Family Navigator

Job Summary:  Responsible professional work delivering navigation services utilizing a broad range of prescribed methods, community services, and natural support systems to develop sustainable support that promote prevention of child abuse and neglect. Involves a broad range of linkage and referrals, monitoring, advocacy, care coordination, and crisis intervention. Requires quality documentation of services provided. Participates in the organization’s continuous quality improvement efforts.

Essential Functions: 

1.    Helps parent/caregiver obtain the community resources and training needed to raise physically, psychologically, and emotionally healthy children.

2.    Provides parenting support, education, and care coordination to caregivers with young children at risk of child of having experienced abuse or trauma, having physical disabilities, having a developmental delay or disability and behavioral struggles.

3.    Monitors caregiver and child’s needs and helps implement a plan for intervention services. 

4.    Participates in Family Team Conferences for families.  

5.    Actively participates in a multidisciplinary team to discuss family progress, identified needs, support plans and methods of increasing effectiveness of the group's teamwork.

6.    Completes timely documentation in accordance with program requirements.

7.    Provides direct support services to families utilizing wraparound approaches.

8.    Monitors ongoing progress within the family and all supportive services. Serves as liaison to connect the youth and family, and any and all involved agencies and systems, together as identified, i.e. Educational, Community, etc.

9.    Conducts pre and post assessments in order to measure progress and develop a sustainability plan for closure.

10.  Coordinates parent meetings and workshops to educate parents in the area of child health, mental health, and development.

11.  Maintains fidelity to the Caregiver Support Services program model.

12.  Monitors and evaluates effectiveness of the Family Service Plan.

13.  Works within the philosophy and function of Children’s Home Network.

14.  Adheres to virtual office procedures.

15.  Performs other duties as assigned*

***THESE ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS ARE NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS A COMPLETE STATEMENT OF ALL DUTIES PERFORMED.  EMPLOYEES WILL BE REQUIRED TO PERFORM OTHER JOB RELATED MARGINAL DUTIES AS REQUIRED.***

MINIMUM QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Education and Experience:

·         Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited university or college required, with at least one year of experience working with children and families. Bachelor’s Degree may be in a field related to education, physical and mental health, social work, counseling, or educational theory.  

·         Individual must have an understanding of issues related to parenting and child development.

Licenses & Certifications:

·         Must possess and maintain a valid Florida driver’s license with no record of criminal driving offense of license suspension.  

·         Must possess means of providing job related transportation and show proof of required insurance.  Must be insurable under CHN’s current auto insurance policy.

·         Must be able to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends.  

·         Must successfully complete and maintain FDLE clearance, Federal background and state criminal background checks, and sexual predator screening.

COMPETENCIES & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

Annual Training Requirements: 

·         The following training topics are required annually: Sexual Harassment, Blood borne Pathogens, Workplace Accident Prevention and Reporting, Confidentiality and Privacy Practices, Diversity/Cultural Competency, Child Abuse and Neglect Mandated Reporter Statutes and Methods, Prevention of Violence in the Workplace, OSHA–related training, Crisis Prevention, DCF Services to Deaf and Hard of Hearing Modules 1-3, DCF Security Awareness and other Programmatic Trainings.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities:

·         Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing.  

·         Ability to establish effective working relationships with families, coworkers, supervisors, and other individuals. 

·         Possess effective interpersonal skills.

·         Knowledge of agency’s organizational structure, standard operating procedures, and policies.

·         Knowledge of child abuse or neglect reporting procedures and methods.

·         Knowledge of infant and child development inclusive of developmentally appropriate strategies.

·         Knowledge of intervention and behavior management methods, strategies, and techniques.

·         Knowledge of quality documentation as required by agency standards, rules, and regulations.

·         Ability to conduct assessments to develop family plans, and to provide follow-up services.

·         Ability to work as a multi-disciplinary team member in a positive productive manner.

Essential Physical Skills:

·         Visual: ability to safely operate a motor vehicle, read printed materials, and make observations of physical facilities.

·         Hearing: ability to understand and comprehend spoken dialogue in individual and group settings.

·         Ability to speak clearly and effectively.

·         Reasonable accommodation will be made for otherwise qualified individuals with a disability.

Environmental Conditions:

·         Works within an office environment, home office, family’s home, or within the community.

·         High level of emotional discussions, requiring self-awareness and understanding of professional boundaries.