Tailored Care Management Service Provides Healing and Hope

Monarch Tailored Care Management Manager Amy Eisenman, left, stands outside of Monarch offices in Wake County with person supported Shina Theimer.

Shina Theimer is proud of the progress she has made while receiving Tailored Care Management services from Monarch.

She thought drinking heavily and sleeping days away would help numb the pain and depression she was feeling. It didn’t and she wasn’t sure where to turn. Her world was crumbling.

Today, Shina, a resident of Raleigh, receives care from Medicaid’s Tailored Care Management (TCM) service delivered through Monarch. Her smile and disposition are bright. She is motivated when she talks about her current job opportunities and genuinely enjoying life.

In April 2021, she was part of the TCM pilot program that launched in North Carolina and continues receiving services today through Monarch’s Wake TCM team which includes Care Manager Amy Eisenman.

“Now, I look forward to each day. The fact that I have another day and who knows what I can do with it?” she says eagerly. She values the strong support she receives from her husband, her 16-year-old daughter and Amy, who coordinates her TCM care. She especially wants to be a role model for her daughter by continuing treatment for alcohol use disorder, depression and connecting with supports to assist with autism disorder.

TCM is a Medicaid service where Care Managers coordinate all aspects of care for people with mental illness and/or an intellectual development disability to improve their well-being and quality of life. At Monarch, TCM Care Managers and Extenders create wellness plans for people who need support. Amy explains that people who receive services are referred through Managed Care Organizations (MCOs).

As a Care Manager, Amy focuses on care coordination which can include communication with a member’s care team including medication management providers, physicians, pharmacists and hospital social workers.

Shina describes her Care Manager Amy and the TCM service provided in stark honesty: “You are lifesaving. You are saving lives and our children have a chance. My daughter does not have a drunk for a mom anymore.”

The pair has worked together to achieve goals such as working to find a therapist that fits Shina’s needs; overcoming employment obstacles; and resolving transportation issues. Shina knows she can count on Amy to assist with information or resources available in her community.

Finding the appropriate resources for individuals in need can sometimes be difficult, Amy notes, especially with affordable housing for people who are homeless. She says getting out into the community and seeing the area from the perspective of the people she serves helps identify solutions.

Positive changes that Amy sees in Shina include a growth in confidence, the ability to find employment and continued sobriety. “I am proud of her, and more importantly she is proud of herself,” Amy observes.

Amy believes that Shina’s future is bright with the steps she is taking and the healing that is occurring. “My hope for Shina is to find employment that she is content with, brings her fulfillment, meets the needs of her personality and is a good fit for her . . . it seems everything is falling into shape for her,” she says.

Shina is active in her own recovery, researching information that helps in her healing process: “Amy is like having an insider or anchor. She has been more helpful than anyone I have ever worked with, and I am grateful she chose this kind of work.”

How does Shina see her future? “Employment is a big thing, maintaining my sobriety and being self-motivated and staying on task . . . I know myself better now.”

For more information about TCM, please visit here or call Monarch at (866) 272-7826.- Watch a video to learn about Shina’s experience with Tailored Care Management services through Monarch by clicking below or visiting Monarch’s YouTube channel here.