Case Manager III

Job Title: Case Manager III

Reports to: Housing Program Manager

Education Requirement: Bachelor’s Degree

Experience Required: 4+ years of case management or other directly related experience

Position is: Non-Exempt, Full Time (38 hours/week equivalent), Tuesday through Friday, subject to change with advance notice

Salary Range: $33.00-$35.00/hr.

About Families Forward

At Families Forward, we are dedicated to preventing and ending family homelessness and strengthening community wellbeing across Orange County. Since 1984, our nonprofit organization has provided compassionate support that empowers families to achieve lasting stability and self-sufficiency through housing programs, essential services like our food pantry and career counseling, and meaningful resources that nurture resilience and hope. Guided by our core values of dignity, empowerment, accountability, community spirit, and hope, we strive to create an environment where families can thrive and where every team member feels inspired, valued, and equipped to make a meaningful impact in the lives of others. We believe in fostering a collaborative and inclusive workplace where passion for service meets purpose-driven work. Join us in building stronger families and a stronger community.

Job Summary:

The Case Manager III (CM III) is an advanced-level case management position that combines direct client service with defined responsibility for day-to-day team support, complex-case consultation, workflow coordination, and quality assurance. Under the supervision of the Housing Program Manager, the CM III serves as a subject matter resource and operational lead for the case management team while maintaining a caseload.

The CM III helps translate program expectations into consistent daily practice. The role supports staff in applying Housing First, Trauma-Informed Care, client-centered practice, grant requirements, and agency procedures. The CM III identifies routine operational issues, promotes timely follow-through, and elevates decisions involving personnel, policy, budget, risk, or significant partner concerns to the Housing Program Manager.

Essential Job Duties:

Advanced Case Management and Client Services (50%)

• Manage a caseload that may include complex, high-priority, or expedited cases requiring advanced judgment and follow-through.
• Complete enrollment, eligibility and packet review, tenant screening, assessment, individualized service planning, monthly goal development, and required home visits.
• Use Housing First, Trauma-Informed Care, harm-reduction, motivational interviewing, and culturally responsive practices to support housing stability and client choice.
• Assess housing barriers, family strengths, risk factors, income and employment needs, and service gaps; coordinate appropriate internal and external referrals.
• Partner with Housing staff to identify appropriate housing opportunities and prepare families for successful placement and tenancy.
• Provide education on lease responsibilities, tenant rights, budgeting, financial literacy, payment planning, and the habits needed to obtain and maintain housing.
• Maintain timely, accurate, confidential case notes, service records, client documents, HMIS entries, and other required database records.
• Monitor client-related program expenses and obtain required approvals before commitments are made.
• Identify safety, legal, ethical, compliance, or high-risk concerns and promptly escalate them to the Housing Program Manager.

Team Support, Coaching, and Workflow Coordination (25%)

• Provide day-to-day guidance to case managers regarding routine case questions, documentation, program procedures, client barriers, and established workflows.
• Support onboarding, cross-training, and skill development by modeling effective practice, sharing tools, and reinforcing expectations.
• Facilitate or support case consultation and case conferencing; help staff develop practical next steps for complex cases.
• Coordinate high-priority referrals and support timely case assignment in collaboration with the Housing Program Manager.
• Monitor workload, case complexity, urgent follow-up, and team capacity; recommend adjustments to the Housing Program Manager.
• Prepare agendas, case lists, and operational data for program meetings, including pending, moved-in, exiting, and case-conferencing items.
• Promote collaboration within the case management team and across departments; participate in presentations, outreach, partner meetings, and cross-training as assigned.
• Provide the Housing Program Manager with factual observations about workflow, training needs, service consistency, and barriers. Formal performance management remains with the manager.

Quality Assurance, Compliance, and Program Support (20%)

• Conduct routine file audits and quality checks as assigned, including timeliness, completeness, eligibility, required forms, case notes, services, and supporting documentation.
• Monitor operational compliance tools such as timeliness trackers, gift card reconciliation, expense documentation, and system reports.
• Identify recurring documentation, workflow, or service-delivery gaps; provide coaching on routine corrections and elevate patterns to the Housing Program Manager.
• Assist with monitoring program delivery against grant requirements and approved procedures.
• Maintain and recommend updates to case management procedures, tools, templates, and manuals, subject to manager review and approval.
• Support data collection, success stories, program updates, and reports requested by leadership.
• Attend Coordinated Entry match meetings and other internal or external meetings as assigned.

Agency and Community Responsibilities (5%)

• Support housing outreach, apartment community engagement, community events, seasonal programs, and other agency activities as needed.
• Report success stories, progress, statistics to the Board as requested by the Housing Program Manager
• Provide coverage or assistance with phones, Community Market, and other agency operations when requested.
• Participate in staff meetings, trainings, and other required meetings; represent Families Forward professionally with clients and partners.

What Will Make Someone Successful in This Role

• Ability to balance client services, team support, and quality assurance.
• Strong organization, time management, and attention to detail.
• Ability to guide and support colleagues within appropriate professional boundaries.
• Collaborative, accountable, and solutions-focused approach.
• Clear and respectful communication with clients, staff, and partners.
• Adaptability to changing program needs, requirements, and priorities.
• Commitment to confidentiality, ethical practice, and culturally responsive services.
• Demonstrates strong technical aptitude and the ability to quickly learn and utilize databases, reporting systems, and digital tools.

Additional Qualifications

• Maintain valid California Driver’s License and Proof of Auto Insurance.
• Bilingual - English & Spanish preferred

Don’t meet every single requirement? We encourage you to apply anyway. At Families Forward, we value diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences. If you’re excited about this role and our mission to end homelessness, we want to hear from you—even if your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification.

Benefits

Families Forward is committed to offering competitive compensation, full benefits, and professional development opportunities for our employees. Our benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision; flexible spending account; life insurance; 403B retirement plan; generous time off including paid holidays, vacation, sick time; phone or phone stipend; and a variety of other benefits to support our employees.

Note: This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Management reserves the right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Pay: $33.00 - $35.00 per hour

Expected hours: 38.0 per week

Benefits:

• 403(b)
• 403(b) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Mileage reimbursement
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person