Disaster Human Services Case Management Field Lead

Position Summary

The DHSCM Field Lead provides leadership, coordination, and supervision of deployed teams of disaster case managers, social workers, and resource coordinators who deliver Disaster Human Services Case Management (DHSCM) services to disaster survivors on behalf of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response (OHSEPR). The position connects survivors, including the vulnerable populations ACF serves, to available human services and community resources that address their disaster-caused unmet needs.

This is an intermittent, deployable reservist position that reports to the Disaster Human Services Field Support (DHSFS) Program Manager. The Field Lead works only when activated for a disaster response mission or when completing required training. Between activations, the Field Lead is expected to attend required training as scheduled (anticipated quarterly) to maintain deployment readiness. All required training time is paid.

During an activation, the Field Lead directs day-to-day field, virtual, and hybrid case management operations, and may be asked to join operational calls with OHSEPR and liaise with state and local officials in the field, as directed by the Program Manager and/or OHSEPR leadership.

Deployments may last up to 90 days, or longer if determined by OHSEPR, and may require extended hours, weekend work, and deployment on short notice (within 48 hours).

These are deployable positions, lodging and per diem will be included upon deployment.

Qualifications

Major Responsibilities

The DHSCM Field Lead shall:

Field Operations and Staffing

- Lead and coordinate DHSCM field operations, including the deployment and management of case management teams supporting disaster survivors in jurisdictions identified by OHSEPR.

- Establish daily operational priorities, service locations, and shift schedules for deployed teams, and direct case management operations at Disaster Recovery Centers and other field and virtual locations designated by OHSEPR.

- Manage and supervise deployed disaster case managers, social workers, resource coordinators, and any case management supervisors assigned to the mission, including daily accountability of all deployed staff and Government and contractor-furnished equipment.

- Assign staff to sites, caseloads, and service delivery channels (field, virtual, or hybrid), and adjust team assignments, reporting timelines, and operational workflows in response to changing disaster conditions.

- Determine staffing needs, rotation, and replacement requests based on mission requirements, while limiting staff turnover to protect continuity of survivor relationships and ensuring active cases are transferred through a documented handoff.

Case Management Oversight and Quality

- Oversee core DHSCM functions, including resource identification and asset mapping, survivor intake and assessment, recovery planning, information and referral, resource coordination and follow-up, and case transfer and closure.

- Assign and distribute cases based on urgency, complexity, survivor demand, and staff capacity, and help case managers resolve difficult cases, safety concerns, and resource barriers.

- Ensure case managers use OHSEPR-approved case management systems, forms, and reporting tools, including the Electronic Case Management Records System (ECMRS), the DHSCM Intake Assessment, Case Management Plan, Case Records Notes, and Resource Referral Form.

- Direct implementation of standard operating procedures and review the quality, accuracy, and completeness of case records daily, addressing deficiencies through coaching, targeted retraining, or corrective action.

- Maintain and update resource inventories throughout the operational period so survivors are referred to active and available services.

Compliance and Survivor Needs

- Ensure adherence to OHSEPR policies and procedures, Privacy Act and confidentiality requirements, and HHS/ACF privacy, security, and records management requirements, including the prohibition on local copies, spreadsheets, or unapproved repositories containing survivor information.

- Ensure survivors with specialized needs, including those affected by human trafficking, domestic violence, child or elder abuse and neglect, financial exploitation, or family separation, are identified and connected to appropriate services.

- Promote culturally competent, accessible service delivery, including support for individuals with disabilities and others with access and functional needs, and use of language-qualified case managers.

Reporting and Escalation

- Provide operational updates, situation reports, case activity data, and decision-support information to the Program Manager and OHSEPR, as directed.

- Identify mission risks, staffing or resource constraints, and emerging survivor needs, and elevate urgent survivor safety concerns, privacy or security incidents, operational barriers, and unmet resource needs to the Program Manager and designated OHSEPR officials.

Demobilization and Continuous Improvement

- Coordinate case prioritization, case transfer, and positive contact with survivor households during demobilization, as directed by OHSEPR, and support the orderly transition of open cases and operations to state, tribal, territorial, or local disaster case management programs, including technical assistance to receiving program leads.

- Support after-action reviews, lessons learned, and continuous improvement activities related to DHSCM operations.

Leadership Coordination

- Collaborate with the Program Manager, OHSEPR leadership, federal staff, and contractor personnel, and serve as a field liaison among federal, state, tribal, territorial, local, nonprofit, and contractor stakeholders to support integrated disaster human services delivery.

- Coordinate with Impact Assessment teams, logistics staff, data and reporting personnel, technical support staff, and the Privacy Officer/ISSO to ensure effective mission execution.

- Participate in Just-In-Time training, OHSEPR operational briefings, planning meetings, and coordination calls.

Required Qualifications

- Bachelors degree in social work, human services, psychology, sociology, counseling, public administration, emergency management, or a related field.

- Experience supervising case managers, social workers, or human services staff in disaster case management, disaster recovery, or human services delivery settings.

- Knowledge of case management practices, including intake, needs assessment, recovery or service planning, referrals, follow-up, and case closure.

- Demonstrated ability to coordinate field operations in dynamic, fast-paced, or disaster-affected environments.

- Experience using electronic case management systems and maintaining accurate, confidential case records.

- Knowledge of privacy and confidentiality requirements for handling personally identifiable information.

- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare reports, briefings, and operational summaries.

- Ability to coordinate effectively with federal, state, tribal, territorial, local, nonprofit, and contractor stakeholders.

- Ability to successfully complete required background investigation, credentialing (including HSPD-12/PIV requirements), and all required training prior to deployment.

- Ability to deploy within 48 hours of notification for up to 90 days, and to operate in austere environments when applicable.

Preferred Qualifications

- Masters degree in social work or a related human services field, and/or professional licensure (e.g., LMSW, LCSW) or comparable professional credential.

- Experience leading disaster case management operations, including FEMA Immediate Disaster Case Management (IDCM) or other federal, state, or nonprofit disaster case management programs.

- Experience working with HHS, ACF, OHSEPR, FEMA, or state, tribal, or territorial human services programs.

- Professional spoken fluency in one or more of the following languages: Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Arabic, French, Korean, Russian, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, or American Sign Language.

- Experience serving vulnerable populations, including survivors of human trafficking or domestic violence, runaway and homeless youth, older adults, and individuals with disabilities.

- Familiarity with the FEMA sequence of delivery, duplication of benefits, and FEMA Incident Command System coursework (e.g., IS-100, IS-200, IS-700, IS-800).

- Experience with Salesforce-based case management platforms or ECMRS.

- Prior professional experience in, or familiarity with, the service networks of the region where deployment occurs.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The successful candidate shall demonstrate the ability to:

- Lead DHSCM field operations from activation through deployment, service delivery, case transfer, and demobilization.

- Manage and supervise case managers and multidisciplinary human services teams in field-based and virtual environments.

- Prioritize cases and team activities based on survivor safety, urgency, case complexity, and available resources.

- Apply trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and person-centered approaches to survivor engagement.

- Maintain high standards for case documentation accuracy, data quality, privacy, and compliance.

- Communicate clearly with survivors, staff, partners, and federal officials.

- Resolve operational issues, identify risks, implement corrective actions, and elevate critical concerns appropriately.

- Promote accountability, safety, responsiveness, and mission-focused performance across assigned teams.

Work Environment and Travel

This is a reservist position that is activated during disaster response operations. When activated, the position requires travel to disaster-affected areas and may be performed at Disaster Recovery Centers, shelters, community centers, temporary housing locations, field offices, call centers, or remote locations depending on operational requirements. Deployments may last up to 90 days, or longer if determined by OHSEPR, and may require extended hours, weekend work, and deployment on short notice. Between activations, reservists maintain readiness by completing required training, exercises, and credentialing, and confirming availability as requested.