What are the responsibilities and job description for the Adoption Navigator position at Judson Center?
Job Summary
Adoption Navigators provide one on one guidance to prospective and current adoptive families to help them navigate Michigan’s foster care and adoption system. Adoption Navigators are experienced foster, adoptive and/or kinship parents who provide information, support and guidance to families throughout the state. Adoption Navigators work with adoption agency workers involved with adoptive families to assist with eliminating barriers to a successful adoption, as well as engage in recruitment and public awareness activities.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
- Provide direct, personalized guidance and support to prospective and current adoptive families.
- Build rapport with families, offering resources, information, and encouragement.
- Participate in recruitment activities and public awareness efforts to promote adoption from foster care.
- Deliver virtual and in-person training sessions to families and professionals as needed.
- Attend monthly and quarterly team meetings in Ann Arbor and support statewide events/trainings, which may occur in the evenings or on weekends.
- Maintain accurate and timely documentation through data entry and reporting.
- Adoption Navigators must have experience as an adoptive parent.
- Very organized, detail oriented, meets deadlines, adheres to contract requirements, can multi task, works well on a team and has a positive outlook about adoption from foster care.
- Ability to work independently and meet job requirements.
- Sensitive to the concerns of current and potential adoptive parents and ability to establish rapport quickly and effectively with families.
- Ability to identify resources available to adoptive families statewide.
- Willing to share personal experiences with adoption in a professional manner with the public.
- Complete 25 hours of yearly required trainings.
- Completes all mandatory trainings, as required by contract and Judson Center.
- Attends all scheduled meetings, including supervisions, program meetings, and all staff.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Skills & Qualifications
- High School diploma or equivalent.
- Personal experience with the child welfare system as a foster, adoptive, relative or kinship caregiver.
- Involvement in the local foster/adoptive family community and foster/adoptive family groups.
- Ability to relate to current and prospective adoptive, foster and kinship families.
- Valid Michigan Driver’s License, appropriate insurance and use of own vehicle.
- Ability to relate to local DHHS and private agency personnel.
- Ability to work a flexible schedule to accommodate families with whom the Navigator works.
- Ability to travel/work statewide as necessary.
- Proficient in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint. Familiarity with the process of joining a Zoom or Microsoft Teams meeting is essential.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to provide culturally competent services that shows sensitivity to the service population’s cultural and socioeconomic characteristics.
Working Conditions
- Works in an office environment, at home or and in the community as needed.
- Position may require evening and weekend hours to cover events and trainings within the state of Michigan.
- Full time position, Monday-Friday, 9-5pm. MARE Hotline coverage on rotation every Weds. from 5-7pm.
Additional Requirements
- Ability to pass Central Registry Clearance, Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT) check, and National/State Sex Offender Registry check.
