Kinship Navigator: CT Kinship Navigator Program- 7052

SCHEDULED HOURS: Monday-Friday 7:30am-9pm flexible schedule around caseload

PROGRAM/LOCATION: Connecticut Kinship Navigator Program, Manchester

The Connecticut Kinship Navigator Program (CKIN) is a program intended to prevent the disruption of foster care placements and increase stability and permanency by providing timely in-home interventions with kinship caregivers and the children in their care. CKIN collaboratively identifies the needs of the family, children, and overall home environment.

Through empowering and motivating caregivers, providing psychoeducation and skill development, caregivers will learn additional information pertaining to foster care, the impact of trauma, how to manage trauma-related behaviors and moods, and be connected to resources.

Do you have lived Foster Care and/or Kinship care* experience? If so, then this might be the perfect fit for you!

*Kinship care is defined as the raising of children by grandparents and/or other extended family members. This also encompasses fictive kin as unrelated adults with whom they have close family-like relationships, such as godparents, step-parents, neighbors, and close family friends.

• Utilize your lived experience with Foster Care and Kinship care to build bonds with children and families and make a positive impact on their lives!

• Conducts needs assessments to identify needs in the following areas: basic needs, legal, child welfare, caregiver social support, caregiver health, caregiver education & training, family functioning, childcare, education & child development, child social support, child health and cultural support;

• Assists families on how to identify and prioritize family needs, and how to navigate and access community resources;

• Identifies culturally appropriate resources for families within their communities;

• Provides support to families and connects them to needed resources in their community;

• Advocates for the needs of the family to all parties involved;

• Participates in trainings and meetings and regularly attends supervision;

• Documents all services and contacts with families, collateral contacts and providers.

Education: BSW or BA/BS in related human services field is preferred but candidates with an Associate’s degree plus an extra two years’ experience in a related field or candidates with a High School diploma with a minimum of 4 years’ extra experience in related field will be considered.

Experience: At least two (2) years’ experience working with families and knowledgeable about community resources and services. Experience in advocacy work in behalf of children and families preferred. Closely related kinship caregiver experience of 2 years or more preferred.

Licensure/Certification/Registration : Valid current driver’s license and must own vehicle to drive regularly to home visits.

*Actual rates are determined at the time of offer and are based on relevant experience and internal equity, as well as, adherence to our internal equity policy. Many of our positions offer program/location differentials and/or sign-on incentives. (Please note, for part-time positions this range would be pro-rated based on hours worked)