Navigator Plus Team

FIRSTwnc is looking to fill varies job positions with persons who have lived experience living in Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, Mitchell and Yancey counites in fulltime and part time roles. This newly funded project, Navigator Plus aligns with the DMHDDSUS Strategic Plan priorities by improving access to mental health and developmental disability services for underserved communities across Western North Carolina. This year’s awards prioritize innovative programs that address unmet needs, value lived experience, and foster culturally responsive support systems for historically underserved populations.

• Parent Educator - Role: Primary educator and trainer for parents and youth, emphasizing advocacy skills and understanding of support services. - Responsibilities: Provides individualized support, conducts workshops, assists at school and IEP meetings, and delivers youth transition planning. - Cross-Training Areas: Cross-trained to offer family support, with expertise shared across Navigator Plus, SUNSHINE, and CPRC.
• Outreach & Community Navigator - Role: Leads outreach and provides navigation support for families within education, mental health, and community services. - Responsibilities: Partners with agencies, maintains resource directories, and delivers navigation assistance to families, particularly those in underserved communities. - Cross-Training Areas: Works across all projects to provide broad-reaching navigation assistance, including -language support when needed.
• Teen & Youth Specialist - Role: Focuses on supporting youth transitions, self-advocacy, and life skills for youth moving into adulthood. - Responsibilities: Organizes youth-focused workshops, peer support groups, and provides mentorship for self-advocacy. - Cross-Training Areas: Provides support across Navigator Plus and CPRC, focusing on self-advocacy and legal rights education for youth with disabilities.
• Early Childhood Specialist (SUNSHINE Project) - Role: Dedicated to training and coaching childcare staff on inclusive practices for children with disabilities, ensuring support for children in diverse childcare environments. - Responsibilities: Delivers coaching sessions for childcare providers, focusing on inclusion techniques, behavior management, and best practices for supporting children with disabilities in a childcare setting. Develops accessible training materials, organizes workshops, and provides ongoing support and consultation for childcare staff.

All staff will be cross trained in all areas of project. Family members with lived experience encouraged to apply. Bi-lingual Spanish English is preferred for some positions..

Qualifications

• Strong customer service skills
• Proven team work and communication skills
• Familiarity with the systems that families and youth need to navigate to access services.
• Background in social work or behavioral health, prefer lived experience.