Case Management
Manage client cases, case notes, referrals, consent tracking, timelines, and client ID cards for social services in Muin.
Muin’s Case Management module provides a structured system for organizations that deliver direct social services. It tracks client cases from intake through resolution, maintains confidential case notes, manages referrals to partner agencies, records consent for information sharing, and provides a unified timeline of all case activity. Combined with the Client ID system, it creates a complete service delivery record for each individual.
Cases
What is a Case?
A Case is a service engagement record for an individual client. It captures the reason the person is seeking help, the type of service, priority level, who is assigned to manage the case, and how it is resolved. Cases provide accountability and continuity across staff members and time.
Case Dashboard
The dashboard gives case workers a quick summary of their workload:
- My Open Cases: Cases assigned to the current user
- Unassigned Cases: Cases needing a case worker
- High Priority: Urgent cases requiring immediate attention
- Overdue Follow-Ups: Cases with past-due action items
- Recently Closed: Cases resolved in the last 30 days
Navigate to Nonprofit > Cases to see the dashboard.
How to Create a Case
- Navigate to Nonprofit > Cases
- Click New Case
- Enter the case details:
- Client (select the person from the directory)
- Case Type (housing, food assistance, employment, health, education, legal, financial, etc.)
- Priority (low, medium, high, urgent)
- Description of the presenting situation
- Assigned To (case worker responsible)
- Program (optional link to a service program)
- Goals for the case engagement
- Save the case
Case Fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Case Number | Auto-generated unique identifier |
| Client | The person receiving services |
| Case Type | Category of service need |
| Priority | Urgency level (low, medium, high, urgent) |
| Status | Current lifecycle stage |
| Assigned To | Staff member managing the case |
| Description | Narrative of the presenting situation |
| Created Date | When the case was opened |
| Resolution Summary | How the case was resolved (populated at closure) |
Case Lifecycle
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Open | Case is active and being worked |
| In Progress | Services are actively being delivered |
| Pending | Waiting on external action (client documentation, partner response, etc.) |
| Resolved | Service goals achieved, pending final review |
| Closed | Case formally closed with resolution summary |
Closing a Case
- Open the case
- Click Close Case
- Enter a Resolution Summary describing the outcome
- The case status moves to Closed and is timestamped
Reopening a Case
If circumstances change after closure:
- Open the closed case
- Click Reopen
- The case returns to Open status
- A timeline entry records who reopened it and when
Filtering and Searching Cases
Use the case list filters to find records by:
- Status (open, in progress, pending, resolved, closed)
- Priority (low, medium, high, urgent)
- Case type
- Assigned worker
- Client (person)
Case Notes
What are Case Notes?
Case Notes are chronological records of interactions, observations, decisions, and actions related to a case. They form the service delivery narrative and are essential for continuity when cases transfer between workers.
How to Add a Case Note
- Open the case
- Click the Notes tab
- Click Add Note
- Enter the note details:
- Content (the narrative of the interaction or observation)
- Note Type (contact, assessment, plan update, internal, supervisor review)
- Visibility (all staff, case team only, supervisor only)
- Contact Method (in-person, phone, email, text, virtual meeting)
- Save the note
Note Best Practices
- Write notes promptly after each client interaction
- Use objective language and document facts
- Record the client’s own words when relevant (in quotes)
- Note any action items and follow-up dates
- Mark sensitive notes with restricted visibility
Browsing Notes
Notes are displayed chronologically with the most recent first. Use pagination to navigate through longer case histories. Each note shows the author, date, type, and visibility level.
Case Referrals
What are Case Referrals?
Referrals track when a client is connected to an external agency or internal program for additional services. Each referral records where the client was sent, why, the status of the referral, and the outcome.
How to Create a Referral
- Open the case
- Click the Referrals tab
- Click Add Referral
- Enter the referral details:
- Referred To (agency or program name)
- Contact Person and contact information at the receiving agency
- Reason for the referral
- Services Requested (specific services needed)
- Priority and Urgency
- Notes for the receiving agency
- Save the referral
Referral Lifecycle
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Pending | Referral created, not yet sent |
| Sent | Referral communicated to the receiving agency |
| Accepted | Receiving agency confirmed they will serve the client |
| In Progress | Services are being delivered by the receiving agency |
| Completed | Referred services delivered |
| Declined | Receiving agency cannot accept the referral |
Updating a Referral
- Open the referral from the case’s Referrals tab
- Update the status as you receive information from the partner agency
- Add outcome notes when the referral concludes
- All changes are recorded in the case timeline
Case Timeline
What is the Case Timeline?
The Timeline is a unified, chronological view of everything that has happened in a case: creation, status changes, notes added, referrals created and updated, distributions received, and any other case activity. It provides a single stream of events for quick review.
Viewing the Timeline
- Open the case
- Click the Timeline tab
- Scroll through events from newest to oldest
- Each entry shows:
- Timestamp
- Event type (note, referral, status change, distribution, etc.)
- Description of what happened
- Who performed the action
The timeline is read-only and auto-populated from all case activity. There is nothing to configure — it assembles itself from the case’s data.
Person Cases View
Viewing All Cases for a Client
To see every case associated with a specific person:
- Navigate to the person’s profile in the CRM
- Click the Cases tab
- View all cases (past and present) for this individual
- Click any case to open its detail
This is useful for understanding a client’s full service history across programs and time periods.
Consent Tracking
What is Consent Tracking?
Consent Tracking records a client’s authorization (or refusal) for your organization to share their information with other agencies. This is critical for HIPAA, FERPA, and other privacy regulations that govern social service organizations.
Consent Report
Navigate to Nonprofit > Consent Report to view:
- All active consents across your organization
- Which clients have consented to information sharing
- Which agencies are covered by each consent
- Consent expiration dates
- Revoked consents
Consent records are linked to cases and referrals to ensure that information sharing is properly authorized before referrals are made.
Client ID Cards
Linking Cases to Client IDs
Every person in the case management system can have a Client ID card with a unique number and QR code. This ties into the distribution check-in system:
- Open the person’s profile
- If they do not have a client number, click Generate Client ID
- Download and print the ID card as a PDF
- The QR code on the card can be scanned during distribution events and service appointments
For batch generation of client IDs, see the Distributions documentation.
Tips & Best Practices
- Open a case for every service engagement: Even brief interactions benefit from documentation for compliance and continuity
- Assign cases promptly: Unassigned cases can fall through the cracks; review the unassigned queue daily
- Write notes within 24 hours: Timely documentation is more accurate and is required by many funders
- Use referral tracking: Do not just give a client a phone number; create a referral record so you can follow up on outcomes
- Review the timeline before client meetings: The timeline gives you a quick catch-up on everything that has happened in the case
- Verify consent before sharing: Check the consent report before discussing a client with partner agencies
- Close cases with resolution summaries: A good resolution summary helps future workers understand what happened if the client returns
- Use priority levels consistently: Establish organizational definitions for what constitutes low, medium, high, and urgent priority
Common Issues
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Cannot find a case | Check the status filter — closed cases are hidden by default. Also verify you are searching the correct client. |
| Case assigned to wrong worker | Edit the case and change the Assigned To field. The timeline will record the reassignment. |
| Notes not showing for a case | Verify the note visibility setting. Some notes may be restricted to supervisors only. |
| Referral stuck in Pending status | This means the referral was created but not yet communicated. Update the status to Sent after contacting the agency. |
| Timeline missing entries | The timeline aggregates data from notes, referrals, and status changes. If an interaction was not recorded as a note, it will not appear. |
| Cannot close a case | Ensure you provide a resolution summary. Cases cannot be closed without documenting how they were resolved. |
| Client has no ID card | Navigate to the person’s profile and click Generate Client ID. Client numbers are assigned on demand, not automatically. |
Related Features
- Distributions — Distribution records linked to cases for service tracking
- Fundraising — Track donors who fund case management programs
- Volunteer Management — Volunteers who provide case management services
- Grants — Report case outcomes for grant compliance
Need Help?
If you have questions about case management, contact your organization administrator or reach out to Muin support. For guidance on privacy and consent requirements, consult your organization’s compliance officer or legal counsel.