Manager, High Acuity Care Coordination

Job Description

Position: Manager, High Acuity Care Coordination

Term: Full-time, salary

Pay: Negotiable Based on Experience health insurance, paid time off, and other benefits

Location: Portland, OR

Reports To: Wellness Deputy Director of Operations

Direct Reports: None

Updated: September 1, 2026

Organization Description:

Urban Alchemy hires individuals who were once incarcerated and trains them to transform people and places through love and respect. We provide services that heal communities challenged by the intersection of extreme poverty, mental illness, addiction, and homelessness. When individuals are suffering in our public spaces, Urban Alchemy offers solutions. When a neighborhood, street, or intersection earns a reputation as a place to avoid, we turn it around. Urban Alchemy staff, known as Practitioners, create a peaceful and supportive presence, helping our communities rebuild a sense of pride one person at a time. Urban Alchemy is a nonprofit organization founded in 2018. We quickly grew from a small program in San Francisco to a thriving social enterprise with over 1,000 staff. We currently operate in California, Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, New Mexico, and Oregon. Over 95% of Urban Alchemy employees, including leadership, experienced incarceration and/or homelessness. For more information visit our website.

Position Summary:

The Manager, High Acuity Care Coordination, serves as a stabilizing presence and clinical mentor for the Care Coordination team in Portland. This role provides intensive, field-based support for "high-acuity" guests—individuals navigating complex behavioral health challenges, chronic trauma, and significant barriers to housing. The High Acuity Care Coordination Manager utilizes a trauma-informed, harm-reduction approach to model compassionate engagement, assist with de-escalation, and advocate for guests within Urban Alchemy’s Interim Housing Sites and/or Outreach Engagements. By bridging the gap between field outreach and client centered systems, this role ensures our most vulnerable guests are treated with dignity while navigating clear, consistent pathways to stability and permanent housing.

Position Specific:

• Field-Based Mentorship: Provide direct, on-site guidance to Care Coordinators, modeling effective de-escalation, boundary setting, and trauma-informed communication during critical incidents in interim housing and outreach settings.
• Intensive Case Navigation: Lead the management of the most complex "high-acuity" cases. Conduct thorough, empathetic assessments to identify service gaps and facilitate the creation of personalized stabilization plans that respect guest autonomy.
• Case Conferencing & Care Coordination: Facilitate structured case conferences for the highest acuity guests, convening internal team members and external service providers to align on stabilization goals, troubleshoot service gaps, and establish a unified care plan. Ensure that all case conferencing activities prioritize the guest's voice and autonomy while maintaining clear, consistent communication across the support network.
• Cross-Functional Advocacy: Serve as the primary liaison between field teams and external support systems (e.g., medical providers, mental health clinics, city partners, service providers, and the CoC). Leverage deep professional networks to advocate for equitable guest access and navigate system barriers.
• Operational Integrity & Documentation: Oversee the quality of high-acuity case documentation, ensuring all records reflect the nuances of guest experiences and meet both internal quality standards and grant compliance requirements. Participate in organizational review processes to ensure consistency and data integrity.
• Skill-Building & Team Capacity: Facilitate "in-the-moment" coaching to strengthen the team’s collective toolkit in client centered care, crisis intervention, and behavioral health awareness.
• Reflective Debriefing: Facilitate post-incident debriefs to provide emotional support and professional guidance, fostering a resilient team culture that prioritizes staff wellness alongside guest service.
• Ensure all activities align with contract, grant, and regulatory requirements specific to Urban Alchemy policy and the Portland region.
• Maintain meticulous records of event plans, partner agreements, and incident reports.

General:

• Use emotional intelligence to effectively engage and connect with others
• Attend orientation and any additional training required by Urban Alchemy or our funders
• Follow all Urban Alchemy’s policies and procedures
• Perform other duties as assigned by direct supervisor

Position Requirements:

Position Specific:

• Required Experience: 3 years in social services, street outreach, or intensive case management, specifically involving high-acuity, chronic, or marginalized populations.
• Systems Knowledge: Deep, working knowledge of the Portland Continuum of Care (CoC), local service providers, and established referral pathways.
• Trauma-Informed Expertise: Demonstrated proficiency in trauma-informed care (TIC), harm reduction models, and de-escalation strategies. Ability to apply these frameworks effectively in unpredictable field environments.
• Leadership & Collaboration: Ability to mentor others, provide constructive feedback, and collaborate across departments to uphold program and compliance standards.
• Advocacy & Communication: Exceptional capacity to navigate complex systems and advocate for client needs, translating high-acuity challenges into actionable, respectful service plans.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in social work, Psychology, or related field preferred; significant equivalent professional experience will be heavily weighted.
• Lived Experience: Lived experience with incarceration, homelessness, or recovery is strongly preferred and valued as a vital asset for building authentic rapport with our guests.

General:

• You have genuine and demonstrated interest in Urban Alchemy’s mission, values, and model
• You like to be a team player
• You like working in a dynamic environment and can adapt easily to change
• Must be able to work compassionately and respectfully with people from all backgrounds
• Must be prepared to deal with challenging circumstances related to serving people struggling with poverty, mental health, addiction, and/or homelessness
• Must be able to obtain and maintain background clearance based on Urban Alchemy’s policies
• Lived experience with incarceration and/or homelessness is valued

Physical Requirements:

• Standing: 4-7 hours 
• Walking: 4-7 hours 
• Sitting: less than 2 hours 
• Bending at Waist: less than 3 hours 
• Lifting: Up to 25 lbs occasionally 
• Able to assist guests with mobility needs

Statement of non-discrimination:

Urban Alchemy shares a special bond with society’s most vulnerable because we see ourselves in their struggle. When doing our work, we recognize the humanity in those who are struggling and treat them how we once wished others had treated us. People who have been incarcerated, experienced homelessness and/or come from marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to apply because we believe they have unique skills and abilities to engage with people who are struggling. Urban Alchemy provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. Urban Alchemy prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type.

How to Apply:

If you have questions, please email hr@urban-alchemy.us and indicate the position you are interested in. You can apply for this position by visiting: https://www.paycomonline.net. 

Salary : $65,000 - $75,000