Community Navigator at Lawndale Christian Legal Center – Chicago, Illinois

Title: Community Navigator

Status: Full-time Exempt

Location: North Lawndale & Near West Communities

Reports to: Community Navigator Supervisor

Who We Are

Lawndale Christian Legal Center (LCLC) was founded to provide a unique form of community holistic

defense representation grounded in restorative justice values to minors and emerging adults (25 and under)

in the North Lawndale area caught in the criminal justice system. LCLC’s highly relational, community-led

model of representation is performed by an interdisciplinary team of attorneys, case managers, outreach

workers, circle-keepers, and community partners. In addition to providing full criminal defense

representation, LCLC’s community holistic defense team identifies and meets the legal and social needs of

our clients at every phase of the criminal justice system: from diversion, arrest, through trial, and the

completion of any period of probation, supervision, and parole.

In early 2025, LCLC will be opening a new $22 million facility named the Dr. Dennis Deer Community

Justice Center. In this new facility, LCLC will own and operate a three-story office building plus twenty

units of studio-style housing (hereinafter “Deer Housing”) for emerging adult men, 18-25 years old, who are

or have been represented by our community holistic defense team. The community holistic defense team

will identify emerging adult men at high-risk of going to prison and negotiate for them to stay in one of the

twenty units of Deer Housing as an alternative to incarceration.

By serving justice-involved minors and emerging adults holistically in their community, LCLC is leading

the transformation of the traditional criminal justice system by building out age-appropriate interventions

and new best practices grounded in repair and restoration that are more effective, cost less, and result in

greater public safety for all. Our holistic, community-led model of restorative justice is a template for

creating a justice system that better serves Cook County and the nation. More information on LCLC can be

found at www.lclc.net.

Our North Lawndale Community

Despite the insurmountable challenges of violence, poverty, and police brutality that our youth encounter in

North Lawndale, they demonstrate hope, resolve, and a drive to succeed and make their neighborhood a

better place. We are continually inspired by our clients’ resilience and positivity in the face of external

challenges. It is both an honor and a privilege to help them walk away from the criminal justice system and

equip them to take control of their future. North Lawndale is a vibrant and resilient community, and we are

proud to be a part of it. Our Freedom Center office site is located just next door to the Dr. Martin Luther

King Jr. Legacy Apartments and Exhibit Center, built on the site where Dr. King lived for six months during

his Chicago Freedom Campaign in 1966. North Lawndale is tightly knit, and we are gratified by our

affiliation with the Lawndale Christian Community Church and North Lawndale Community Coordinating

Council, two organizations that have done much to bring necessary health and legal services to the

community.

As a result of decades of disinvestment, “white flight,” redlining, and other harbingers of systemic poverty

and violence, North Lawndale suffers from prominent levels of poverty, economic hardship, violence, and

over-policing. In North Lawndale, approximately 850 officers are assigned to the two police districts that

patrol 35,000 residents. In addition, a significant percentage of specialized units (which are historically

aggressive and abusive) rove in our community. More than 1,500 youth are arrested in North Lawndale

yearly, the second highest rate in Chicago. Indiscriminate stops and searches of North Lawndale residents

are a daily occurrence; 66% of adults surveyed perceived no legitimate reason for their most recent police

stop. A startling 59% of adults in North Lawndale have been arrested, 30% convicted, and 27% jailed.

Despite the insurmountable odds that our youth encounter within North Lawndale, they demonstrate hope,

resolve, and a drive to make their neighborhood a better place. We are continually inspired by our clients’

resilience and positivity in the face of external challenges. It is both an honor and a privilege to help them

walk them through and away from the criminal justice system and equip them to take control of their future.

What We Do

LCLC reaches over 350 minors and emerging adults in the criminal justice system annually with the

following services:

● Community Holistic Defense for Juveniles and Emerging Adults: Free legal representation for indigent

clients grounded in holistic defense practices which acknowledge that quality of representation and criminal

legal outcomes are improved for youth when an integrated, interdisciplinary team of attorneys and social

service providers simultaneously address their unique developmental needs.

● Community Housing: LCLC owns and operates 20 units of studio style housing for emerging adult men,

18-25 years old, inside the Deer Community Justice Center. In addition, LCLC has created a network of

approximately 275 private landlords and funders that place other LCLC clients and their families in

subsidized affordable housing units.

● Restorative Justice Community Court: LCLC was the lead agency that gathered numerous community and

cook county court stakeholders together to design and launch the first Restorative Justice Community Court

in the country in North Lawndale in September 2017. This court is based upon the tradition of restorative

justice circle keeping and other restorative justice practices to enable repair and community integration for

emerging adult men, 18-25, facing qualifying felony criminal legal charges. LCLC hopes to add a juvenile

call to this court to serve minors 17 and younger under the same model.

● Community Holistic Juvenile Diversion: Since 2020, LCLC has worked with the mayor’s office and the

Chicago Police Department to close the Juvenile Intervention and Support Center (JISC) and create a new

model of juvenile diversion for Chicago. LCLC is one of eight service providers in the city and focuses on

serving youth from the west side diverted from the courts by the Chicago Police Department.

LCLC looks to continuously innovate our program portfolio to build upon new best practices for serving

minors and emerging adults and better serve our communities.

Job Description

The SCaN (Service Coordination and Navigation) program model supports youth at the highest risk of exposure

to violence, violent victimization, and active involvement in violence; and that live in the city’s community

areas with the highest level of violent crimes. The SCaN program model aims to reduce youth involvement in

violence and improve youth wellbeing by providing youth with services, stability, and a network of

community support to guide youth towards a successful transition to adulthood. Program

outcome goals include increasing youth self-efficacy; ensuring youth have a network of

supportive, caring adults; and supporting youth in meeting their needs and goals to build stability

in their lives. Ultimately, we hope that success across these outcome goals will contribute to an

overall reduction in youth violence involvement and violence at the community-level.

merging adults (ages 14-24) who are involved in the justice system.

This Community Navigator will also work closely with a team of

outreach workers when applicable, in order to provide restorative, wrap-around services tailored to the client’s

unique situation. The Community Navigator will develop an individual action plan with the youth to connect

with educational institutions, promote positive, pro-social attitudes and behaviors, meet personal goals, and

maintain court compliance while decreasing engagement in violent behavior.

Responsibilities:

Community Navigator will be assigned a caseload of 15 juveniles and/or emerging adults ages 24 and under and of the highest risk.

● Complete the client intake and obtain necessary releases of information.

● Conduct assessments pertaining to client’s overall health and needs including the impact of previous/ongoing traumatic experiences.

● Build rapport and work towards developing a supportive and trusting relationship.

● Complete a Self-Sufficiency Matrix and develop an individualized service plan indicating goals and

steps needed to obtain those goals.

● Meet on a weekly basis to provide one-on-one mentoring support, complete assessments, make referrals to community partners and services identified through assessments.

● Monitor the progress of each client on their individual service plan.

● Maintain client record in the funder required database; City Span as well as agency database Neon one.

● Establish supportive relationships with families, schools, employers, probation officers, and community service partners.

● Visit or correspond with in-custody youth as needed.

● Attend all training as required for agency and professional development.

● Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

● A minimum of 2 years working with high risk and/or justice involved youth. Bachelor’s degree in social work, criminal justice, or related field preferred.

● Self-starter who is passionate about supporting underserved, at-risk youth.

● Demonstrates cultural sensitivity and ability to work with diverse staff, clients and community.

● Ability to collaborate on an interdisciplinary team and work independently.

● Able to work in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.

● Time management skills and ability to manage priorities and workflow.

● Passion for, understanding of, and commitment to LCLC’s vision and mission.

● Ability to travel to meetings in the community, including home and school visits. Willingness to

transport clients.

Professionalism and Work Conduct

● Behaves with integrity, demonstrates high ethical standards, and displays a positive image of LCLC.

● Always acts in a professional manner and maintains appropriate boundaries with clients.

● Demonstrates accountability for results and keeps commitment to others.

● Reports to work, meetings, training, and job-related activities prepared and on time.

● Demonstrates openness and respect for cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of participants and

coworkers.

● Accepts feedback and ideas from team and supervisor and is constructive when giving feedback and

ideas to others.

● Discusses alternative problem solving and is open to current ideas and ways of doing things.

Environment/Travel

While performing the duties of this job, the employee works mostly in the field with some

occasional work in an office environment that is quiet to moderately loud, depending on the work area.

Some local, county, or state travel may be required, including overnight stays and the suburban Cook

County area. Other distance travel (may be required. Must possess and maintain an applicable Illinois

Driver License, clean driving record, and auto insurance that meets state requirements. Physical

Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an

employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this

job, the employee is required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger; reach with hands and arms; climb

and descend stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear. The employee may occasionally

be required to lift or move up to 25 pounds. Requires normal range of motion, hearing and vision. The

Outreach Supervisor will spend 60% - 70% of the time in the field with team, clients and community

and 30% - 40% of the time focused on other duties and programmatic needs.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work It is required full-time work week, as designated by the

LCLC Employee Handbook, with periodic longer hours, including potential evenings, weekends, and

odd hours.

Lawndale Christian Legal Center is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis

of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability,

medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or

expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law. All aspects of

employment including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on merit,

competence, performance, and organizational needs. Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is

representative of those we serve.

North Lawndale, Austin, and East Garfield Park residents, minorities, and individuals impacted by the

criminal justice system are encouraged to apply.

North Lawndale residents and minorities are encouraged to apply.