Case Manager - Vocational

LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA•Sacramento, CA

8d•$25 - $27•Onsite

About The Position

The Case Manager – Vocational oversees daily operations and growth of A Novel Idea, a nonprofit social enterprise that sells donated books online while teaching work skills and behaviors to youth. The program supports youth services that provide up to two years of transitional housing and case management for homeless youth ages 18–24. The position combines bookstore operations and youth vocational programming, including training, workshops, and case management related to education, employment, and self-efficacy. The Case Manager leads youth employees, serves as a role model and professional resource, and works with program and case management staff to support participants’ employment readiness and goals. Responsibilities include managing the online bookstore from donated-book collection through cataloguing, inventory, marketing, sales, and shipping; maintaining customer service and sales-platform records; and improving systems to meet revenue benchmarks. The role trains and supervises youth during work shifts, helps participants develop workplace skills and goals, monitors attendance and performance, and coordinates with case managers when barriers arise. It also involves discharge planning, case notes, safety reporting, participation in meetings, and work in program or field-office settings. The position may require travel within regional areas, transporting clients, and conducting case management visits in clients’ homes.

Requirements

Associate degree or other two-year degree, as indicated by the job details.
Six months to three years of retail and/or business experience is identified as ideal.
Ability to inspire and compel others, and successful experience teaching, training, or supervising new learners.
Exceptional communication skills and a trauma-informed approach to working with youth.
Technological aptitude and willingness to be accountable for the business.
Entrepreneurial spirit and ability to support A Novel Idea’s growth objectives.
Strong organization skills, including inventory management.
Strong customer-service skills and work ethic.
Ability to use and teach software for cataloguing, storing, and shipping books.
Ability to teach youth job skills and maintain a strength-based perspective when working with youth.
Ability to provide services to diverse people and work with low-income youth from diverse social and ethnic backgrounds who have experienced homelessness.
Treat others with respect and courtesy, pursue open and honest working relationships, and maintain high ethical standards.
Demonstrate good judgment and common sense.
Ability to work independently, make effective decisions, and use supervision as needed.
Ability to work collaboratively in a team setting, multitask, and set priorities.
Clean driving record, licensed and registered car, and proof of insurance.
Ability to perform the job at the assigned program or field-office location and handle access to confidential organizational and client information.
Ability to meet the stated physical demands, including occasionally lifting or moving up to 20 pounds and climbing stairs.

Nice To Haves

Marketing experience.

Responsibilities

Manage and support operations of A Novel Idea, including book collection, profitability, training, marketing, data entry, inventory management, and shipping.
Maintain excellent customer reviews across sales platforms and provide customer service to book donors.
Coordinate pickup and storage of donated books, using the company vehicle to pick up books.
Monitor and improve systems to meet revenue benchmarks.
Lead shifts of youth employees, ensuring business activities such as serving customers, completing projects and events, and filling online orders are successful.
Teach clients hard and soft skills while they work at A Novel Idea.
Coordinate with case management staff when client behaviors or barriers may affect future employment.
Attend housing services staff meetings and program meetings as needed.
Model and guide appropriate daily living skills, self-care, interpersonal behavior, social relationships, and constructive time management.
Oversee online retail, including customer and client service, youth staff training, inventory management, and profitability.
Support marketing efforts with the development team.
Orient and train each new client in the workplace and establish expectations for work behavior and relationships.
Support youth one-to-one and in small groups to establish and reach goals, and create opportunities for leadership.
Hold youth accountable for safety, policies, performance, attendance, punctuality, professionalism, and task efficiency.
Maintain an organized work area and facilitate a calm workplace and safe client meeting space; welcome and engage clients who come into the office.
Coordinate with a supervisor or case managers when a client displays behaviors or attitudes that could impede future employment.
Work with clients, case managers, and the vocational team on discharge planning and identifying skills and job interests that can lead to future employment.
Keep sales platforms up to date and maintain accurate book cataloguing, with an error rate below 3% when locating books for sale.
Document client progress in case notes.
Identify and report safety hazards, report workplace accidents promptly, and maintain safe practices in the storage area.
Travel to regional locations, and on occasion transport clients and help them navigate government, education, health care, and other social-service systems.
Conduct case management visits in clients’ homes as required.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Program Manager.