Case Manager I, II or III

Description

Lutheran Social Services of Southern California began in December 1944 when a group of Lutheran congregations in San Diego came together to discuss how to better assist families in need. They began discussing how to form a Welfare Commission. Their vision expanded when they came together with another group of Lutheran congregations in Los Angeles having the very same conversation. Lutheran Social Services of Southern California was officially incorporated in 1946 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit social service agency. The mission has stayed true to its earliest beginnings, to be a servant to those in need. Today LSSSC serves thousands of individuals and families throughout Southern California with over forty-five (45) programs/services at 18 locations. We are part of the Lutheran Services in America (LSA) network and strive to serve those in need with dignity and respect.

Lutheran Social Services of Southern California’s Mission: Ignited by faith, we live out God’s love by embracing, equipping, and empowering vulnerable individuals, families, and communities toward self-sufficiency.

Job Summary: The case manager works to coordinate community-based services customized to individual needs. Case management is a collaborative process required to meet the client’s recovery, mental health, medical health, and human services needs. The case manager is responsible for assisting individuals and families experiencing homelessness in obtaining placement in interim housing (emergency shelter), transitional housing, and finding housing through Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) or other applicable services. For RRH, the position will collaborate diligently with individuals and families with low-come to prevent or end homelessness by focusing on one-time and short-term financial assistance through Homeless Housing Assistance Prevention (HHAP) services. The case manager will work with program participants to eliminate barriers to housing stability, including obtaining employment, increasing income, financial literacy, household budgeting, addressing mental/physical health, providing, or linking to resources for transportation, childcare, legal, and other needs. The case manager will utilize strength based intensive case management, advocacy, landlord mediation and outreach to promote self-sufficiency and community engagement. The case manager will manage multiple cases at once, build on the strengths of participants, develop person-centered service plans, facilitate groups, and connect participants with needed resources and services. Creative problem-solving, careful record-keeping and strong community/landlord linkages and relationship will be key.

Requirements

Essential Duties and Responsibilities for Case Manager I, II, and III include the following:

· Review scope of work requirements for each program assigned by Program Coordinator.

· Fulfill program or contract requirement as outlined in contract or as directed by Program Coordinator.

· Screen, assess eligibility for services, verify client needs, and conduct intakes for prospective participants.

· Collaborate with the participants to develop a strength-based individualized Service Support Plan, ISSP, and safety plan to address holistic health and service needs. 

· Provide case management services to all clients as needed and in accordance with policies and procedures, including but not limited to intake, assessment, care planning, linkage, transportation, and consultation to resources in the community.

· Complete Reverse Referral and Community Que Referrals in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) system when applicable. 

· Serve clients and community with empathy and awareness of appropriate boundaries.

· Ensure clients maintain eligibility for services.

· Locate suitable Rapid Rehousing (RRH) housing options.

· Ensure participants possess basic life and home care skills.

· Prepare program participants for eventual self-sufficiency by assisting clients with obtaining social security cards, birth certificate, California Identification card, and/or income verification forms.

· Teach budgeting and financial literacy skills.

· Build connections with potential employers and training programs.

· Prepare participants for job interviews; assist with building a resume. 

· Ensure the client has regular contact with their primary care provider and can access and maintain medical insurance/assistance.

· Facilitate groups that promote money management, tenant education, and referrals that promote permanent housing and self-sufficiency in the future.

· Monitor and track charts monthly for service provision. Provide follow up for charts not in compliance.

· Document client services, program activity, including prescreens, eligibility, intakes, financial assistance, housing search, applications, landlord mediations and linkage and consultation within 24 hours of proving the service.

· Identify participant strengths and barriers (poor credit history, prior evictions, income standards, and deposit challenges) to stability.

· Ensure client charts are locked in the appropriate file cabinet in the office and transported in a lockbox when not in use.

· Complete and submit incident reports within 24 hours.

· Notify the Site Director and/or other management team managers of all clients, staff, and/or program issues or concerns.

· Follow HIPAA rules and regulations for compliance and confidentiality.

· Attend all meetings, training, and supervision appointments as scheduled.

· Login to Paylocity daily to input time worked, submit time-off requests, and approve timecards. 

· Provide client service information monthly for billing. 

· Assist the SBCWC management team with interviewing, selecting, and training participants for the Helping Our Peers Evolve (HOPE) program.

· Other duties as assigned. 

Additional Duties and Responsibilities for Case Manager II

· Knowledge in Housing First and Trauma Informed Practices.

· Provide back-up for other staff members as needed.

· Assist with serving food when needed.

· Conduct peer review chart audits. Report findings to the Site Director and compliance representatives.

· Distribute and collect client satisfactory surveys. 

· Collaborate with participants to locate, secure or maintain appropriate housing; assist with landlord negotiations and mediations (pre and post housing), rental applications, and leases when needed; advocate with landlords for prospective tenants.

· Develop, teach, utilize, and maintain a network of resources and referrals appropriate for clients. 

Represent LSSSC in the community by scheduling meetings to present information to landlords and community organizations to educate them about interim housing (emergency shelter), Rapid Rehousing (RRH), and   

· transitional housing related services.

· Schedule visits for service providers and guest speakers.

· Provide De-Escalation and Crisis Intervention with clients.

· Assist in training volunteers, colleagues, and interns.

· Provide trauma informed and peer-based bi-monthly street outreaches in the community and encampment areas in the Central Valley Region.

· Locate suitable RRH housing options.

· Locate landlords with residents in need of HP services.

· Build relationships and connections with landlords.

· Serve as a landlord liaison to help mitigate any issues that arise with tenants.

· Collaborate with tenants and landlords to solve issues and prevent evictions. 

· Develop a referral network of services and supports that assist with housing retention, including linkages for warm handoffs to specialists in debt counseling, consolidation, legal services, employment, transportation, food, hygiene, childcare, social service benefits, substance use issues, mental health, medical care, HIV specialized care, etc.

· Track, with guidance, the HOPE (Helping Our Peers Evolve) participants points.

· Other duties as assigned.

Additional Duties and Responsibilities for Case Manager III

· Coach and train new hires, Case Managers I & II Site Monitors, Cooks, and other paraprofessionals.

· Facilitate groups that include clinical and behavioral interventions (motivational interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral. 

· Monitor groups facilitated by Peer Support Specialist and HOPE (Helping Our Peers Evolve) participants for appropriateness and to assist as needed.

· Lead weekly department meetings for Program Manager or Coordinator as needed.

· Attend local committee meetings as an LSSSC representative.

· Provide monthly program reports, progress assessments on transitions to transitional or permanent housing, employment, and self-sufficiency goals to the supervisor.

· Conducts post-housing home visits to provide housing counseling and education, and to ensure compliance with lease and program agreements. 

· Perform benefits and housing maintenance counseling. 

· Assist with monthly billing and statistic reports.

· Create and maintain Internal databases and client rosters. 

· Complete quarterly department internal audits.

· Other duties may be assigned.

Qualifications and Experience

Education and Experience Requirements for CS I: Requires a High School diploma and a minimum of 2 years of experience or a bachelor’s degree with no previous experience providing case management services. 

Education and Experience Requirements for CS II: Requires a High School Diploma with a minimum of 4 years’ experience or a bachelor’s degree with 2 years of experience with case management services with vulnerable and/or disabled population specifically the chronically homeless, mental health and/or substance abuse population. 

Education and Experience Requirements for CS III: High School Diploma with 6 years of experience or a bachelor’s degree with 3 years of experience or a master’s degree in social work or related field with internship plus six or more months experience in Case management services with vulnerable and/or disabled population specifically the chronically homeless, mental health and/or substance abuse population.  

Interpersonal - Focuses on solving conflict, not blaming; Maintains confidentiality; Listens to others without interrupting; Keeps emotions under control; Remains open to others' ideas and tries new things.

Oral Communication - Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations; Listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Demonstrates group presentation skills; Participates in meetings.

Teamwork - Balances team and individual responsibilities; Exhibits objectivity and openness to others' views; Gives and welcomes feedback; Contributes to building a positive team spirit; Puts success of team above own interests; Able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; Supports everyone's efforts to succeed; Recognizes accomplishments of other team members. 

Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Varies writing style to meet needs; Able to read and interpret written information.

Cost Consciousness - Works within approved budget; Develops and implements cost saving measures; Conserves organizational resources. 

Ethics - Works with integrity and ethically; Upholds organizational values. Follow the organization’s policies and procedures and avoid involvement in activities that are conflict of interest.

Innovation - Displays original thinking and creativity; Meets challenges with resourcefulness; Generates suggestions for improving work; Develops innovative approaches and ideas; Presents ideas and information in a manner that gets others' attention. 

Judgment - Displays willingness to make decisions; Exhibits sound and accurate judgment; Supports and explains reasoning for decisions; Includes appropriate people in decision-making process; Makes timely decisions.

Language Ability: Must read, speak, and write fluent English. 

Communication: Must be able to communicate clearly and effectively with clients and staff. 

Math Ability: Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide into all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percentage and to draw and interpret bar graphs. 

Reasoning Ability: Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations. 

Computer Skills: To perform this job successfully, an individual should have knowledge of Word Processing software and Spreadsheet software.

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; use hands and fingers to handle or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear.