Community Support Navigator in Lawrence, Massachusetts at Volunteers of America Massachusetts

The Opportunity: Community Support Navigator

Job Type: Full-time, On-Site

Pay: $58,000/year

Who We Are || VOAMASS gives members of the community who need help the most the services, support, and self-esteem they need to create a fresh start. At VOAMASS, our dedicated teams are committed to serving the whole person.

As a Community Support Navigator, you’ll provide community-based case management, care coordination, and recovery support to individuals experiencing mental health and substance use challenges, homelessness, housing instability, or justice involvement. Supporting VOAMASS Community Support Programs and the Essex Medication Re-Entry Grant Expansion (EMRGE2), you’ll connect individuals to behavioral health treatment, recovery services, housing, employment, healthcare, and other essential resources.

You’ll also provide specialized re-entry support to individuals transitioning from Essex County correctional facilities, developing individualized re-entry plans and coordinating services before and after release. Working with correctional staff, clinicians, program leadership, and community partners, you’ll help reduce barriers to care, promote recovery and independence, and support successful community reintegration.

Community Support Navigator Key Responsibilities:

• Maintain a mixed caseload of individuals enrolled in Community Support Programs, including a caseload of up to 30-40 participants transitioning from Essex County correctional facilities into the community.
• Provide intensive, individualized case management, care coordination, and community-based support services to individuals experiencing mental health, substance use, co-occurring disorders, homelessness, housing instability, and justice involvement.
• Engage with incarcerated individuals prior to release to assess needs, identify barriers, establish individualized goals, and develop comprehensive re-entry and transition plans to support successful community reintegration.
• Provide ongoing post-release case management and follow-up services to participants for up to six months following release, assisting individuals in achieving identified goals, overcoming barriers, and maintaining engagement in treatment, recovery, and community support services.
• Conduct screenings, assessments, and ongoing evaluations of individuals served, including assisting with diagnostic evaluations and demonstrating proficiency in administering required assessment tools such as ORAS, CAAPE-5, and MSDP following appropriate training.
• Develop, implement, and regularly update individualized Wellness Plans, re-entry plans, and service goals in collaboration with individuals served, ensuring plans address identified needs across multiple life domains, including behavioral health, recovery, housing, employment, education, healthcare, and independent living.
• Assist individuals with accessing and coordinating services and community resources, including primary care, mental health treatment, substance use treatment, Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), recovery support services, housing assistance, employment and workforce development opportunities, transportation, public benefits, and other identified social supports.
• Establish and maintain collaborative working relationships with correctional facilities, probation and parole departments, courts, community providers, and other criminal justice partners to support coordinated re-entry planning and continuity of care for justice-involved individuals.
• Provide flexible, mobile, community-based services by meeting individuals where they are, including correctional facilities, VOAMASS offices, residential programs, community locations, courts, housing appointments, and other appropriate settings. Telehealth services may be provided on a case-by-case basis, consistent with individual needs and applicable program requirements.
• Ensure services are appropriately documented and aligned with program eligibility, insurance billing requirements, and grant funding guidelines.
• Maintain a flexible schedule to accommodate the needs of individuals served, including travel to multiple locations throughout the workday, while ensuring timely and responsive service delivery.
• Perform other related duties as assigned to support VOAMASS's integrated care model, community support services, and re-entry programming.

The Community Support Navigator role is about making a difference in the lives of the people we serve. As Program Manager, you’ll bring the following qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s Degree is preferred in psychology, social work, healthcare administration, or a related human services field.
• A minimum of two years of experience working with social service organizations, including experience with multiple levels of care, service coordination, and referrals, is required.
• Experience or familiarity with correctional facilities, justice-involved populations, re-entry services, and supporting individuals transitioning from incarceration back into the community is strongly preferred.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and computer skills, a valid driver’s license, and reliable transportation are required.
• Desirable candidates will have prior knowledge of system navigation, community-based resources, behavioral health and substance use treatment services, and re-entry support services available to individuals throughout Massachusetts.

For full-time employees, which includes our Community Support Navigator, our comprehensive and generous benefits package includes:

• Excellent health, vision, and dental insurance with 90% of medical deductible and certain co-pays paid by employer
• Multiple opportunities to use pre-tax dollars to save for expenses such as health care (flexible spending account), child care, transit, and parking
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer match
• 24/7 nurse hotline for urgent health questions
• Employee assistance program to provide help with family concerns, stress management, legal issues, and more
• Employer-paid long-term disability and life insurance
• Pet insurance
• Tuition remission programs
• Loan forgiveness (Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program)
• Generous vacation benefits, starting at three weeks and moving to four weeks after three years of employment
• 14 paid holidays, higher than industry average
• Fitness/wellness reimbursement to cover expenses such as gym membership
• Employee discount program on hundreds of items such as computers, cell phone plans and accessories, furniture, hotels, vacation home rentals, etc.
• Cash bonus, with no annual cap, for referring other qualified candidates for employment

VOAMASS is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.