SUMMARY: While delivering innovative solutions, exceptional service and trusted results, the Lead Case Managerprovides training, guidance and support to Case Management/Career Agent personnel assigned a caseload of TANF customers. The Lead Case Manager may also manage a caseload and is responsible for ensuring that case management personnel effectively engage eligible customers to assist them with career coaching, life skills, educational and vocational training, barrier removal, job readiness and ultimately obtain sustainable employment.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Coordinate all services and ensure that customers are making meaningful progress towards preparing for, finding, and retaining employment.
• Provide intensive wrap-a-round case management services that support and facilitate customers’ progression and compliance with TANF work participation requirements to entire caseload.
• Perform Program’s Intake Assessments by thoroughly completing all intake forms including:

• Reviewing DHS administered assessments and initial Individual Responsibility Plan (IRP) in CATCH with the customer.
• Conduct an in-depth discussion with customers about the results of the DHS assessments and the steps outlined in the initial IRP.
• Develop and amend customer’s IRP by using the results of the DHS assessment, initial IRP, and customer’s input to develop a more detailed and well thought out IRP. See Service Provider Manual for details and sample IRP.

• Introduce customers to the program policies and processes
• Perform barrierremoval by referring customers to appropriate services, such as, health services, child care, free professional clothing, food banks, substance abuse, and mental health services.
• Coordinate multiple activities outlined in the customers’ IRP, and help customers report their work participation.
• Engage customers in assigned activities, re-engage those customers who started to participate and subsequently stopped. 
• Help customers overcome barriers to program engagement, participation, and/or retaining employment. 
• Connect customers with needed and available community resources. Follow-up with customers and agencies as appropriate to document use and success of referral.
• Develop trusting working relationships with assigned customers.
• Monitor customer’s engagement and progress. Monitor customer participation in Core and Non-Core TANF activities by ensuring that each customer is: engaged in an activity and/or in the process of enrolling in an activity
• Conduct periodic review of IRP with customer at least once every 3 months and discuss any need to amend the IRP. 
• Meet with customers bi-weekly for up to 12 months to monitor progress against the IRP milestones (listed goals/timelines). For the first six months of a customer’s participation in the program, at least 80% of follow-up meetings should be held in-person rather than over the phone.
• Assigned structured and detailed job search to customers requiring verification of all documented job searches.
• Update CATCH with detailed narrations weekly including but not limited to: 

• Basic customer information (including updated telephone numbers and email)
• Activity participation information
• Case notes related to customer’s status in participation and/or employment activities
• Progress against IRP milestones 
• Efforts to address barriers
• If any, challenges case manager experiences in working with the customer

• all assessment related documents
• signed IRP
• documentation of the hours customer participated in activities, or worked in unsubsidized jobs
• timesheets and paychecks
• letters of contact
• referrals made to outside agencies (and include case notes that describe each interaction with the customer and the services provided)
• documentation of good cause, request for sanctions, exemptions, and for the customer to be removed from the Provider’s PIT (called removals).

• Perform and monitor request to remove, sanction, or exempt customers.
• Input accurate and complete data for all contacts with customers into CATCH. 
• Ensure that all documents (i.e., timesheets, certifications, verification of educational enrollment, vocational training, employment, work experience (WEX), and community service) submitted on behalf of the customers are valid.
• Assist to identify and enroll customers in vocational training programs (i.e. CPR, Customer Service, C.N.A, Hospitality, Phlebotomy, etc) that are directly related to employment. This includes helping customers apply to appropriate programs, secure funding, and apply for financial aid. 
• Assist to identify and enroll customers in educational programs such as GED that leads to a certificate of general equivalence, and directly related to employment. 
• Assist to identify and place customers in relevant work opportunities such as, on-the-job training, work experience, and community service programs. 
• Participate in regular staff meetings, staff training, supervisory sessions, and accept the responsibility of aiding the development of positive team relationships as requested. 
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. 

CORE COMPETENCIES: 

• Excellent interpersonal, conflict resolution, coaching, mentoring and leadership skills.
• Superior communication skills — oral and written.
• Excellent project time management, customer service, and organizational skills.
• Ability to professionally adjust to unforeseen circumstances or programmatic changes.
• Ability to function at a high level of discretion and confidentiality.
• Must be a self-starter and committed to completing tasks timely, which may include working additional hours and/or over the weekend as needed.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. The degree requirement may be substituted for eight (8) years of professional work experience. 
• Experienced with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) workforce programs highly preferred.
• At least five years of supervisory experience required.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES: Personal computer literacy required, including effective use of the Internet, e-mail, video conferencing (Zoom, Teams) and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook). Ability to learn and efficiently utilize various case management and program management software.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to walk, sit, talk, and hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential function.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

For benefits information please visit the KRA website: https://www.kra.com/kra-employee-benefits/