2026 National Case Management Coordination Meeting: Report Summary 2026
The 2026 National Case Management Coordination Meeting was held January 20–23 in Calgary, bringing together case management practitioners, settlement sector organizations, and stakeholders from across Canada under the theme From Policy to Practice: Shaping the Future of Case Management Together. The meeting provided an overview of current Case Management Framework implementation and set the stage for targeted refinements and aligned best practices going forward.
This report summary captures the key consensus points, action items, and priority support needs that emerged across the four days of discussion.
Key Consensus Points
Participants reached broad agreement on the program’s core principles: the Framework guiding service provider organizations is client-centred; coordination and continuity are essential to effective settlement support; and consistency in service orientation is required to support equitable access and positive client outcomes.
Several persistent challenges emerged consistently across discussions. Client journeys are not linear — pathways are often crisis-driven and progress is iterative, and the Framework must better reflect this reality in both service delivery and client experience. Definitions and categories lack sufficient nuance, with needs complexity evolving faster than the Framework can accommodate. Eligibility assessments must be intersectional, applying GBA Plus principles and culture- and trauma-informed approaches to ensure the right service reaches every eligible newcomer at the right time. Staff also require structured support, with targeted training and ongoing professional development essential to both reliable service delivery and practitioner wellbeing.
On recommendations, participants agreed that clarifying key concepts and requirements is essential to building a sustainable program; that streamlining processes — including duplicate assessments and overlapping reporting requirements — will improve sector efficiency and client outcomes; that strengthening coordination will prevent siloed approaches and competing interests that jeopardize service delivery; and that professionalizing case management through formal training and recognition, including professional certification, is necessary to build a sustainable system.
Path Forward
Discussions produced a set of concrete action items across three areas.
Reference documentation priorities include further defining key concepts such as “Case” and “High Needs” to better reflect operational realities and improve service delivery consistency; establishing clear guidelines for iCARE data entry to capture day-to-day case management realities and inform future policy refinements; and documenting what is working well to give the sector a shared foundation to build from across regions.
Tools and framework development priorities include standardized high-level guidelines and templates covering referral protocols, needs categorization, and settlement plan frameworks; a comprehensive case management reference guide to support orientation for both new and experienced service provider organizations; and an information transfer system enabling client information to move between providers in order to close service gaps, reduce client retraumatization, and reduce unnecessary administrative burden.
Two priority support areas were identified as essential to achieving reliable service delivery. Capacity building through training in case management fundamentals and ongoing professional development will reinforce practitioner expertise and support the sharing of learnings across the sector. Coordination support through peer learning events, communities of practice, and intersectoral conferences was recognized as a key mechanism for bridging gaps between providers and fostering a more cohesive national approach.
Conclusion
The 2026 National Case Management Coordination Meeting reflected a shared interest in strengthening case management approaches across Canada’s settlement sector. Sector organizations expressed broad alignment with client-centred service principles, coordinated delivery, and equitable access, while identifying meaningful opportunities to better reflect the complexity of client journeys in practice. Continued engagement, knowledge exchange, and collaborative learning will support efforts to enhance consistency, service quality, and client outcomes over time.