OFY Program Coordinator/Navigator (Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project)

Program Coordinator/Navigator

Opportunities for Youth (OFY)

Released Youth Program

Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project

Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc. is one of the largest human services providers in California that operates a variety of programs to serve the poor and strives to find permanent solutions to crisis situations by offering clients the tools and resources needed to achieve greater self-reliance and stability in their lives.

Background:

 Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project, a program of Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc., is a non-profit law firm which provides community education and legal representation to Southern California’s most vulnerable immigrant communities for over 10 years. Esperanza provides legal representation to immigrants who are in detention and/or removal proceedings, and focuses on particularly complex immigration cases which may involve unaccompanied minors, adults with mental health issues, and cases with past criminal or gang history. Esperanza also provides community education programming and pro se assistance to immigrants in removal proceedings both in detained and non-detained settings. Under the Opportunities for Youth (OFY) Program, Esperanza will proudly provide social services to unaccompanied minors. More information can be found about Esperanza at www.esperanza-la.org

Program Navigator for Opportunities for Youth Program: 

Esperanza seeks a full-time solution-driven Program Navigator for the Opportunities for Youth (OFY) Program. OFY is a new and exciting project aimed at providing post-placement services to Unaccompanied Minors that promote safety, support reunification with their sponsors and integration into their new communities. As part of OFY, the Program Navigator will lead the navigation of the project. This role will support Unaccompanied Minors and their families in accessing service systems and provide interpretation and advocacy where needed. The Program Navigator will report to the Case Manager and work under the supervision of the Program Manager for Released Youth. The Program Navigator will work on a team with a case manager; youth mentor coach and family workshop provider.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

•  Identify youth at various settings that may benefit from community integrative social services by conducting initial screenings.
• Triage assessment for case management services from active referrals.
• Refer youth and sponsors to other services (mentoring, process groups, adaptive skill building groups) when case management services are not needed.
• Screen youth for comprehensive case management services using trauma-informed lens.
• Use person-centered practices to engage youth and family identifying barriers to access (linguistic, educational, transportation, etc.).
• Work collaboratively with the family and case manager to address barriers.  
• Foster and maintain positive and professional relationships with community partners.
•  Develop referral systems to ensure care coordination.
• Empower youth and their sponsors to navigate service systems (education, workforce development, social services, immigration support services, etc.).
• Empower youth and sponsor by teaching adaptive and advocacy skills on an individual basis and group setting.
• Look for alternatives to home visitations in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, including telephonic and virtual contact.
• Support youth and their sponsor by providing immigration hearing support, interpretation and advocacy.
•  Work collaboratively with team for ongoing evaluation of effectiveness of the Individual Success Plan and progress.
• Maintain updated records, including case management files and reporting databases, to ensure confidentiality and compliance with monitoring standards.
• Document service contacts.
• Assist with developing written protocols and procedures.
• Participate in relevant trainings and meetings as assigned.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Minimum education is a Bachelor’s degree in social or human services or related field from an accredited or state approved college or university. At least one to three years in a social service setting or human services experience is highly desirable.
• The ideal candidate will have experience working with and within immigrant communities in California and working knowledge of the challenges and limitations in accessing services.
• A strong record of intercultural responsiveness, sensitivity and awareness, and cross-cultural communication skills.
• Experience working with a diverse team of social service providers and advocating on behalf of clients.
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Experience working at a non-profit organization preferred
• Excellent client communication skills
• Experience working with vulnerable client populations, particularly with children, families, or clients with trauma history is a huge plus
• Spanish language fluency is required and will be tested at time of interview, those that speak and indigenous Mayan language are highly encouraged to apply
•  Demonstrated ability to take initiative and work under pressure required
• Willingness to be a team-player with an attitude and aptitude for collaboration
• Strong typing and computer skills including MS Word, Excel, Mail Merges, etc.
• Passion for social justice for immigrants and vulnerable communities required. 

Deadline to Apply:

Position open until filled, early applications are encouraged.

 Only those applicants selected for interviews will be contacted. No phone calls please. Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc. is an equal-opportunity employer.