Kinship Navigator, Seattle

About the Role

Casey Family Programs is the nation’s largest operating foundation focused on safely reducing the need for foster care and building Communities of Hope for children and families. The Kinship Navigator provides services to birth parents and kinship caregivers involved with, or at risk of entering, the child welfare system. This role focuses on system navigation, accessing community resources, and advocacy for youth and family safety, permanency, and well-being. The work primarily occurs in homes and communities, with virtual options available.

Key Responsibilities

• Provides individualized direct service to birth parents, kinship caregivers, and their children through assessments, advocacy, system navigation, and developing community support plans.
• Coaches and provides one-on-one skill building for youth and caregivers to navigate systems impacting their safety, permanency, and well-being.
• Conducts home and community-based visits.
• Collaborates with field office colleagues to ensure quality services.
• May provide supervision and/or transportation for scheduled sibling visits.
• Complies with all documentation requirements for internal and external audits.
• Works to inform best practice in expediting permanency in foster care.
• Participates in multidisciplinary teams, providing training and coaching on trauma- and healing-informed care, culturally responsive services, and community/natural supports.
• Assesses family needs and strengths to inform culturally responsive, trauma- and healing-informed action plans.
• Assesses relevant services, provides system navigation, and advocates for families.
• Teams with the Family Developer to ensure timely tasks related to kin family licensure.
• Coordinates with vendors for service securing and reimbursement.
• Manages compliance with standards and tracking of required documentation.
• Maintains an up-to-date mailing list of Kinship families, resources, and trainings.
• Develops a periodic newsletter to share information about available services.
• Identifies and builds networks with local programs and services, developing linkages for caregiver support, respite care, tutoring, legal assistance, housing, and food services.
• Participates in planning and execution of field office and community projects, youth and family groups/events, resource parent trainings, and recruitment/retention activities.
• Coordinates and leads support groups, family education sessions, advisory groups, and events.
• Cultivates connections and teaches skills for self-advocacy.
• Collaborates with the field office team to coordinate process improvement activities for improved outcomes.
• Participates in clinical staffing processes, service reviews, and ongoing learning activities.
• Analyzes data to inform practice/program improvements, including work to mitigate disparities for youth and families of color.
• May participate in system improvement forums to assist in the development and implementation of new programs and services.
• Contributes to Demonstration and Spread efforts to improve safety, permanency, and well-being outcomes.
• Serves on Casey work committees or task forces by appointment.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Personal experience navigating the child welfare system and/or training, coaching, and/or serving as a mentor to other families is required.
• Knowledge of the child welfare system and community resources for caregivers.
• Basic technology skills.
• Demonstrated respect for multicultural approaches.
• Demonstrated skills in collaboratively working as a part of a team.
• Demonstrated skills in providing consultation and advocacy on behalf of youth and families with schools, government, and/or community agencies.
• Skills related to system navigation and self-advocacy.
• Experience working with and supporting the development of youth known to the child welfare system.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, respect for tribal sovereignty, and respect for cultural, racial, and gender difference.
• Personal qualities demonstrating adaptability, curiosity, collaboration, self-reflection, and commitment to lifelong learning.
• Ability to contribute effectively with and across teams and with external partners.
• Ability to protect the confidentiality of sensitive information.
• Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills.
• Local travel required for home visits, meetings with families, and other required meetings.
• Occasional out-of-town travel may be required.
• Physical requirements include the ability to lift and reach for light objects; close visual acuity; ability to type; ability to travel to outside locations; and ability to work at a computer for extended periods.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in or with state, county, and other government agencies.
• Experience with MS Office (Word, Excel and Outlook).
• Bilingual skills in English and another language(s).

Note: Driving on Casey business may require use of a personal vehicle; adherence to vehicle safety guidelines and qualification for insurance is required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.