Older Adult Care Manager

Title: Older Adult Care Manager 

Department:  Care Management 

Reports to: Director of Social Work Programs 

Status:  Full-time (40 hrs/week, Mon-Fri)  

Classification:  Exempt (no overtime)

Hours:  M-F, 40 hours/week, occasional evenings and weekends

Location:  Overland Park or Brookside  

Organization:  Jewish Family Services (www.jfskc.org)   Since 1901, Jewish Family Services (JFS), has supported and strengthened lives throughout Greater Kansas City. We provide essential human services for people of all faiths, ages, cultures, and identities who are facing challenges in everyday life or times of crisis. Our highly skilled and compassionate staff are dedicated to furthering the well-being, stability, and dignity of the community members we serve. As a 501 (c) (3) public charity, JFS offers a breadth of connected services including Social Work, Older Adult Services, Food Pantry, Mental Health and Education, and Jewish life. JFS was founded on the Jewish value of tikkun olam, repairing the world, one person, one family at a time.   

Position Summary:   The Older Adult Care Manager empowers older adults to age safely with dignity in the community by coordinating supportive and holistic services such as transportation, home maintenance, and care management. This role provides in-home and community-based services within the JFS Older Adult Service Area and operates in alignment with the core values of the National Association of Social Workers, including service, social justice, dignity and worth of the individual, the importance of human relationships, and integrity and competence.

 Essential Duties:  

• Provide community-based care management to older adults and/or their caregivers. 
• Complete comprehensive in-home evaluations of the client’s physical, emotional, and cognitive state, as well as their living environment.     
• Create and update personalized, short-and-long term goal plans to address health, financial, and social needs. 
• Implement client-centered, trauma-informed interventions with clients. 
• Document all client contacts in accordance with agency procedures and policy. 
• Coordinate and partner with health care providers, caregivers, family members, and other community programs and resources. 
• Educate caregivers on the aging process and assist them in navigating the complexities of the elder care system. 
• Collaborate with a multi-disciplinary team to reduce barriers to age in community safely and with dignity. 
• Inform clients about available internal and external resources, community programs, and financial assistance; determine client eligibility and empower clients to actively participate in these processes.   
• Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with organizations and individuals serving older adults in the community. 
• Perform other duties as assigned. 

Essential Education, Knowledge, and Experience: 

• Master's degree in social work (MSW), preferred. 
• 2-3 years' experience providing client-centered, trauma-informed care management services including assessment, goal planning, and intervention & resource connection. 
• Working knowledge of systemic barriers affecting vulnerable older adult populations. 
• Understanding Medicare, Medicaid, and other public benefits, while guiding clients and making appropriate referrals. 
• Ability to manage time effectively, work independently, and collaborate within a team. 
• Demonstrated flexibility and commitment to meeting clients where they are, both physically and emotionally. 
• Ability to cultivate warm, supportive, and collaborative relationships with clients and colleagues.   
• Proficiency in using technology, including virtual meeting platforms (e.g., Microsoft Teams) and agency-provided devices. 
• Ability to maintain accurate and confidential client records in accordance with agency policies and procedures.  
• Working knowledge of aging resources and community-based services. 
• Cultural humility and sensitivity when working with individuals from diverse racial, ethic, and religious backgrounds, with an emphasis on serving clients from minority communities. 
• Bilingual, preferred. 

Environment/Physical Requirements:  

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job:

• Frequently required to sit, stand, talk, and hear. 
• Able to work in a communal work environment. 
• Comfort working in clients’ homes and community settings. 
• Ability to effectively use office equipment, including video conferencing tools, digital phone systems, Windows/Office software, printer, copier, and fax machines. 
• High level of comfort with internet usage and client database systems. 
• Ability to travel by personal vehicle in Jackson County, MO and Johnson County, KS (mileage reimbursement may apply). 
• Flexibility in schedule to meet client needs, as required. 

Key Competencies: 

• Cultural Humility: Engage in the regular practice of self-reflection on how one’s own background and the background of others impact workplace experiences.  
• Organizational Leader: Must have an innovative mindset and create and maintain a strong reputation as a strategic doer, demonstrating agility and collaboration throughout the organization.
• Emotional Intelligence: Empathy and strong interpersonal skills are essential. Must be compassionate, self-aware, and able to skillfully manage their emotions and those of others.
• Adaptability: Must have a strong sense of urgency and ability to work efficiently under sometimes rapidly changing circumstances. 
• Integrity: Must utilize effective judgement and problem-solving skills while maintaining the highest ethical and professional standards.  

Guiding Principles:

JFS is guided by five principles that inform how we engage with each other and the community we serve. The right candidate will be in alignment with these principles:

1. B’Yachad-Stronger Together: We are stronger as an agency and a community when we think, work, and serve together.

2. Being Human Centered: We put the human experience and perspective at the center of our thinking, programming, services and interactions.

3. Collaboration: We actively seek partnering opportunities within JFS and throughout our community.  

4. Innovation & Entrepreneurship: We respond and continually adapt to ongoing needs and changes in the Greater Kansas City area. 

5. Open Communication: We communicate openly, honestly and in a solution-oriented manner.

(Remote Work Environment: This position will require both in-person and remote work. The hired candidate will need to affirm that they will be able to successfully work off-site when needed.)

EEO: Jewish Family Services is an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity and inclusion. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and organizational need. All applicants will be considered for employment with dignity and respect, free of all discrimination, including that which is based on race, color, religion, gender, language, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression.