Case Manager, Youth Development

About Lifeline Community Services

Lifeline Community Services is a premier nonprofit organization in San Diego County, dedicated to empowering individuals and families to achieve self-reliance and long-term stability. Our diverse service portfolio spans housing, behavioral health, youth development, and anti-human trafficking initiatives, operating across multiple locations.

Position Overview

Under the supervision of the Youth Development Program Manager, utilize a team approach to provide comprehensive case management, counseling and educational services to at-risk youth and their families participating in any Youth Development program. Services include, but are not limited to, in-home support, crisis intervention, counseling, case management, transporting participating youth, and community education and development. The Case Manager uses a wide variety of modalities that exercise discretion and independent judgment in the treatment of children, youth, families, individuals and groups. This professional is expected to function as part of a multi-disciplinary team while making sound, independent decisions for the benefit of the clients and their families. The Case Manager works in a culturally sensitive manner and abides by the legal and ethical standards of the profession.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required

• Possesses advanced knowledge that is primarily intellectual in character and includes exercising discretion and independent judgment.
• Knowledge and familiarity of juvenile justice system, gender specific programming for juvenile females and/or substance abuse assessment and counseling preferred.
• Establish and maintains effective working relationships while showing open mindedness and a collaborative spirit.
• Compatibility with agency purpose, goals, philosophy, and approach. Demonstrates enthusiasm and passion for their work.
• Utilizes a creative approach to problem solving. Interactions with others reflect a spirit of honesty, humbleness, and self-awareness.
• Accepts constructive criticism with a positive attitude and willingness to implement change.
• Ability to work well independently and demonstrate appropriate initiative.
• Must demonstrate knowledge of trauma-informed, client driven, and culturally competent care.

Required Education & Experience

Required Education

• Minimum of Bachelor's Degree in counseling, social work, or related field, with training in child abuse and all other protective issues.

Experience

• Must be able to apply sound judgment, ethics and accountability to formulate and implement in depth assessment, service/case notes, case plans and other documentation.
• Demonstrates the ability to handle stressful and crisis situations tactfully and appropriately.
• Demonstrates strong leadership qualities including, but not limited to, conflict management skills and inter- and intra-agency collaborative skills.
• Case Manager must possess excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Bilingual (Spanish) required.

Specific Activities

• Conduct comprehensive Placement Assessments
• Develop and implement strength-based individual and family case plans
• Provide family focused psycho-education utilizing evidenced based strategies and a trauma-informed approach
• Provide crisis intervention and stabilization
• Case conference in coordination with other mental health professionals including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and others involved with the youth/family
• Consult and coordinate with other community providers to whom the youth has been referred, facilitate relationships between the youth's school and outside service providers, and advocate on behalf of the youth and family with other entities as needed.
• Provide transportation to and from necessary locations for participating youth
• Assist and coordinate fieldtrips and outings
• Adapt to flexible schedule which will include working evenings and occasional weekends
• Advocate, mentor and role-model skills for families such as discipline, communication and general life skills
• Facilitate or co-facilitate specific groups as necessary, e.g. parenting class, decision-making, substance abuse, anger management and life skills
• Provide educational counseling to encourage school attendance, assist families with the Individual Educational Plan (IEP) process and provide referrals to tutoring as needed
• Assist in career guidance, job skills and job placement for youth as needed
• Provide assistance with community resources through advocacy, information and direct connections
• Receive referrals from and provide progress reports to Juvenile Court, Juvenile Probation and Law Enforcement, schools, and community entities as needed
• Maintain communication regarding status and progress of referrals with all referring parties in a timely manner
• Help develop and maintain systems and procedures that encourage and support a multi-disciplinary service model that ensures timely and appropriate critical core services of: information and outreach to the community, assessment, referral and follow-up, case coordination and management, home visiting, rapid response to crisis, drug and alcohol counseling.
• Participate in all required department meetings and trainings as requested by Management
• Maintain necessary client records and statistics, and submit timely monthly and weekly reports and enter all data monthly into ETO.
• Participate in case supervision and program evaluation
• Participate in quality assurance review
• Provide administrative duties and meet all contract requirements
• Knowledge of and respect for diverse cultures
• Other duties as assigned

Why Join lifeline?

Comprehensive Benefits:

• Competitive compensation and full employer paid benefits package, including:
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Employee Assistance Plan (EAP).
• Paid parental and bereavement leave of up to 80 hours for qualifying events.
• Generous paid time off and hybrid work flexibility to support work-life balance.
• Mileage reimbursement of $0.70 cents per mile, if using company vehicle for business.

Professional Growth Opportunities:

• Access to training programs and leadership development resources.
• Opportunities to contribute to innovative programs and initiatives that make a tangible difference.

Physical Demands

Work is performed primarily in a standard office environment. Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in an office setting; to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time; to occasionally stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, and twist; to lift, carry, push, and/or pull light to moderate amount of weight; to operate office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination including use of a computer. Use of personal vehicle during the course of employment required.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

North County Lifeline DBA Lifeline Community Services ("Lifeline") is steadfast in its commitment to ensuring an inclusive workplace where diversity is celebrated and discrimination is not tolerated. We are committed to creating a workplace where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to bring their best selves to work. We adhere to all federal, state, and local laws concerning employment discrimination and provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

In California, we extend these protections to include ancestry, medical condition, genetic characteristics, mental or physical disability (including HIV and AIDS), familial status, citizenship, primary language, immigration status, and age (40 and above) among others, recognizing and valuing the diverse backgrounds and perspectives that all individuals bring to our team.

Lifeline is committed to complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) by providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and by ensuring that our employment practices do not discriminate against any individual.

We believe that diversity fuels innovation and creativity, and we are dedicated to building a team that reflects a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. Lifeline's success is built on a foundation of respect, integrity, and the collective contributions of all our employees.

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. Lifeline expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on any of the protected characteristics mentioned above.

Lifeline's leadership is committed to fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion and ensuring that our employment environment is free from discrimination and harassment. All employees are encouraged to report any instances of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation in violation of this policy to a supervisor, HR representative, or through our reporting email.

By embracing diversity and promoting equality, Lifeline not only complies with all relevant legislation but also creates a richer, more vibrant work environment for all our employees.