Overview

The Lead Case Manager serves as the senior team member and point of consultation for UP's Case Management team, providing training, guidance, and case consultation to other case managers — particularly on complex housing navigation and landlord situations — while carrying a caseload of clients facing barriers to safe, affordable housing. The Lead Case Manager addresses each client’s unique needs through a trauma-informed, person-centered approach that fosters healing, restores independence, and supports long-term housing stability, while helping ensure consistent, high-quality practice across the team.

Duties & Responsibilities

Case Management:

• Build relationships with clients while enforcing the community agreement, establishing trust and rapport with proven ability to establish and maintain professional boundaries.  
• Assessing client needs, developing individualized care plans using a person-centered and strength-based approach, coordinating referrals to community resources, and monitoring client progress towards their goals. 
• Assist clients in completing all housing related documents, including assistance with housing applications, landlord negotiations, background checks, and move-in support. 
• Transporting or arrangement of transportation that assists clients with needed services to overcome barriers to care.
• Help clients procure and maintain the necessary documentation to become housing ready.
• Assesses clients’ physical, social and emotional needs while doing intakes and all necessary paperwork to ensure confidentiality and agreements for client/agency working relationship. 
• Make referrals and conduct home visits or meet clients in the community, as needed, to provide comprehensive support. 
• Assist clients in obtaining medical and financial entitlements and benefits.
• Work in collaboration with community providers while connecting clients to resources in support of barrier removal and goal setting for sustainable housing. 
• Supports clients in utilizing community resources, developing independent living skills and becoming reintegrated into the community. 
• Identifies gaps in services for people experiencing homelessness and develops program plans to meet those needs. 
• Completes documentation by maintaining thorough and accurate client records, including case notes, service plans, and progress updates, in compliance with agency and funding requirements. 
• Completes necessary record-keeping in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and completes other documentation as required by agency and specific situations. 
• Provides crisis intervention as necessary. 

Housing Navigation:

• Assists clients in finding and successfully securing housing.
• Provides mediation and advocacy with landlords on behalf of the client to develop a workable strategy to secure and maintain housing.
• Ensure that leases, rental assistant programs, walk-through inspections, and other relevant rental paperwork are HUD compliant and ready to be processed.
• Generates and maintains consistent communication (written and verbal) between all parties, tenant, landlord, case manager, agencies, debtors, creditors-serving as the liaison between property managers/landlords/neighbors and clients.

Case Manager Coordination:

•   Coordinates and leads bi-monthly case review meetings with the case management teams.
•     As team lead, provides other case managers with training resources and advises in navigating difficult landlord situations.
•     Assists other case managers on home visits, as needed.
•     Serves as the primary point of consultation for complex or high-barrier client cases, providing guidance to case managers.
•     Conducts periodic quality reviews of case files and HMIS documentation to ensure compliance with agency and funder standards.
•     Onboards and mentors new case managers, including shadowing and ongoing coaching.
•     Tracks and reports on case management team outcomes (e.g., housing placements, time-to-housing) to the Operations Director.
•     Monitors HUD, HMIS, and fair housing policy updates and communicates relevant changes to the team.
•     Coordinates caseload distribution and coverage among case managers to ensure continuity of client services.

Other Duties:

•     Attends assigned community meetings as a representative of UP.
•     Models trauma-informed, client-centered service standards for the case management team. 
•     Supports the mission and values of UP while also adhering  to the agency policies, procedures and professional code of ethics.
•     Participates in all required staff meetings, documentation needs, training and staff events.
•     Represents the Case Management team in cross-departmental meetings or agency-wide planning as needed.
•     May assist with reporting on housing outcomes for board meetings, grant reports, or funder site visits.
•     Provides lunch coverage in the day shelter on a rotating schedule, as needed.

Qualifications

Required Skills/Abilities: 

• Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills with the ability to relate to others. 
• Knowledge of HUD Housing program philosophies and strategies.
• Ability to work independently and prioritize effectively in a fast-paced environment with a strong sense of urgency.
• Very strong organizational, attention to detail, and time-management skills.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to effectively and sensitively communicate with all levels of management.
• Ability to cope with and defuse situations utilizing de-escalation techniques. 
• Proficiency with, or ability to quickly learn, the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and Salesforce CRM for client record-keeping and compliance documentation.

•     Working knowledge of Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) procedures, fair housing law, and landlord-tenant regulations.
•     Negotiation and mediation skills for resolving landlord-tenant conflicts and advocating on behalf of clients.
•     Understanding of trauma-informed care practices when working with individuals who have experienced trauma or crisis.
•     Strong written documentation skills, with the ability to produce clear, accurate case notes and service plans that meet agency and funder compliance standards.
•     Working knowledge of public benefits and entitlement programs (e.g., Medicaid, SNAP, SSI/SSDI) to assist clients in accessing services.
•     Commitment to maintaining client confidentiality and adherence to data privacy standards, including HMIS privacy and security requirements.
•     Cultural competency and experience working with diverse populations and individuals experiencing vulnerability or crisis.
•     Demonstrated leadership or mentoring ability, with skill in coaching, training, and developing team members.
•     Ability to guide, advise, and influence peers effectively without formal supervisory authority.
•     Skill in facilitating meetings and leading group discussions.
•     Sound, independent judgment when advising others on complex or high-barrier client cases.
•     Basic quality assurance / case file review skills to identify and address documentation gaps.
•     Flexibility and willingness to shift priorities as needed.
•     Knowledge of office and computer equipment and software (Microsoft Office and/or Google Workspace).
•     Occasional work may be needed at night, on weekends, and in inclement weather.

• Must have a valid driver's license, reliable vehicle and appropriate vehicle insurance to transport clients. 

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences or related field 
• Minimum of 5  years of experience in social services
• 1-3 years of experience in leasing, affordable housing, rental property management, or HUD housing
• Or, any combination of education and experience that meets the qualifications above

Preferred Education and Experience

• Master’s degree in social sciences or related field
• Knowledge of HUD and/or Tax Credit Housing
• Prior experience with homeless populations