Social work case management software helps organize data, better manage clients, and comply with regulations. We selected the top options for all types of social workers based on our advanced review methodology.
- SimplePractice: Best Overall
- TheraNest: Best for Mental Health Practices
- Bonterra: Best for Nonprofits
- Carepatron: Best for Solo Practices
- CharityTracker: Best for Healthcare Social Workers
- CaseWorthy: Best for Public Sector Agencies
- Noteable: Best for ABA Service Providers
1 SimplePractice - Best Overall
Why We Chose It: SimplePractice is an EHR software that works well for all different types of social workers and health agencies. Our 8.7 score reflects its comprehensive features that streamline the entire patient process, from scheduling appointments to billing. Specifically, workers can enroll clients in AutoPay, allowing them to pay from the client portal. This feature helps social workers get paid faster and on time, which is essential for private practices.
We also found its documentation module effective for social workers. Its client management feature allows users to review clinical histories and leave notes on progress, assessments, and diagnoses. This helps social workers keep detailed records of their clients, ensuring no information gets lost.
SimplePractice offers unlimited users, a mobile app, and live customer support for all plans, including the base Starter package at $29/month. However, users must upgrade to the $69/month Essential plan for analytics and custom treatment plans.
2 TheraNest - Best for Mental Health Practices
Why We Chose It: We gave TheraNest an 8.6 because of its strong case management features ideal for mental health social workers. The software’s streamlined note-taking allows for easy progress, assessment, and treatment notes to track client stages effectively. It’s also DSM 5 ready, so users can easily diagnose clients using pre-selected codes to ensure accuracy.
We also found its communication tools effective for solo social workers. Its client portal features customizable intake templates, HIPAA compliance, and calendar integration for easy scheduling. Clients can update their information like insurance directly from the portal, ensuring their data is up to date.
TheraNest is priced per client, with its lowest price being $39/month for up to 30 clients. We like that its feature set is consistent no matter how many clients users have, making the lowest-tiered plan a good value for medium-sized practices. However, we don’t like that the appointment reminders feature costs extra.
3 Bonterra - Best for Nonprofits
Why We Chose It: We found Bonterra best suited to nonprofit organizations’ needs. The system helps social workers manage several cases simultaneously, with features like task assignment and workflow automation to increase efficiency. It also syncs multiple programs and clients into a single platform to further organize tasks and information for social workers.
Bonterra’s reporting and insights module is effective for nonprofit social workers. We like its standardized report generation that ensures compliance with HIPAA and PIPEDA regulations, which is crucial for patient information security. The system offers direct appointment booking into its built-in synced calendar, ideal for social workers with multiple daily meetings. However, one drawback of Bonterra is its pricing information is unavailable, so organizations must request a quote. Overall, we give Bonterra an 8.3 for social work case management.
4 Carepatron - Best for Solo Practices
Why We Chose It: We found Carepatron best for freelance social workers in the healthcare sector because of its strong modules and affordable price. Its customizable billing feature is effective for solo practitioners because of its security, invoice templates, and schedule that ensures they receive payments on time. Users can access information from desktop or mobile devices, so freelancers who are constantly on the go can still retrieve documentation and fill out client notes.
Carepatron offers a free Starter plan, ideal for solo social workers just starting out. We like this plan because it includes many essential features, such as a client portal, appointment reminders, clinical notes, and integrated online payments. However, the downside is that it only has 1GB of storage, so users exceeding this limit will have to upgrade to the Professional plan at $12/month.
5 CharityTracker - Best for Healthcare Social Workers
Why We Chose It: We like CharityTracker because it offers an optimized case management solution for healthcare providers of all sizes. It includes collaboration tools through its partner network, so users can easily refer clients to different agencies and programs. This gets clients where they need to be faster while ensuring they receive the proper care.
We also found CharityTracker’s reporting capabilities noteworthy. Healthcare social workers can measure patient impact by tracking outcomes like health improvement, cost savings, and patient satisfaction, which can be relayed to funders to show positive results. The system is HIPAA compliant and data secure, so hospitals can ensure patient information won’t be compromised.
The Basic plan is $20/month/user and includes reporting and general case management features. However, we don’t like that outcome tracking is only available on the Plus plan at $40/user/month.
6 CaseWorthy - Best for Public Sector Agencies
Why We Chose It: After demoing the product, we found CaseWorthy best for public sector agencies because of its ability to support multiple community programs. We like the customization options within its form builder, which ensure that every document, such as intake and assessment forms, meets organizational requirements. It also offers customizable dashboards for progress tracking and metric analysis.
CaseWorthy’s client portal is also effective, allowing community members to complete intakes, sign documents, and communicate with social workers directly. This is essential for public sector agencies with large communities to ensure that every client receives personal communication and efficient care. Because of its extensive features, we recommend CaseWorthy for public sector organizations with large data inputs and several social workers on staff.
7 Noteable - Best for ABA Service Providers
Why We Chose It: We found Noteable best for ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) service providers because of its industry-specific features. Specifically, we like its ABA data suite, which offers advanced graphing, analysis, and a mobile data collection app. This allows therapists to record session data on their phones and look into behavioral data like engagement and event lines, which helps users identify trends. The suite is a free add-on, keeping the software affordable for agencies.
We also found Noteable’s organizational tools effective for optimizing case management. It helps keep track of essential client information such as medications, insurance, and funding authorizations enabling easy data reference. We recommend Noteable for agencies and community organizations, but not freelancers, as the price for the first 10 users is $500/month.
What is Social Work Case Management Software?
Social work case management software is a tool that allows social workers, from freelancers to large teams in organizations, to manage their client cases more efficiently and effectively. It includes features such as report creation, data organization, scheduling, and client notes.
Case management systems are designed for social workers and help those in the public sector, healthcare, behavioral health, and nonprofit organizations. Due to the large amount of sensitive information being processed and stored, the software must be secure from data breaches and compliant with all laws and regulations, such as HIPAA.
Key Features
- Document Organization: Store all documents in one database for easy access and retrieval. This includes intake forms, progress reports, and insurance documentation.
- Case Notes: Add notes on every client throughout all stages of the case. Write updates, diagnoses, and overall progress of the client for reference and thoroughness.
- Scheduling: Manage all appointments and client meetings on a synced calendar. Assign daily tasks to keep track of workflows with multiple clients.
- Reporting and Analytics: Generate reports on key metrics like client satisfaction, demographics, and program outcomes.
- Invoicing and Billing: Send custom electronic invoices to clients. Ensure prompt payment with email or text alerts.
- Compliance: Stay compliant with laws and regulations such as HIPAA and PIPEDA. Retrieve past client notes and diagnoses for audits.
- Client Portal: Allow clients to inspect and sign forms, intake assessments, and surveys. Clients can communicate directly with their social worker.
Primary Benefits
Enhanced Client Management
Case management software allows social workers to better care for their clients. All client information is stored in a centralized, easily accessible database. This is especially useful for social workers handling many complex clients at once. Users can take notes while meeting patients on desktop or mobile devices for detailed tracking and reference. Overall, these systems help social workers diagnose and assess their clients, leading to a better experience for both parties.
Improved Efficiency
Social work case management systems help organizations and agencies become more efficient with tedious workflows. Processes like invoicing, billing, task checklists, and scheduling are automated and streamlined so care providers can give more time to their clients. Client portals are synced with calendars for easy appointment scheduling and follow-up reminders.
Visualize Performance
Social workers can use customizable reporting to visualize analytics like program outcomes and patient demographics. This allows them to identify trends within each case, client satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness. Metrics and trends show users their areas of strength and potential improvement, allowing them to tweak their methods and further improve.
Pricing
Social work case management software can range from $0 to $99/client/month, and there are variations in pricing structures and packages. Many systems, like CharityTracker, offer tiered packages that add more features at additional costs. Others, like TheraNest, offer one package that goes up in price with more clients. Like any software, social work case management systems vary in price depending on how many clients a business has and how many features they need.
