Community Navigator in Mankato, Minnesota at " Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities"

Title: Community Navigator
Job Category: Community Outreach
Requisition Number: COMMU002232
Job Type: Full-Time
Mankato, MN, 56001, United States

Description

Who We Are

Our mission at Minnesota Council of Churches (MCC) is focused on ‘Unity Built on Justice.’ Our goal is to build strong communities that are made up of meaningful relationships and guided by our deepest values. The Minnesota Council of Churches is your partner in living out your faith in your community. We consist of 24 members representing the regional governing and administrative bodies of Historic Black, Mainline Protestant, and Peace Church judicatories.

Why You’ll Love Working Here

At MCC, we offer:

Refugee Services – to create freedom, hope, and opportunity in Minnesota

Respectful Conversations – structured, facilitated conversations designed not to change minds, but soften hearts

Social Justice – we seek to change societal norms through truth telling, racial justice, and personal transformation

Interfaith – we provide many opportunities for interfaith programming in your community

Justice Advocacy – we strive to keep our constituents informed and active in education and advocacy

Wages

$25.00 - $26.00 per hour depending on qualifications and level of experience

Benefits

• 13 paid holidays
• Wellness week – during the last week of the year, MCC offices will be closed. Staff will be paid and are encouraged to spend the week focused on reflecting, planning, and other wellness activities
• Paid vacation time
• Paid sick leave
• Medical and dental insurance available at no cost for employees; with family coverage available
• Vision insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA), and options for Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

• Long-term disability insurance – available at no cost for employees
• Employer-paid basic life insurance with the option for additional coverage paid by the employee
• Voluntary benefits: Accident, hospital indemnity, critical illness, short-term disability insurance
• MCC sponsors a retirement plan with 6% employer match.

Because Minnesota Council of Churches (MCC) is a member with Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities (MACC) who partners with St. Mary’s University, MCC employees and their spouses are also eligible for the following benefits at St. Mary’s University:

• Discounted tuition for Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate programs
• Professional development opportunities
• Access to advancement (internships, job placement, field practice)

Job Summary

Minnesota Council of Churches is hiring a Community Navigator to serve New Americans in the greater Mankato area and Southwest Minnesota. The Navigator will support immigrants and refugees that are navigating immigration and workforce documentation processes within the LAWS Network. This is a non-legal, community-facing role that does not provide legal advice or legal representation. The Navigator will also provide direct case management and community navigation services to refugees and immigrants in the Mankato region who are not fully served by other programs.

Responsibilities

• Respond to service entry points and conduct intake screening for eligible community members.
• Assist with information-sharing, document gathering, and administrative support under direct supervision.
• Conduct intake assessments for refugees and immigrants who are ineligible for or have exhausted services under other funded programs, including ORR-funded or other contracted services.
• Develop individualized service and action plans with clients to address immediate and longer-term needs including housing stability, employment, healthcare access, education, and community integration.
• Maintain current knowledge of local, regional, and statewide services available to immigrants and refugees, including programs with no eligibility restrictions.
• Maintain timely, accurate case records for all clients served under the United Way contract using MCC’s designated case management system.
• Track client demographics, services provided, referrals made, and outcomes achieved in accordance with United Way reporting requirements.

What You Bring

• High school diploma or GED is required.
• Associate or bachelor’s degree in social work, human services, community health, or a related field is preferred.
• Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish or English and Somali (spoken and written) is required for this position.
• Previous experience working with immigrant, refugee, or New American communities in a direct service, outreach, or case management capacity.
• Previous experience in community navigation, social services, refugee resettlement, or a related non-legal support role is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct intake assessments, develop service plans, and provide ongoing case management to individuals with complex needs.
• Strong intercultural communication skills and ability to explain complex processes clearly in plain language.
• An understanding that this role does not involve providing legal advice under the GEAR scope and a commitment to operating within defined scope and referring legal questions to qualified staff.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and comfort with database or case management systems.

• Experience with ClientTrack (CT) or similar case management software is preferred.

• The ability to maintain strict confidentiality and handle sensitive personal information with discretion.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage responsibilities across two distinct program areas and funding streams.
• Reliable transportation to attend community service hubs and partner meetings throughout the Mankato region.

• A valid driver’s license, access to reliable transportation, and the ability to meet Minnesota Council of Churches’s driving record requirements. Please note that if the license was not issued in the state of Minnesota, you have 60 days after becoming a Minnesota resident in which to apply for your Minnesota driver's license or permit.

Diversity and open expression are fundamental to the work of Minnesota Council of Churches. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment where everyone can belong. Every member of our team enriches our work by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design, and deliver solutions. We welcome everyone to apply, especially those individuals who are underrepresented in our sector: individuals who identify as BIPOC, Indigenous or people of culture, LGBTQI+ and gender fluid or gender nonconforming, individuals with disabilities (both seen and unseen), veterans, people of any age or family status. We encourage you to apply even if you feel like you don't fit 100% of the technical requirements. Equal Opportunity Employer: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, disability, age, marital status, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, status with regard to public assistance, criminal history (justice-impacted status), housing or homelessness status, height, or weight.

Our organization has a partnership with Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities (MACC) to provide administrative services including management of the hiring process. If you apply for this position, you may see references to MACC in some online materials.

Minnesota Council of Churches participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you’re authorized to work in the U.S. See E-Verify’s official poster at https://e-verify.uscis.gov/web/media/resourcesContents/E-Verify_Participation_Poster_ES.pdf. See E-Verify’s Right to Work poster at https://www.e-verify.gov/sites/default/files/everify/posters/IER_RightToWorkPoster%20Eng_Es.pdf.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.