Neurodivergent-Affirming Case Management Support
Sometimes We All Need a Little Support by Sebastian Harton
In today's culture, there is a LOT of pressure for everyone to be completely independent. Tasks like calling the doctor, knowing how to make and keep friends, cleaning your room, and practicing self-care are associated with executive function and are commonly understood as things we should just be able to do. Sure, independence is great, but things get in the way of that! Stress, anxiety, or just a lack of knowledge can make it hard for people to manage daily tasks without feeling overwhelmed. Complete independence is even harder for neurodivergent folks. This could be due to a late or recent diagnosis, or to a diagnosis that changes how you see yourself. Some examples of executive functioning tasks that neurodivergent folks may struggle with include starting and completing tasks, time management, and more. Never fear, dear reader, because Roll for Wellness is here, and we want to help everyone get personalized support without shame.
What Does Support Look Like for Neurodivergent Folks?
We want to provide support tailored to each person’s individual challenges. When we think about the kinds of support neurodivergent people might need, we think about what we can make easier, automate, and integrate into a system. Basically, we want to take the scary, the complicated, and the irritating OUT of help-seeking. We can provide practical support, like help finding and scheduling an appointment; relational support, like thinking through your goals for relationships and the skills you need for a healthy relationship; or systems-based support, like how to handle tasks like brushing your teeth or making sure your laundry is done. Support for neurodivergent adults can help with:
Starting a Task
Organizing an important project
Planning the best way to get your to-do list done
Weighing the pros and cons of a decision
Checking in and labeling your feelings towards a situation
Managing sensory information and learning ways to accommodate yourself
Navigating healthcare systems
What Case Management Is (and Why It Can Be Helpful)
Case management is a meeting in which you talk to someone who helps you set goals, manage systems, and build skills to reach your goals. Essentially, case management is a collaboration between you (the client) and the case manager (Giardno & De Jesus, 2023).
Case management support can help with:
Breaking down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable parts
Identifying available resources
Navigating available resources
Reducing overwhelm
Creating a safe space, free from judgment
Building skillsets that make future tasks easier
Examples:
Finding affordable services (doctor, therapist, educational advising, coaching, etc.)
Organizing next steps
Identifying barriers and workarounds
At Roll for Wellness, we specialize in supporting Autistic, ADHD, C-PTSD folks, and more, as we train our interns and associate therapists to provide neurodivergent, LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and kink-aware services. We are training our MSW (Master of Social Work) interns not only to provide therapy services but also to offer other sources of healing (enter: Case Management!). Neurodivergent-Affirming Case Management means that we are focused on the goals that you set and understand that those goals may look different than the “shoulds” that you’ve been told by other people. You may need the tools and systems that haven’t been available to you. Skills you’ve never even considered (or that come so effortlessly to others that they go unmentioned in most settings) might be the things that help you the most. We are here to help you figure it out, whether that means helping you find a therapist who understands that you’re not lazy or lacking motivation, helping you find a job prospect that is going to honor your gender identity, or simply strategizing ways in which you are going to let yourself have more fun!
Referral Support Services- You Don’t Need to Search Alone
Many aspects of finding the resources you need can feel overwhelming: finding healthcare providers, navigating insurance plans, suffering from mismatch fatigue, and getting burned out from constantly advocating for yourself (it’s kind of tiring even reading that, no?). That is (partially) what case management is for! At Roll for Wellness, you don’t need to search alone. You tell us what resources/services you want/need, and you can trust that we will identify those resources and make connecting with them as easy as possible. This is a collaborative effort. Clients and case managers are a team! Further, case managers are not just going to find available resources for you. At Roll for Wellness, we want to find the right fit for you (centering respect and accessibility over solely availability). We want to empower you to ask for what you need. Meetings can be one-time or ongoing to help you meet your goals.
Referral support at Roll for Wellness helps connect people to:
Community resources
Medical providers
Educational or vocational supports
And whatever other supports you need in your life
Free Self-Care Plans- Care That Meets You Where You Are
Many people define self-care as being reliant on self-control and self-reliance to maintain optimal well-being (Martinez et al., 2021). However, at Roll for Wellness, we understand that neurodivergent self-care looks different from neurotypical self-care. You should not be expected to do it on your own! Not only is self-care planning at Roll for Wellness totally free and accessible (just make an appointment), it is sustainable, non-aesthetic, and personalized. Self-care means different things to different people, and we are dedicated to finding out what it means to you.
Free self-care planning at Roll for Wellness can look like:
Energy-based planning
Sensory-aware strategies
Low-spoon options
Permission to rest
You Don’t Need a Diagnosis to Deserve Support- Demystifying Help-Seeking
There are far too many pesky myths about help-seeking, including that asking for help makes you weak, that you have done something wrong if you find yourself needing help, that help-seeking is synonymous with crisis, and that something like case management support requires an official diagnosis. At Roll for Wellness, we believe in combating this unhelpful messaging surrounding support, in no uncertain terms:
Asking for help is not a weakness- it is brave to love yourself enough to realize you need help, let alone be courageous enough to ask for it.
Support is care, not correction- you have done nothing wrong! Everyone needs support sometimes.
Care does not equal crisis- just because you need support does not mean you are actively in crisis. There might be very little wrong with your day-to-day life, and that’s ok! It is normal to need help when you are generally alright.
Support does not start with a diagnosis- too often, neurodivergent folks’ experiences are medicalized. Roll for Wellness’ support services are non-prescriptive, and we are not here to diagnose you. There is nothing wrong with you. The goal is not to find a reason why you need support; the goal is to get you the support you need.
We strive to normalize self-identifying your needs (knowing yourself deeply), leaning into your natural curiosity (about yourself, the world, etc.), and seeking preventive care (getting the support you need before small issues become a crisis). These ideals all align deeply with the core values of Roll for Wellness:
Authenticity
Connection
Understanding
Creativity
Who Can Benefit From This Type of Support?
At Roll for Wellness, you don’t ever need to justify your need for care. We are here to help. Even though our case management support is intentionally designed with neurodivergent folks (diagnosed or self-identified) in mind, it is available to anyone who needs it! If you are a caregiver who is burned out and needs some help, we are here for you. If you are neurotypical but still overwhelmed by help-seeking systems, we are here for you. If you are simply new to navigating those tricky systems and need some help getting started, we are here for you. None of these apply to you? You guessed it - we are still here for you.
How Roll for Wellness Approaches Support Differently
While Roll for Wellness offers therapy (individual, couple, sex, and group), case management is an additional service that connects you with the resources you need. Many times, there isn’t enough time in therapy sessions to go through logistics or just practice the mindfulness skill you keep putting off. Case management gives you space and support to get the help you need. While case management is often available only through a hospital or substance-use treatment center, our low-barrier case management support is extremely accessible to anyone who needs it, at any time! There is no cost, remote sessions are extremely convenient for everyone’s busy schedules, and no diagnosis is required to receive help.
Besides being practical and compassionate, our case management support is also totally flexible. Every client benefits from different types of support, and we are able and ready to adapt to your specific needs. Much like the support Roll for Wellness provides through therapy, our case management support is client-led, specialized, and collaborative, always focusing on autonomy. Our case management support is both highly trauma-informed and empowering, acknowledging the past and present struggles of our clients, while creating a motivational, empathetic, and realistically optimistic foundation on which to build a future where clients feel seen, advocated for, motivated, and supported. Our goal is to provide reliable, consistent support to clients through regularly scheduled case management sessions and check-ins. The first session is only the beginning of your journey with Neurodivergent-Affirming Case Management Support at Roll for Wellness!
**While our services are free, we always accept donations to help us continue providing free services and community events.
Links- Get Started Whenever You’re Ready!
“Get Started” or Contact Page: https://www.rollforwellness.com/contact
Case Management Support Services: https://www.rollforwellness.com/case-management
Additional Resource Page: https://www.rollforwellness.com/resources
Nerodivergent-Affirming Content:
-“How I Practice Self-Care as an Autistic Person”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L6bFnDjhxw
-“Self-Care Hacks That ACTUALLY Work for Autistic People”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW7ntnd6IAs&t=653s
-“Why Autistics and ADHDers NEED Routines- and How To Build Your Own”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0QeofT0_qg&t=115s
References
Giardino, A.P., & De Jesus, O. (2023, August 14).Case management. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562214/
Martínez, N., Connelly, C. D., Pérez, A., & Calero, P. (2021). Self-care: A concept analysis. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 8(4), 418–425. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2021.08.007