed, the case manager develops an Individual Community Support Plan (ICSP) for them. The plan draws on everything learned from the diagnostic assessment and the functional assessment to set goals specific to every person. For example, the goal could be to:
        • Treat the symptoms identified in their diagnosis.
        • Improve their daily living skills.
        • Strengthen their family relationships.
        • Improve functioning at school or in the community.
        • Support job readiness.
        • Help them secure transportation, housing, health services, or employment.
        Like the assessment, this plan must be completed within 30 days of the first meeting and revisited at least every 180 days.[3]

        3. Referral and Linkage to Services

        After identifying the person’s goals, the case manager helps them find and access the services that can address their needs. The support includes referral (telling a person where to go to meet their needs) and linkage (helping them connect with the appropriate service). Case managers are expected to know their local community well. This is because Minnesota’s law requires them to connect people to providers that match their racial, ethnic, and cultural preferences. You can be connected with three main types of support:
          • Informal, natural support that includes your family and friends.
          • Local community resources, such as housing agencies, food assistance services, financial help, and similar service providers.
          • Mental health treatment services such as therapists, psychiatrists, treatment programs, and others.
          The case manager’s job is to introduce you to the service. They can also help you with paperwork or logistics, and follow up to make sure the connection actually happened.

          4. Coordinating and Monitoring Services

          A core aspect of mental health case management in Minnesota is ensuring that all the moving pieces of a person’s care are working well together. On a regular basis, the case manager checks in with you to:
            • Review whether the services in place are addressing the goals laid out in the ICSP.
            • Confirm that your needs are still being met.
            • Revise the plan if it is not producing the intended results.
            • Watch for new needs before they turn into a crisis.
            • Keep communication open between you, your family, and every provider involved in your care, including doctors, schools, landlords, employers, and others.
            Minnesota requires at least one core service contact per month to maintain reimbursement. For adults, the contact can happen face-to-face, by interactive video, or, for up to two consecutive months, by phone.

            Services Not Covered in Mental Health Case Management

            Minnesota’s Mental Health Targeted Case Management (MH-TCM) simply connects you with service providers you may need. It does not replace the actual medical, therapeutic, transportation, or legal services.

            Additionally, a case manager cannot provide you with therapy themselves.

            Mental health case management also does not account for the management required by people with developmental disabilities (DD), traumatic brain injuries (TBI), chemical dependency (CAC/CADI), and others.

            Case management covers functional assessment but not diagnostic assessment, which is the clinical evaluation that establishes your diagnosis. This must be completed separately by a mental health professional.

            Some other services outside the scope of mental health case management include:

            • Legal advocacy.
            • Medication administration.
            • Transportation services (you can, however, access Nonemergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) benefits for transportation to covered medical services).[4]
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            Eligibility for Mental Health Case Management in Minnesota

            Mental health case management is a targeted service. Minnesota’s Medicaid program, Medical Assistance (MA), covers mental health case management for adults with serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI). Only these groups are eligible for mental health case management.

            To qualify, an adult must have one of the following:

            • Had two or more hospital (inpatient) stays for their mental illness within the past 24 months, or
            • Experienced a continuous psychiatric hospitalization or residential treatment stay of more than six months within the past year, or
            • Recurring psychiatric symptoms with limited personal resources, or
            • A diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, or borderline personality disorder, combined with functional impairment that could lead to inpatient or residential treatment, or
            • A civil commitment by a Minnesota court as a person who is mentally ill, within the past three years.

            The diagnostic assessment must have been completed within the previous 180 days. A new diagnostic assessment is required every 36 months to determine you continue to qualify.

            Can Minnesota Mental Health Case Management Be Provided Online?

            Yes, Minnesota allows mental health case management for adults to be delivered remotely.

            Interactive video (ITV) is real-time, two-way audio and visual communication, similar to a video call, that meets the same standards as an in-person visit. ITV contact counts the same as a face-to-face meeting for meeting monthly case management requirements.

            Counties and county-contracted AMH-TCM providers can also have contact with an adult client by phone. The phone call can work in place of a face-to-face or ITV visit for up to two consecutive months. However, eventually, an ITV or in-person contact must occur to keep services active.

            That said, providers offering ITV services must have an approved assurance statement on file confirming they meet the state’s video and privacy standards.

            How to Access Mental Health Case Management in Minnesota

            Every Minnesota county has a social services office responsible for mental health case management referrals. You can call and ask to speak with an intake worker.

            If you do not know which county office to contact, Minnesota DHS maintains directories for County Adult Mental Health Teams and county and Tribal Nation offices.[5] DHS also recommends United Way 211 as a way to locate local services. You can dial 211 or 1-800-543-7709 for assistance finding the appropriate local mental health resources.

            To access services, you must have had a diagnostic assessment within the previous 180 days. If you don’t already have one, your county can help you get connected to a mental health clinic.

            Then you fill out a registration form. The county reviews your diagnostic assessment against the state’s criteria and lets you know, in writing, whether you qualify.

            Once approved, you will be assigned a case manager, who will perform a functional assessment and then develop an Individual Community Support Plan for your case.

            It may also be worth noting that most people access these services through Medical Assistance (Minnesota’s Medicaid program).

            Get Mental Health Support at AMFM Mental Health Treatment

            If you’re looking for supportive mental health treatment that includes case management, AMFM Mental Health Treatment (A Mission for Michael) is here for you. We start by ensuring all our clients undergo a thorough diagnostic assessment. Then, our team of expert clinicians personalizes your treatment plan so you can achieve lasting, life-changing outcomes.

            Treatment is rooted in evidence-based therapies and is based around each person’s specific needs. As part of that plan, clients meet with a case manager on a weekly basis, alongside regular one-on-one therapy and psychiatric care.

            We provide an intimate, focused residential mental health treatment experience for adults in home-like settings that are carefully maintained to be peaceful, comfortable spaces. Our Minnesota locations accept insurance and are in-network with many major providers. To check your insurance coverage for mental health care, simply complete our confidential online verification form.

            Call us at 866-478-4383 if you would like to start the admissions process or learn more about how we can support your mental well-being. Our compassionate team is available 24/7 to answer your questions and provide guidance with no obligation.

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            At AMFM, we strive to provide the most up-to-date and accurate medical information based on current best practices, evolving information, and our team’s approach to care. Our aim is that our readers can make informed decisions about their healthcare.

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