Lead Care Manager Team Lead

Location & Schedule

Location: San Diego, CA (Onsite)

Position type: Full-time

About Rooted Life

Rooted Life provides short-term post-hospitalization and recuperative care services throughout Southern California. We offer supportive, wrap-around environments where individuals without homes can safely recover after a hospital stay. Through follow-up medical coordination, mental health support, housing navigation, and life-skills training, we help clients access essential services and take meaningful steps toward stability. Our care model is grounded in compassion, accountability, and the belief that every person deserves to leave our program healthier and more stable than when they arrived.

About The Role

We're looking for a Lead Care Manager to support and guide our service delivery team. This role is part team manager, part service delivery lead: you’ll oversee day-to-day operations, mentor and coach staff, and step in to support clients directly when needed. You’ll also help improve workflows, ensure documentation quality, and maintain smooth collaboration with internal departments and external partners.

This is an onsite leadership role — you’ll work from our facilities and offices, helping shape a responsive, high-quality care environment every day.

Key Responsibilities

• Supervise a team of Lead Care Managers (LCMs) and Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), ensuring high-quality client-centered service delivery in alignment with CalAIM program standards.
• Conduct daily staff check-ins to identify and address barriers, troubleshoot challenges, and support problem-solving across the care team.
• Provide ongoing staff training and development, including onboarding new hires, reinforcing documentation requirements, and training on Enhanced Care Management (ECM), housing navigation, and HTNS workflows.
• Monitor caseload assignments and census levels; review staffing capacity and make adjustments to ensure continuity of care and compliance with program expectations.
• Coach team members through complex case management situations and promote trauma-informed, strengths-based approaches to client support.
• Lead internal training sessions, support staff development plans, and identify performance improvement areas through quality assurance activities such as housing navigation plan, care plan, and case note reviews.
• Collaborate with leadership to enhance workflows, improve cross-functional communication, and support the evolution of the ECM and CalAIM service delivery model.
• Support the intake and referral pipeline, assign incoming clients to the appropriate team members, and ensure timely tracking and follow-up.
• Maintain a limited caseload as needed, ensuring seamless transitions during staff vacancies or high census periods.
• Intervene in escalated cases involving client crises, grievances, or complex systems coordination; collaborate with community partners and internal leadership as needed.
• Provide EHR support as a system expert, assisting staff with documentation accuracy, timeliness, and navigation of digital workflows.
• Assist in improving internal systems, workflows, and documentation practices to optimize efficiency and service quality.
• Ensure assessments, care plans, service notes, housing plans, and outreach activities meet all compliance, billing, and programmatic documentation standards.
• Demonstrate strong leadership, team management, communication, and critical thinking skills in a fast-paced social service environment.
• Utilize knowledge of Medi-Cal, managed care plans (MCPs), and CalAIM initiatives to guide program implementation and staff support.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of program success and organizational goals.
  
  

Who You Are

You are a steady, solutions-oriented leader who thrives in a dynamic environment and knows how to guide teams with clarity and accountability. You're patient, but firm, and skilled at managing people who are still learning the basics while pushing the team toward growth and higher standards. You don't shy away from tough conversations, and you bring structure, consistency, and common sense to your work every day.

Required Qualifications

• At least 1 year of prior team leadership or supervisory experience.
• 4 to 7 years of experience in case management, housing navigation, or a related field.
• Working knowledge of Medi-Cal, CalAIM, and Enhanced Care Management (ECM).
• Comfortable with digital tools and EHRs, especially task-driven workflows.
• Calm, supportive, direct communicator who knows how to bring out the best in others.
• Bachelor's degree in social work, public health, or a related field preferred (or equivalent work experience).
• Must have valid driver's license with reliable vehicle and car insurance
  
  

What Success Looks Like

• Staff understand and follow workflows, escalate appropriately, and demonstrate increasing independence over time.
• Documentation is timely, accurate, and meets program and compliance standards without repeated reminders.
• Complex or escalated situations are addressed thoughtfully, with your support enabling smooth resolution.
• New hires are successfully onboarded and become confident contributors within their first 60 to 90 days.
• You create a calm, focused team environment where expectations are clear and problems are addressed early and proactively.
  
  

Perks & Benefits

• 401k with employer match
• Medical, dental and vision insurance for full-time employees
  
  

Application Instructions

Submit your resume for review. Qualified candidates will be contacted for a brief video screening prior to being invited to meet with our team.

Skills: care planning,msw,bsw,critical thinking,care coordination,medical social work,leadership,social work,management,supervisory management,care plans,calaim