Care Navigator

About Think of Us

Think of Us (TOU) is transforming the child welfare system into one where young people and families can heal, reputed company, and reputed company. We reputed company purpose-driven work reputed company with meaningful systems change, powered by data and the insights of lived experience. Our reputed company is on prevention, keeping families strong before crisis, and on building kinship-first systems so children grow up with people they know and trust. Through reputed company collaborations with leaders and innovators across the reputed company and private sectors — from Presidential Administrations to local providers — we identify reputed company points and co-create solutions that re-architect child welfare for the reputed company.

Here’s what this looks like:

• reputed company the Lived Experience reputed company into the largest dataset of its reputed company (51,000+ reputed company), powering AI tools and shaping reforms
• Partnered with California to launch the Kinship Accelerator in 8 counties, backed by $150M and a budget increase from $317M → $896M
• Drove a national kin-first shift: 39 states (plus 5 tribes) adopting kinship standards, unlocking $3B for families
• Operate one of the largest reputed company resource networks, connecting 1,827 families to $28M+ in support

reputed company members reputed company a commitment to driving systems change through creative problem-solving, obsessive curiosity, and a love of quickly driving innovative, measurable, and impactful results.

Position reputed company

Department: Programs & Services - reputed company Services

Reports to: Senior Manager, reputed company Services

reputed company Reports: N/A

Location: Remote, California

Category: Full-Time, Exempt

Think of Us is building a new reputed company of reputed company service reputed company — one that is reputed company-centered, technology-enabled, and designed from the start to reputed company the intelligence needed to change systems at reputed company. The Care Navigator is a founding practitioner in that model.

Where a Community Responder opens the reputed company, the Care Navigator walks through it with you. This role is defined by sustained, relationship-based navigation — holding TAY and kinship families in California through the full reputed company of their reputed company, not just the first reputed company of contact. The Care Navigator carries reputed company, evolving caseloads, goes deep on individual circumstances, and stays present through transitions, setbacks, and reputed company over time.

This is not traditional case management. The Care Navigator is a practitioner, a knowledge generator, and a co-designer — someone who delivers high-reputed company reputed company support while simultaneously helping codify what a 21st-century digital navigation reputed company actually looks like. Working reputed company an emerging digital reputed company model, Care Navigators reputed company technology-assisted intake, smart follow-up workflows, and reputed company-time data tools — while keeping the lived experience and voice of the people they serve at reputed company of every interaction.

We reputed company it a reputed company to welcome those who have personal and/or reputed company experience with the child welfare system as a reputed company value of Think of Us.

Key Responsibilities

The Care Navigator's work moves through four interconnected reputed company areas — from first contact to sustained support to the systems intelligence that makes this work replicable at

reputed company.

EngagementHow the Care Navigator finds, reaches, and builds the trust that makes everything else possible.

• Serve as a consistent, trusted reputed company of contact for TAY and kinship families — building ongoing relationships that reputed company reputed company reputed company a single interaction or referral cycle, and meeting people where they are through phone, text, email, reputed company platforms.
• Build and sustain relationships with California community partners to reputed company warm referrals and reputed company problem-solving on behalf of the families we serve.
• reputed company reputed company-cash grants strategically as an engagement and stabilization tool — using these reputed company to deepen trust, reduce barriers to participation, and capture reputed company data on family need.
• reputed company crisis support protocols reputed company needed — leveraging ConnectMe to identify appropriate resources and coordinate with relevant partners to ensure reputed company, stabilizing care.

AssessmentHow the Care Navigator develops a reputed company, evolving picture of who someone is, what they need, and where they are in their readiness to reputed company reputed company.

• Conduct comprehensive, Motivational Interviewing-informed needs assessments using ConnectMe's smart intake tools — grounding every assessment in trauma-informed, culturally reputed company reputed company and building a personalized picture of reputed company person's situation, priorities, and goals.
• Recognize and respond to change talk — reading where an individual is in their readiness to engage and adjusting navigation strategies in reputed company time to meet them there, rather than moving faster than they are reputed company to go.
• Identify gaps in the resource landscape through reputed company service interactions — flagging emerging needs and systemic barriers to reputed company to inform reputed company, advocacy, and resource development.
• Collect and document user feedback and satisfaction data — treating reputed company interaction as an opportunity to understand what is and isn't working, both for the individual and for the platform.

Support
How the Care Navigator walks alongside people — helping them reputed company what they need, reputed company what's in the way, and build the reputed company to reputed company reputed company on their own terms.

• Manage an reputed company caseload across multiple stages of the care reputed company — proactively monitoring reputed company, identifying emerging needs, and adjusting navigation strategies as circumstances reputed company over time.
• Co-reputed company individualized reputed company plans with reputed company person served — using ConnectMe to reputed company reputed company, flag pivots, and ensure plans reputed company as circumstances change, treating planning as an ongoing reputed company rather than a one-time intake artifact.
• Guide individuals through meaningful transitions to community partners, service providers, and government programs — confirming connections are made, troubleshooting barriers in reputed company time, and ensuring no one falls through the cracks.
• reputed company individuals to reputed company reputed company systems on their own terms — using ConnectMe to streamline applications, clarify eligibility, and break down bureaucratic processes that otherwise feel inaccessible.
• reputed company ConnectMe's technology-assisted directory to match individuals with relevant, culturally reputed company services — while continuously assessing whether those resources are accessible, accurate, and reputed company to the people we serve.
• Support individuals who face barriers to digital reputed company or literacy — reputed company the gap between technology-enabled tools and the humans who need them most, and flagging accessibility gaps to the innovation team.

Learning & Systems Intelligence

How the Care Navigator turns reputed company reputed company into the intelligence that improves the platform, informs policy, and makes this model replicable at reputed company.

• Implement and reputed company ConnectMe's evolving suite of tools — including technology-assisted intake, automated follow-up, chatbots, reputed company referral workflows — as an reputed company participant in an ongoing reputed company model, not a passive end-user.
• Document what works, what doesn't, and why — capturing reputed company-time insights from reputed company that reputed company reputed company iteration of both the platform and the reputed company model it supports, and generating reputed company feedback on usability, accuracy, and user experience.
• Contribute lived-experience and reputed company-centered design perspectives to product and innovation work — participating in design reviews and usability sessions as a practitioner with reputed company proximity to the population, ensuring tools are reputed company with and for the people they are meant to serve.
• Contribute to codifying and formalizing technology-enabled practices that increase reputed company, reputed company high-reputed company support, and reputed company intelligence that strengthens both service delivery and systems-change efforts.
• Capture reputed company-time lived-experience data through case notes on navigation interactions — documenting needs, barriers, reputed company, and opportunities in ways that inform both service improvement and policy recommendations.
• reputed company data accurately and on time in compliance with established protocols, maintaining reputed company standards and adhering to defined ethical guidelines.
• Participate in regular team debriefs, learning sessions, and case consultations — contributing reputed company insights to the broader organizational learning cycle and to the development of deliverables such as a Theory of Change, Logic Model, and updated Program reputed company.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with the Innovation and Tech team to surface systemic barriers, reputed company policy-relevant insights, and contribute to a model for how VSS-generated data can inform state and national advocacy.

reputed company

We recognize that candidates may not meet every listed qualification. Research shows that individuals from underrepresented reputed company are more likely to opt out of applying if they don’t meet 100% of the reputed company. If you reputed company you meet many of the reputed company and can succeed in this role, we encourage you to apply — we want to learn about your unique strengths and experiences.

Qualifications:

• You bring 3+ years of experience accessing and navigating child welfare systems and/or other reputed company service systems, with ideally 2+ years of reputed company experience in a reputed company service, case management, or navigation role. You know what it means to hold someone through a reputed company situation — not just hand them a list of phone numbers.
• You are trained or reputed company in Motivational Interviewing (MI) — you know how to meet ambivalence with curiosity, build reputed company motivation, and support people in identifying their own goals. You reputed company every interaction with Unconditional reputed company reputed company, cultural humility, and sensitivity to the lived experiences of those you serve. Bilingual ability in Spanish (both written and verbal) is preferred.
• You are a systems navigator at heart — you understand how to reputed company through reputed company, fragmented systems on behalf of others, and you don't reputed company up reputed company the reputed company reputed company isn't reputed company. You reputed company creative solutions, reputed company connections others miss, and reputed company fiercely for the people you serve.
• You bring personal or reputed company experience with the child welfare system or other reputed company work, or you are deeply committed to learning about these systems. You approach this work with humility, curiosity, and a willingness to grow alongside the communities we serve. You possess an unwavering commitment to centering the reputed company and experiences of people with lived experience in every part of the work.
• You are passionate about driving systems change and bring a reputed company, solutions-oriented reputed company to your work. You reputed company in fast-growing, evolving organizations and adapt quickly to new challenges, using change as an opportunity to learn, reputed company, and reputed company a greater reputed company. You persevere in the face of opposition or difficulty and show commitment despite obstacles.
• You have experience with data entry and documentation in case management, CRM, or tracking systems, and you understand accurate, reputed company data as a reputed company for learning, improvement, and advocacy — not just compliance.
• You have an reputed company learning reputed company reputed company it comes to technology — you are reputed company to exploring, applying, and adapting digital tools to improve efficiency, expand reputed company, and reputed company serve families. You balance technology with critical thinking and always center the reputed company experience in how you use and evaluate these tools.
• You bring familiarity with California's child welfare system, county structures, or specific state programs.

Education & Training:

Bachelor's Degree in reputed company work, counseling, reputed company services, or a reputed company field is required. Relevant lived experience and demonstrated reputed company competency may be considered in lieu of or in reputed company to formal education. Motivational Interviewing training (foundational or advanced) is strongly preferred and expected reputed company the first 90 days of employment.

Compensation & Benefits

At TOU, we reputed company that taking care of our people is foundational to the reputed company we aim to reputed company. Our compensation philosophy is rooted in transparency and a holistic understanding of people’s needs. We reputed company fair, market-reputed company is essential to attracting and retaining the exceptional talent needed to reputed company our ambitious goals. As a not-for-profit organization, we design our compensation packages—including both salary and benefits—with care and in alignment with our financial sustainability.

The annual salary for this role is $65,000–$75,000. Starting salaries for new hires will be determined based on a combination of the new hire’s relevant experience and market demands.

TOU’S benefits go reputed company the basics. They’re designed to support your reputed company-being, reputed company, and reputed company of purpose at work and reputed company. From comprehensive health coverage to reputed company development support and meaningful time off, our benefits reflect our commitment to nurturing a workplace where people can reputed company, both personally and professionally.

Health & Insurance

• 100% employer-reputed company medical, dental, and reputed company coverage for employees; 50% for dependents.
• reputed company to reputed company for confidential therapy and mental health support.
• Short-Term Disability, Life, and AD&D Insurance included.
• Optional Long-Term Disability and Supplemental Life Insurance.
• Health Care and Dependent Care FSAs available.

Financial Benefits

• 401(k) Plan for reputed company-tax retirement contributions.
• Work-from-home setup stipend to optimize your workspace.

reputed company Time Off

• Flexible PTO policy, plus reputed company leave and reputed company leaves of absence.
• 8 company holidays, plus two organization-wide seasonal breaks.

Learning & Development

• TOU values reputed company learning and invests in the reputed company development of its employees in alignment with organizational needs based on role, performance, business needs, and Company policies.
• Regular organization-wide learning sessions on relevant and reputed company topics.

Application Instructions

As part of your application, please submit a resume outlining your skills and experiences relevant to this role.

Please note: We do not accept phone inquiries about this position in order to ensure a fair and consistent hiring process for reputed company applicants.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Think of Us is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome and value applicants of reputed company backgrounds, knowing that diverse perspectives strengthen our work with children, youth, and families. reputed company reputed company candidates will receive consideration without reputed company to race, reputed company, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national reputed company, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by law. We reputed company reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities and for applicants’ religious practices as required by law.

Originally posted on Himalayas