Kinship Navigator

NATIONAL YOUTH ADVOCATE PROGRAM • Chicago, IL

2d

About The Position

Under administrative direction, serves as the Kinship Navigator Specialist for the State of Illinois. Helps to develop supportive services for relative caregivers throughout Illinois. Ensures that the Department meets its commitments to the federal governments Kinship Navigator grant. Staffs the Statewide Kinship Navigator Task Force. Creates local kinship caregiver support groups. Serves as the Program Monitor for all of the EFSP contracts in Illinois. Conduct case file reviews. Share results of file reviews and monitors corrective action plans, if necessary. Shares results with the EFSP Coordinator. Extensive and frequent travel throughout the state to review program files and to participate in kinship caregiver meetings.

Requirements

• Must have a minimum Bachelor’s Degree with five years of experience.
• Must have an automobile, access to an automobile and/or ability to rent an automobile from rental agencies to travel to cities around the state of Illinois.
• Must have experience reviewing programs, organizing task forces or advocacy committees, working with kinship caregivers or knowledge of services provided to kinship caregivers or experiences kinship caregivers face is beneficial.
• Proficient use of desktop and laptop computers, smart phones and tablets, printers, fax machines and photocopiers as well as software including word processing, spreadsheet and database programs.
• Work well independently and as a team member.
• Excellent Oral & Written Communication skills.
• Excellent Time Management & Punctuality.
• NYAP also requires all of our employees, regardless of your title/position, to hold and maintain automobile liability insurance coverage of $100,000/$300,000.

Responsibilities

• Develops supportive services for kinship caregivers Provide information on services, task forces and support groups that support kinship caregivers.
• Help develop and maintain a kinship navigator website. Help develop, maintain and distribute kinship navigator brochures.
• Providers training for kinship caregivers on how to access services. Provides training on services to EFSP workers as well as DCFS and POS child welfare workers.
• Seeks funding for programs to support kinship caregivers and service providers that support kinship caregivers.
• Provides technical assistance to DCFS workers assisting kinship caregivers.
• Develops and staffs Statewide Kinship Navigator Task Force Meetings.
• Develops and continually update a list of kinship caregiver leaders, advocates, support personnel, caseworkers through various local, State (including the Illinois Department of Aging) and federal Departments, private agencies and other organizations.
• Promotes local leaderships of kinship caregivers.
• Holds at least six meetings each year in locations in each region of the State (half of them in Cook and half of them in cities outside of Cook County).
• Develops local kinship navigator support groups.
• Develops local leaders, including kinship caregivers to lead local support groups.
• Provides support to help groups meet regularly.
• Conducts case file reviews of all 16 EFSP Providers in Illinois.
• Travels to private agency offices throughout the State of Illinois to review files, observe office spaces and meet with personnel.
• Discusses goals and services of the program with personnel.
• Reviews case files to ensure that agency is providing appropriate services.
• Shares findings with personnel.
• Records results on web-based database.
• Shares findings with EFSP Coordinator, Norman Services Coordinator and Youth Housing Assistance Program Coordinator. If necessary, inform providers of program deficiencies and work with providers to construct corrective action plans.
• Monitors plans to make sure that provider meets goals of plans set.
• Accepts service bills for all 16 EFSP Providers and records them on Excel spreadsheet. Uses separate client log on an excel spreadsheet to record services provided and determine if bill is appropriate. Records and tracks program spending on Excel spreadsheet.
• Keeps electronic and paper copies of all bills and tracks payment status.
• Performs tasks normally completed by the EFSP Coordinator when the EFSP Coordinator is not present. This includes: accepting calls from the kinship caregiver hotline, assigning cases to EFSP providers, receiving service reports and request for CANTS and LEADS checks from contracted EFSP providers and recording these services in the EFSP client spreadsheet.
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.

Benefits

• Excellent training and continuing education and development opportunities offered on topics such as: PCIT, NMT, TF-CBT, BFST, CSAYC, TBRI, FFT and many, many more!
• Student Loan Repayment assistance, up to $1,200 per year!
• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance for you and your family!
• 22 Days Off Each Year!
• Plus 11 Paid Holidays Per Year!
• Competitive salaries and benefits including a 401(k)
• Summer Hours Off (Friday afternoons off).
• Tuition Assistance
• Work Anniversary Trips!
• Peace leave
• Supervision Hours (for staff working on Independent Licensure)
• Flexible Hours
• Mileage Reimbursement

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees