Care Manager I / Lead Care Manager I (JCM)

Job Description

Job Description

Join Alliance for Community Empowerment (ACE) as a Lead Care Manager and play a critical role in supporting justice-involved individuals as they reintegrate into their communities. Through intensive care management, advocacy, and participant-centered coordination, Lead Care Managers help individuals overcome barriers, improve health outcomes, access housing and essential services, and achieve long-term stability and well-being.

The Lead Care Manager (LCM) serves as the primary point of contact for participants enrolled in the JCOD Care Management (JCM) Program, including those receiving Enhanced Care Management (ECM) services. Using a whole-person, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and strengths-based approach, the LCM delivers intensive care management services that support successful reentry, housing stability, improved health outcomes, and reduced recidivism.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Conduct community-based outreach and engagement to identify, locate, and enroll eligible justice-involved individuals.
• Support participants transitioning from incarceration and other institutional settings, including coordinating pre-release planning, warm handoffs with jail-based and CDCR care managers, and immediate post-release connection to services.
• Perform holistic, person-centered comprehensive assessments to identify participants' physical health, behavioral health, social service, and other support needs.
• Develop, implement, and regularly update individualized Care Management Plans with SMART goals in collaboration with each participant.
• Serve as the single point of contact for participants, coordinating care across medical, behavioral health, social service, correctional systems, and Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans (MCPs).
• Provide field-based services, accompany participants to critical appointments, coordinate transportation, and deliver hands-on support to ensure timely access to needed services.
• Advocate for participants and assist them in navigating complex service systems.
• Connect participants to community resources addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), including housing, employment, benefits enrollment, legal assistance, and transportation.
• Educate and empower participants, family members, and natural supports to actively participate in care planning and self-management.
• Manage a caseload of up to 30 participants, maintain a minimum of four (4) hours of care management contact per participant per month including at least one face-to-face visit every two weeks, and monitor progress toward care plan goals.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of all services, referrals, and case notes in the JCOD Care Management System (CMS) and ACE internal EHR system.
• Ensure compliance with HIPAA, program requirements, agency policies, and documentation standards.
• Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings, case conferences, mandatory trainings, bi-weekly County check-ins, Quarterly Learning Communities, and quality improvement activities.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of intensive care management principles including person-centered, trauma-informed, strength-based, harm reduction, and restorative justice approaches.
• Knowledge of the justice system, reentry challenges, and the unique needs of justice-involved individuals during community reintegration.
• Knowledge of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), Medi-Cal/ECM eligibility, Managed Care Plan (MCP) requirements, and community-based resources.
• Ability to conduct comprehensive assessments, develop individualized care plans, and coordinate services across medical, behavioral health, housing, and social service systems.
• Ability to build trusting relationships with justice-involved individuals using motivational interviewing, harm reduction, and other evidence-based engagement approaches.
• Ability to deliver culturally responsive, participant-centered, and equity-focused services that reflect participants' backgrounds and lived experiences.
• Ability to work independently in community-based settings while maintaining effective communication with multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong advocacy, problem-solving, organizational, and case management skills with the ability to respond promptly to urgent and court-ordered referrals.
• Excellent verbal, written, interpersonal, and documentation skills; bilingual ability may be beneficial.
• Proficiency in electronic case management systems, Microsoft Office Suite, and other technology platforms.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and comply with HIPAA and applicable privacy laws.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to work in office, community, healthcare, correctional, and residential settings.
• Ability to sit, stand, walk, bend, and lift up to 15 pounds.
• Ability to maintain accurate and timely documentation using electronic case management systems.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience as a Community Health Worker (CHW) or Peer Support Specialist (PSS) required; PSS applicants must hold or be eligible for certification through the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA).
• Minimum two (2) years of experience providing intensive case management, care coordination, reentry services, or related human services to justice-involved, reentry, or underserved populations.
• Experience working with individuals with complex needs, including co-occurring behavioral health conditions, chronic physical health conditions, housing instability, and involvement in multiple service systems.
• Lived experience with incarceration and/or justice system involvement is highly valued and consistent with the program model.
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.
• Must not appear on any applicable Provider Exclusion Lists (for ECM service delivery), including the Medi-Cal List of Suspended and Ineligible Providers and the DHHS OIG exclusion list
• Valid California Driver's License, proof of automobile insurance, reliable transportation, and ability to travel throughout Los Angeles County.
• Successful completion of required background clearance and TB screening.

The anticipated pay range for candidates who will work in California is $28.85 to $30.45 hourly.  The offered pay to a successful candidate will be dependent on several factors that may include but are not limited to years of experience within the job, years of experience within the required industry, education, etc.

Alliance for Community Empowerment provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.