From Theory to Practice: The Skills Lab at the 2026 Case Management Summit 

Published on: March 30, 2026

A NABITA Tip of the Week by Makenzie Schiemann, Ph.D., M.S. 

Now in its sixth year, NABITA’s Case Management Summit offers an even more comprehensive opportunity for case managers to sharpen skills, refine operations, and strengthen one-on-one support for students and employees. One of the most exciting ways this happens is through the Summit Skills Lab, which returns for its second year.  

Out of the Lecture and Into Action 

The Skills Lab is intentionally different from traditional conference sessions. Facilitators provide a brief overview of a specific case management concept, then participants get to work. The goal is simple: participants leave with something tangible they can apply immediately. Two of the labs are tabletop exercises focused on applied case work. The others are operational and task-oriented, such as drafting case management protocols, developing a strategic marketing plan, or applying risk assessment tools in real time.  

The labs build directly on the big-picture topics discussed in Summit sessions. In featured and concurrent sessions, participants learn the philosophy, the standards, and the rationales of case management work. In the Skills Lab, they apply that knowledge in a structured, collaborative, interactive environment. For one hour, participants focus on the topic that best aligns with their needs and leave with practical tools to support their work. 

2026 Summit Skills Lab Topics 

The following Skills Labs will be offered at the 2026 Summit: 

• Case Management Program Audit
  
  In this lab, participants use NABITA’s Standards Assessment Tool to audit a mock case management program and evaluate its alignment with NABITA’s Standards for Case Management. This exercise strengthens evaluative skills and provides a replicable process for assessing programs.  
  
  
• Marketing and Programming 
  
  Participants looking to build a strategic marketing plan that includes website development, marketing materials, and training outlines will engage in guided practice to enhance their education and outreach efforts. 
  
  
• Case Management Program Outcomes Assessment 
  
  In this lab, participants create an assessment plan with well-defined program objectives and a structured framework for measuring success. Participants draft actionable goals and an evaluation plan for their case management program. 
  
  
• Case Studies of Students Exhibiting Potential for Harm to Self or Harm to Others 
  
  This tabletop exercise allows participants to analyze real-world case studies involving students who pose a risk of harm to self or others. Participants apply behavioral intervention and case management strategies to assess risk and formulate response plans.
    
  
• Case Study Risk Assessment 
  
  Using real-life case examples, participants apply NABITA’s Risk Rubric to measure risk levels and determine appropriate intervention strategies, gaining practical experience that sharpens their assessment skills.
  
  
• Standardizing Case Management Operations 
  
  Drawing on NABITA’s Standards for Case Management, participants draft a custom mission statement, scope of services, and outreach plan tailored to their institution. This plan provides greater operational clarity and the foundation for a more standardized protocol manual. 

How the Skills Lab Complements NABITA’s Broad Offerings 

Beyond the Skills Lab, the Case Management Summit is designed specifically as a practical professional development opportunity for case managers or those who engage in direct support services, with opening and closing keynotes that speak directly to the day-to-day work.  

• Opening Keynote: Well-Being is Not a Department: Community-Centered Case Management and the Power of Connection 
  
  Presented by Amber Manning-Ouellette, Ph.D., CCC, this keynote explores how student affairs professionals contribute to risk reduction and well-being by modeling care, strengthening referral pathways, and practicing daily wellness. Manning-Ouellette will examine how power, positionality, and organizational culture influence student engagement and outcomes. 
  
  
• Closing Keynote: Elevating Case Management from Individual Casework to Strategic Support Systems 
  
  Presented by Colleen Sonnentag, Ph.D., this session reframes case management as an intentionally designed infrastructure that supports student needs and advances institutional goals, rather than as a series of one-on-one interactions. Sonnentag invites practitioners to rethink how case management is understood, structured, and valued at their schools and campuses. 

Both keynote speakers are education practitioners with decades of experience supporting students. They will speak directly to the realities of case management and the complexities of modern learning environments. 

Design Your Summit Experience 

The 2026 Case Management Summit offers far more than the Skills Lab. Participants can customize their week to fit professional goals by choosing from the following options: 

• Attend keynotes, featured sessions, concurrent sessions, and Community Conversations. 

• Enroll in Pre- or Post-Summit Training: 
  
  
  • Case Management Standards and Best Practices (June 7-8, 2026) 
     
  • Case Management Support and Interventions (June 7-8, 2026)
      
  • Structured Interview for Violence Risk Assessment (SIVRA) (June 7-8, 2026) 
     
  • Behavioral Intervention Team Standards and Best Practices (June 7-8, 2026) 
     
  • Collaboration and Support: Addressing the Intersection of BIT, Conduct, and Disability Support Workshop (June 11, 2026)
    
    
  • Non-Clinical Assessment of Suicide (NAS) (June 11, 2026)
    
    
  • Strategies for Leading a Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment Team Workshop (June 11, 2026)
    
    
  • Screening Tool for Risk Assessment of Narrative Data (STRAND) (June 11, 2026)  

• Invite your multidisciplinary colleagues doing non-discrimination and civil rights work to attend ATIXA’s Summer Symposium, hosted concurrently in the same venue at the same time as NABITA’s Summit.  

Throughout the week, participants will hear from industry leaders and expert speakers. Few events offer this level of content alongside such an extensive case management community engagement focus.  

If you are ready to move from theory to action, the 2026 Case Management Summit and Skills Lab offer the space, structure, and expertise to make it happen. Register today.